THE chairperson of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and a former UST Filipino department faculty member has been appointed to the national commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in the Philippines.
On Oct. 3, Malacañang appointed Arthur Casanova as a member of Unesco Philippines’s Commission on Communication and Information under the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Fifteen other representatives, most of whom were cabinet officials, were also appointed to Unesco, which is tasked with advancing the implementation of the global organization’s programs in the country.
Casanova taught Filipino at UST before becoming KWF chairperson in 2020.
His term in the KWF, set to last until 2027, was marked by a suspension beginning June 2022 due to his supposed failure to call and preside over KWF meetings. The suspension was declared invalid by the Court of Appeals in March 2024.
Casanova earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education, major in Filipino, at the Mindanao State University in 1982.
He completed his master’s degree in education specializing in Filipino linguistics and a doctorate degree in linguistics and literature at Philippine Normal University.
In 1999, Casanova was feted with the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teacher award and in 2011, the Sarimanok Award for Outstanding Alumnus in the Field of Literature and the Arts from Mindanao State University.
The Philippine National Commission for Unesco was established in 1951 under Republic Act 621 to honor the country’s commitment to Unesco’s goals of international cooperation in education sciences, culture, communication, and information.
Casanova chairs the judging committee that picks outstanding faculty members for the annual Dangal ng UST Awards. Sydney Venice V. Berba