DFLCD Chairperson

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Charla Rochella Santiago-Saamong is a full-time faculty member of the University of the Philippines, under the Department of Family Life and Child Development, College of Home Economics. She is an experienced early childhood development teacher for children from infancy to five years old and was trained at the UP Child Development Center, the laboratory preschool under the same Department. She actively participates in various government and non-government projects on parenting, teacher training, storybook writing, curriculum development, and child development research. These institutions include the ECCD Council, the DOST-Science Education Institute, and UNICEF. Dr. Saamong is also an active member of the College of Home Economics Research Ethics Committee. She currently serves as Chairperson of the Department of Family Life and Child Development from 2025 to 2027. She received the Belt and Road Scholarship and Studentship from 2021 to 2024 for her PhD in Education program at The Education University of Hong Kong.

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Family Life and Child Development, magna cum laude, 2008, University of the Philippines Diliman

• Master of Arts in Psychology, 2013, University of the Philippines Diliman

• Doctor of Philosophy (Early Childhood Education), 2024, The Education University of Hong Kong

Research Interests 

• Movement and physical activity of young children

• Social and emotional development of young children

• Infant development and programs

• Assessment of children

• Pedagogy and teacher professional development

• Home-school partnerships and parent engagement

• Cultural perspectives in family life and early childhood development

• Early childhood development

Recent Publications 

• Peckley, S.O. and Saamong, C.R.S. (2026). Parents’ Perspectives and Practices in Instilling Responsibility in their Children. The Journal of PATHESCU, Vol 24, pp. 86-98. 

• Oropilla, C.T., Santiago-Saamong, C.R., Moneva, M.L.V., Navarrete, A.M.L., Guadaña, J.C. (2026). Kapwa as Pedagogy: Regenerating Indigenous Filipino Relationality in Early Childhood Education and Care. In: Andreadakis, Z., Oropilla, C. (eds) Confronting the Polycrisis. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-22167-4_6

• Fan, T., Saamong, C.R.S., Capio, C.M. (2026). Movement and Physical Activity in Hong Kong Kindergartens. In: Bautista, A. (eds) Culturally Situated Pedagogies in Hong Kong Kindergartens. Curriculum and School Development in Asia, vol 3. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-0281-3_9

• Saamong, C. R. S., Oropilla, C.T.O., Chan, Derwin K.C., & Capio, C. M. (2024). Movement and physical activity experiences of early childhood teachers: practices and contexts. Journal for the Study of Education and Development (online first). https://doi.org/10.1177/02103702241302290

• Saamong, C. R. S., Oropilla, C. T., Bautista, A., & Capio, C. M. (2024). A context-specific exploration of teacher agency in the promotion of movement and physical activities in early childhood education and care settings. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2301836

• Saamong, C. R. S., Deogracias, P. K. E., Saltmarsh, S. O., Chan, D. K. C., & Capio, C. M. (2023). Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions of Physical Activity: A Scoping Review. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01575-8

• Saamong, C.R.S., Jamero, J.L.F., Constantino, K.R., Maclid, E.M. (in press): Rethinking Social Justice in Early Childhood in the Philippines. In Marek Tesar (e.d.) Early Childhoods and Childhood Studies. Bloomsbury.

• Oropilla, C.T., Guadana, J. C., Saamong, C.R.S. (2023). Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Implications for formal and informal learning institutions and settings in the Philippines. In David Hebert (e.d.) Comparative and Decolonial Studies in Philosophy of Education. Springer-Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0139-5

• Maclid, E.M., Saamong, C.S. (2022). Teachers at the Frontlines: Experiences in Relating with Families during the Pandemic. The Journal of PATHESCU, Vol 21, HE Centennial Special Issue, 14-25.

• Tesar, M., Guerrero, M. R., Anttila, E., Newberry, J., Hellman, A., Wall, J., Santiago-Saamong, C.R., Bodén, L., Yu, H., Nanakida, A., Diaz-Diaz, C., Xu, Y., Trnka, S., Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Nxumalo, F., Millei, Z., Malone, K., & Arndt, S. (2021). Infantographies. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 0(0), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2021.2009341

• Saamong, C.R.S (2020). ICC Beyond the Learning Areas: The Infant Development Program. Book Chapter in the Handbook of UP Integrated Core Curriculum by Dr. Aurorita Roldan. University of the Philippines.

• Saamong, C. R. S. (2017). Pagtanggap, pagharap, pagpapatuloy: Prosesong pinagdaanan ng mga dalaga at binata na nawalan ng magulang [Pagtanggap, pagharap, pagpapatuloy: Experiences of emerging adults who lost their parents]. Social Science Diliman, 13(2), 31–65.

Courses Taught