Filipinos from US Midwestern States, Australia, and the Netherlands participate in the Youth Leaders in the Diaspora Program
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) recently conducted the US Midwest Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) Immersion Program. Fourteen Filipino youth from the United States, Australia, and the Netherlands participated in the program.
The seven-day module was comprised of lectures on migration, basic conversational Filipino, and Filipino values. It also included a courtesy call to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary, a visit to the Malacañang Museum, immersion at a Gawad Kalinga village, and tours to Corregidor Island and Taal Volcano.
The program, a joint project of the CFO and the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, was conducted from January 3 to 9, 2019. The program officially started on 3 January 2019 with Dir. Marita del Rosario-Apattad of the CFO’s Project Management Division welcoming the participants. Ms. Carmencita Castro of TalkShop conducted a workshop in basic conversational Filipino. With flash card games and role-playing activities, the students learned basic expressions and self-introduction using the local language. The afternoon session began with getting-to-know-you games, which were followed by a presentation by Mr. Manuel Arbues, Regional Head of the Ayala Land International Sales, Inc. As the representative of one of the YouLeaD program sponsors, Mr. Arbues shared information about the Philippine real estate and tourism industries, as well as introduced Ayala’s major products and services.
The next day (4 January) began with a lecture on migration and diaspora by Dir. Maria Regina Angela Galias of the CFO’s Administrative and Finance Division. Her talk was about CFO services and programs, the Filipino diaspora, citizenship, and identity. The icebreaker game at the beginning also taught the participants counting in Tagalog as well as trivia about the Philippines. Afterwards, Professor Felipe de Leon of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts talked about Filipino culture, values, and philosophy. The lecture was followed by an interactive discussion with the participants.
At around 1 pm, the group travelled to the Malacañan Palace for a guided tour to the Presidential Museum and Library. The participants were also scheduled for a courtesy call to the Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ernesto Abella. Mr. Abella talked to them about the Filipino diaspora and leadership, and entertained questions about national security issues and community involvement. Also at the DFA building, Ms. Sandra Therese Christine Guiang of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) gave the students a brief overview of DFA functions.
The succeeding activities were conducted outside Metro Manila.
YouLeaD participants in Corregidor, 5 January 2019
The participants visited Corregidor Island on Day 3 (5 January) of the program. The day started with a boat ride from Seaside Terminal in Pasay to the historic island. To get around the area, the participants boarded a tram with a tour guide sharing information and anecdotes about World War II. They stopped at the most notable landmarks and ruins including the Malinta Tunnel and the Pacific War Memorial Museum.
From 6-7 January, the group immersed at a 
Gawad Kalinga village in Dasmariñas, Cavite. They stayed in pairs with host families in the community. The first day was allotted for house building activities and the Bayanihan Race, a teambuilding game that requires patience and cooperation and promotes the culture of walang iwanan. The day ended with participants and locals gathering around a bonfire for songs. The next morning, they had an opportunity to play traditional Filipino games like patintero with the children. 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 the rest house in Tagaytay, the participants travelled to Talisay, Batangas on Day 6 (8 January). They rode a boat across Taal Lake to the base of one of the volcanoes in the caldera. They were accompanied by tour guides to reach the top – some of them trekked for 45 minutes while others went on horseback. 
The US Midwest YouLeaD program ended on 9 January with remarks from Sec. Acosta and Usec. 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.