Devoted language teacher and educator Cavin Franco Pamintuan has already achieved much personally and professionally. Now almost 30 years old, Cavin is currently the Philippine Director of the Confucius Institute at the Angeles University Foundation, which he has held since May 2019. Like anyone else, his career had its humble beginnings when he first worked for the Superl Philippines Incorporated as a Bilingual Practitioner from April to September 2013. This led to his employment at the Confucius Institute of Angeles University Foundation as a faculty member from 2015 through 2017. This opportunity proved to be an early breakthrough in his career and profession. From a faculty member, Cavin then served as the Institute’s Administrative Officer for a year from 2017 to 2018, and later as Assistant Director from 2018 to 2019 before he was appointed Philippine Director.

Born and raised in Angeles, Pampanga, Cavin completed his secondary education at the Holy Angel University. He pursued an undergraduate degree for the Bachelor of Secondary Education in Filipino and Chinese Language Teaching at the Angeles University Foundation and successfully graduated in 2013 Cum Laude. Immediately after graduation, Cavin pursued his graduate studies, obtaining his Master’s in Teaching Chinese Speakers of Other Languages in 2015 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management degree in 2022.

As an educator, Cavin has been actively involved in advocacies to promote the Chinese language and the culture of the Philippines in secondary schools. He has been a member of the Philippines-China Friendship Club (PCFC) and has written and published a number of researches and resource materials. Among these educational resources include Bukal ng mga Kasanayan sa Filipino: Panitikan ng Rehiyonal, a textbook published by Ibong Adarna; Reading Comprehension Strategy Use in Filipino and Chinese among Chinese Language Teaching Scholars of Angeles University Foundation published in TESOL Online Journal; The Use of WeChat Application on CLT Scholars’ Vocabulary Acquisition (2018) published in TESOL International Journal; The Students’ Perceptions on Mandarin Classes and their HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) Results (2019), in The Asian ESP Journal; A Communicative Analysis of Language Functions in the Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) Textbooks: The Case of Happy Chinese (2020) in the Universal Journal of Education Research; and Reducing the Impacts of Pandemic to the Chinese Language Education through Localization (2021) in the International Journal of Language Education.

Apart from his full-time career as Philippine Director of the Confucius Institute in Angeles, Pampanga, Cavin has also been engaged in local and international consultancy and advocacy works. These include participation and serving as Resource Speaker at the 5th National Conference on Teaching Chinese Mandarin as a Foreign Language organized by the Department of Education in January 2016; as Trainer for the 2016 SPFL-Chinese Mandarin Summer Training Program by the Department of Education from March to April 2016; as Resource Speaker at the 6^th National Conference on Teaching Chinese Mandarin as a Foreign Language in July 2017; as Representative for the Sub-Forum on Volunteers for Chinese Teachers during Connectivity and Benefit-Sharing between China and Southeast Asia held in Fujian, China in November 2017; as Consultant for the Development of Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) Curriculum Guides for Grades 7-12 in October 2017; as Resource Speaker in the Special Program in Foreign Language National Conference in December 2017; as Consultant to the Consultative Workshop for the Special Program in Foreign Language in February 2018; as Resource Speaker at the Orientation on Special Program in Foreign Language Curriculum Guides, and the 7th National Conference on Teaching Chinese Mandarin as a Foreign Language in October 2018; as Representative to the Joint Conference of Confucius Institutes in Southeast Asia held in Laos in November 2018, and to the 2019 International Chinese Language Education Conference held in Changsha in 2019.

His recent professional engagements include participation as Resource Speaker to an online forum on How to Effectively Use SPFL-Chinese Mandarin Learning Modules organized by the Department of Education in October 2020; as Resource Speaker to The 1st International Seminar on Chinese Language Education 2020 organized by the Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia in November 2020; as Consultant to the Webinar Workshops on the Special Interest Program (SIP) Principles and Guidelines in November 2020; as Resource Speaker to the “Pillar 4: Systems” of the Internationalization Roadmap, and the Sino-foreign Joint Development of Native Chinese Teachers Training in November and December 2020 respectively; as Consultant and Resource Speaker to the Workshops on the Development of ADM Prototype Self-Learning Modules for SPFL, and Online Training-Workshop on Development of Supplemental Learning Materials for SPFL in August 2021; as Consultant to the Workshops on the Validation of ADM Prototype Self-Learning Modules for SPFL, and the Workshops on the Finalization of ADM Prototype Self-Learning Modules for SPFL in October and November 2021 respectively.

This year, the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU) recognizes Cavin Pamintuan for his dedication and advocacies, particularly in teaching and promoting the Chinese language among fellow educators and secondary students, which is deemed relevant in broadening and strengthening cultural exchanges and ties between Philippines and China.