1 ST QUARTER ISSUE January - March 2019 FILIPINO TIES THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF CFO www.cfo.gov.ph Filipino youth leaders from the US, Australia, the Netherlands rediscover their roots through the YouLeaD program Next page --> IN THIS ISSUE Filipino Youth from the US, Australia, and the Expertise with Ugandan Officials............................. p.10 Netherlands participate in the YouLeaD program..... p.1 CFO Releases A Special E-Publication CFO Conducts Capacity Building on Crisis for the Women’s Month Celebration....................... p.11 Management in the context of Migration Paint the Town Purple: CFO Celebrates for Bicol LGUs and stakeholders................................. p.4 International Women’s Month................................. p.13 CFO Joins the Launching of the National-level LINKAPIL Relaunches Website: Utilizes Online Review Process of the Beijing Declaration Payment System for Donations................................ p.17 and Platform for Action.............................................. p.6 CFO, DepEd conduct inspection of Philippine CFO Hosts Zimbabwean Delegation Schools Overseas in the Middle East, Europe, on Study Tour to the PH............................................. p.8 and Southeast Asia................................................... p.18 MAY I HELP YOU” Corner in Deadline for Submission of Entries NAIA Terminal 3 Launched............................................. p.9 to the 2019 MAM Awards Extended!....................... p.21 PH Shares Migration and Development FilTies Editorial Team “This trip was eye-opening for me, a trip I will honestly remember for a lifetime. Thank you Editors: Philippines for being the Motherland. I could not Maria Regina Angela G. Galias, Rodrigo V. Garcia, Jr., Michelle Dawn C. Bande be more proud to call myself Pinoy.” - Veronica Garrick, participant from Michigan Contributors: Marianne Dayne Alcaraz, Andrea Luisa Anolin, Michael Apattad, Matthiew Ryan Daming, “This immersion program allowed me to Nadine Michaela Dinoy, Jenina Danielle Melchor, challenge my vulnerabilities with my culture Timothy Kyle Nabua, Joanna Lyn Rodriguez, Patricia Marie Salvador, and Manolo Tibe and heritage as a Filipino. I am grateful to the many friends that I was privileged to meet and Layout: become my family away from home.” - Everett Troy Agcanas Francis Icao, participant from Illinois These are just some of the comments and reflections of 14 Filipino youth from the Midwest of the United States, Australia, and the Netherlands who participated in the Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) Immersion Program held on 3-9 January 2019 by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Chicago. The 7-day immersion module comprised of lectures on Day 1 of the YouLeaD program at the CFO office in Manila migration, basic conversational Filipino, and Filipino values. It also included a courtesy call International Sales, Inc. As the representative to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) of one of the YouLeaD program sponsors, Secretary, a visit to the Malacañang Museum, Mr. Arbues shared information about the immersion at a Gawad Kalinga village in Philippine real estate and tourism industries, Cavite, and a tour to Corregidor Island and then introduced Ayala’s major products and Taal Volcano. services. The program officially started on January 3 The second day (January 4) began with a with Director Marita del Rosario-Apattad lecture on migration and diaspora by Director of the CFO’s Project Management Division Maria Regina Angela Galias of the CFO’s welcoming the participants. Ms. Carmencita Administrative and Finance Division. Her Castro of TalkShop conducted a workshop on talk was about CFO services and programs, basic conversational Filipino. With flash card the Filipino diaspora, citizenship, and identity. games and role-playing activities, the students The icebreaker game at the beginning also learned basic expressions and self-introduction taught the participants how to count in using the local language. The afternoon session Tagalog, as well as trivia about the Philippines. began with getting-to-know-you games, which Afterwards, Professor Felipe de Leon of the were followed by a presentation by Mr. Manuel National Commission for Culture and the Arts Arbues, Regional Head of the Ayala Land (NCCA) talked about Filipino culture, values, Page 2 Youth Leaders interacting with Prof. de Leon (1st photo), and listening to the Malacañang Museum tour guide (2nd photo); Sec. Abella giving a speech (3rd photo) and philosophy. The lecture was followed by an Pasay to the historic island. To get around the interactive discussion with the participants. area, the participants boarded a tram with a tour guide sharing information