Lourdes Quisumbing

Lourdes Quisumbing
Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports
In office February 1986 – December 1989
President	Corazon Aquino
Preceded by	Jaime Laya
Succeeded by	Isidro Cariño
Personal details
Born	(1921-02-13)February 13, 1921 Cebu, Philippines
Died	October 14, 2017(2017-10-14) (aged 96) Cebu, Philippines
Alma mater	University of San Carlos

Lourdes Quisumbing (February 13, 1921 – October 14, 2017) served as the Philippines' Secretary of Education, Culture, and Sports from 1986 to 1989, under the presidency of Corazon Aquino. Prior to serving as Secretary, she was the president of Maryknoll College.^[1]

Education

Quisumbing has studied extensively in the field of education, completing a Bachelor of Education from St. Theresa's College; a Master of Education from the University of San Carlos, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Santo Tomas. She has held teaching and administrative positions at various schools, and was President of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU).^[2]

Secretary of Education

Quisumbing was recommended to President Aquino for the post of Secretary of Education, Culture, and Sports by Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma. Aquino had wanted more women in her cabinet, and the position was often filled by someone with a background in private Catholic education. Muñoz-Palma had served as a trustee of Maryknoll College where Quisumbing was president, and Aquino contacted Quisumbing after hearing her recommendation.^[3]

While President of Miriam (then Maryknoll) College, Quisumbing developed a curriculum of values education. As Secretary of Education, she attempted to implement this curriculum at the national level.^[4] Also of concern during Quisumbing's tenure as Secretary was the state of higher education in the Philippines. She made numerous statements regarding the need for accreditation and for more alignment between educational and national goals. To address these concerns she commissioned the Task Force to Study State Higher Education, which ultimately reported that many state colleges and universities were operating without planning and without a clear mission.^[5]

Quisumbing resigned as Secretary in December 1989, following the 1989 Philippine coup attempt, and was replaced by Isidro Carino.^[6]

Later life

After leaving the Department of Education, Quisumbing has remained active in education initiatives in the Philippines and abroad, especially with UNESCO. She is permanent representative to UNESCO for the Philippine government.^[5] She was the founder and first President of the UNESCO-Asia Pacific Network for International Education and Values Education (APNIEVE), and was a former Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (1990 to 1998).^[2] She was chairperson emerita on the Board of Trustees for Miriam College.^[7] Quisumbing died on 14 October 2017 at the age of 96.^[8]

References

1. "The New Philippine Cabinet". The San Francisco Chronicle. 27 February 1986. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
2. "About DR. LOURDES R. QUISUMBING,UNESCO-APNIEVE". International Center of Teacher Education. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
3. Komisar, Lucy (1987). Corazon Aquino: The Story of a Revolution. New York: GEorge Braziller. p. 128.
4. Purcell, Francesca (2016). Coming of Age: Women's Colleges in the Philippines During the Post-Marcos Era. Routledge. ISBN 9781135495169.
5. Swinerton, E. Nelson (1991). Philippine Higher Education: Towards the Twenty-First Century. New York: Praeger. p. 45.
6. "Aquino Reshuffles Cabinet, Replaces Several Chiefs". The Deseret News. 1 January 1990.
7. "Miriam College Annual Report 2014 - 2015". Miriam College. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
8. "First female Education secretary Lourdes Quisumbing dies at 96". Inquirer.net. October 15, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2018.