MANILA, Philippines -- The National English Proficiency Program under the Department of Education (DepEd) facilitated the training on English teaching of some 50 South Korean secondary school teachers who completed the first part of the program, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said in a statement.

"This partnership has actually given us a new meaning of friendship. Based on our two countries’ experience, friendship is actually building on each other's strength," said Lapus.

The Philippines is one of South Korea's prioritized partner countries for its Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects since 1990 and funds have been spent to reduce poverty and achieve economic development, Lapus said.

The teacher-participants had a month-long training program wherein they were taught communicative language teaching and the teaching of English. Participants also had observation, practice teaching, and "after class mentoring" in eight schools in Metro Manila for three weeks, Lapus said.

The participants of the recent training program are expected to teach what they have learned to their co-teachers back in their country, Lapus said.

The same group is set to return to the Philippines by February next year to have further trainings based on the evaluation of their performance on the first part of the program, Lapus said.

"In the future, let us further explore areas of cooperation that will bring goodwill to the Filipino and Korean people," he said.

The project is part of an agreement with the Busan Metropolitan City of Education who donated 300 units of computers to DepEd for the basic education sector and 3,000 units of equipment for machinery, electronics, chemical engineering, automobile and architectural design from Sung- Ji Vocational School in Korea amounting to some $6 million, Lapus said.

The first batch of donated equipment is expected to arrive in September and will be distributed to DepEd, Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in increments from 2008 to 2011, he said.