Sustainable development in higher education in the Philippines: the case of Miriam College
The Philippines is one of the signatories to the historic Agenda 21 and was the first country to establish a National Council for Sustainable Development. Ten years after Rio, global society is again confronted with the question of whether sustainable development as a concept, philosophy and practice has improved the lives of peoples in different countries and cultures. This article attempts to discuss initiatives through which tertiary education has helped bring about sustainable development in the Philippines. It posits that for sustainable development to happen it must take root in the consciousness and cultures of society, a task in which education plays a very important part. The article discusses the efforts of two national networks for environmental education, the Environmental Education Network of the Philippines, Inc. (EENP) and the Philippine Association of Tertiary Level Educational Institutions in Environmental Protection and Management (PATLEPAM). Both advocate the integration of sustainable development in school curricula as well as in campus administration and organizational culture. It also examines the efforts of one institution, Miriam College, to integrate environmental education in its programs as part of its mission and commitment to produce a genuine “steward of creation”.