and anecdotes At around 1 pm, the group travelled to about World War II. They stopped at the most Malacañang Palace for a guided tour to notable landmarks and ruins including the the Presidential Museum and Library. The Malinta Tunnel and the Pacific War Memorial participants were also scheduled for a courtesy Museum. call to then Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ernesto Abella. Mr. Abella talked about On January 6-7, the group immersed at a the Filipino diaspora and governance, and Gawad Kalinga village in Dasmariñas, Cavite. entertained questions about national security They stayed in pairs with host families in the issues and community involvement. Also at community. The first day was allotted for house the DFA, Ms. Sandra Therese Christine Guiang building activities and the Bayanihan Race, of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant a teambuilding game that requires patience Workers Affairs (OUMWA) gave the students and cooperation and promotes the culture of a brief overview of DFA functions. “walang iwanan” (leaving no one behind). The day ended with participants and locals having a boodle fight dinner, performing in groups, and gathering around a bonfire for songs. The next morning, they had an opportunity to play traditional Filipino games like patintero. Before heading to their accommodation in Tagaytay, the group distributed reading materials to preschoolers in the village. The books were donated by Rex Bookstore International, Inc. From Tagaytay, the participants travelled to Talisay, Batangas on Day 6 (January 8). They The YouLeaD group in Corregidor Island rode a boat across Taal Lake to the base of one of the volcanoes in the caldera. They were The succeeding activities were held outside accompanied by tour guides to reach the top. Metro Manila, such as Corregidor Island, Some of them trekked for 45 minutes while which the participants visited on Day 3 others went on horseback. (January 5) of the program. The day started with a boat ride from Seaside Terminal in Page 3 The US Midwest YouLeaD program ended on January 9 with remarks from CFO Sec. Francisco P. Acosta and Usec. Astravel Pimentel-Naik, and reflections from the participants. Throughout the program, the group was escorted by Ms. Anna Liza Alcantara of PCG Chicago and the YouLeaD Secretariat composed of Ms. Mayumi Kaye Peralta, Ms. Jenina Danielle Melchor, and Mr. Jovian Louis Bulawan. House building activity at Gawad Kalinga Village, Dasmariñas, Cavite YouLeaD participants at the Taal Volcano tour on 8 January (left) and at the closing ceremonies the next day (right) CFO conducts capacity building on crisis management in the context of migration for Bicol LGUs, stakeholders LEGAZPI CITY – On March 4-6, 2019, the at the National Economic and Development Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Authority (NEDA) Region V Office in Legazpi led the capacity building workshop for the City, Albay. local government authorities and stakeholders of the Bicol Region on crisis preparedness, The workshop was implemented in partnership response, and recovery involving migrants with the Regional Development Council 5 Page 4 The participants of the capacity building workshop on crisis preparedness, response and recovery involving migrants Committee on Migration and Development, response, and recovery efforts for more targeted City of Legazpi, and UP-CIFAL Philippines. It assistance and services. was attended by 94 local government officials and personnel from 11 cities and provinces Joining the CFO in the capacity building of Bicol, representatives of various regional workshop was a pool of resource persons government agencies, members of migrant and from the Department of Foreign Affairs family associations, members of the academe, (DFA), Overseas Workers Welfare faith-based organizations, and private sectors Administration (OWWA) Region V and from the region. UP-CIFAL Philippines. The workshop involved discussions and exercises on crises, The 3-day workshop was aimed at reviewing vulnerabilities of migrants, relevant actors the crisis management program of the local on migration crisis management, and key government units using a migration lens in measures on the inclusion of migrants in all order to strengthen the capacities of the local the phases of crisis actions. The discussions government and stakeholders on integrating were anchored on the Migrants in Countries migrants in their local crisis preparedness, in Crisis (MICIC) Guidelines for Protecting Regional Director Samuel Atty. Enrico Fos, Executive Madrid of OWWA Region Director of DFA-OUMWA V discusses the various shares with the participants welfare services and the Philippines’ migration repatriation assistance crisis management model. for OFWs in distress. Dr. Edna