On 16 October 2024, H.E. Mr. Atipat Rojanapaibulya, Ambassador of Thailand to Timor-Leste, along with officials from the Royal Thai Embassy in Dili, representatives from the Ministry of Education of Timor-Leste, and representatives from schools whose teachers have received the Princess Maha Chakri Award (PMCA) or are part of the Collaborative Project on Children and Youth Development in Timor-Leste, under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, participated in the opening ceremony of the 5^th Princess Maha Chakri Award Forum via a live online broadcast at the Royal Thai Embassy. 

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the opening ceremony of the 5^th PMCA Forum, which was organized by the PMCA Foundation and broadcasted live to the Royal Thai Embassies in 10 ASEAN member countries, as well as Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Bhutan. Mrs. Sonia Maria Varudo Moniz Da Silva, Principal Advisor to the Minister of Education of Timor-Leste, along with the five PMCA recipients from Timor-Leste, also traveled to Thailand to attend the forum. Ms. Filomena da Costa, a teacher from Catholic Secondary School São Miquel Arcanjo in Same, Manufahi Municipality, who is the 5^th PMCA recipient for 2023, represented Timor-Leste to present her work and share her experiences under the theme “Community Engagement - Improving quality of life.”

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has worked extensively in educational development, both in Thailand and internationally. In Timor-Leste, since 2014 Her Royal Highness has implemented the Collaborative Projects on Children and Youth Development in six schools, namely Escola Básica Central Hera, Escola Básica Filial Acanuno, Escola Básica Central Fatuquero, Escola Básica Filial Dona Ana Lemos, Escola Básica Central Saint Jose, and Ensino Pré-Escolar Acanuno. In addition, five Timorese teachers have been awarded the Princess Maha Chakri Award, which has been granted every two years since 2015 to honour outstanding teachers who have made significant contributions to education in ASEAN and Timor-Leste. The awardees include Mr. Julio Ximenes Madeira (2015), Ms. Leopoldina Joana Guterres (2017), Mrs. Lurdes Rangel Goncalves (2019), Mr. Vicente Marçal da Silva (2021), and Ms. Filomena da Costa (2023).

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