DFA Signs Partnering Arrangement with Australia Awards

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya (left) and Australian Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Sisson (right) sign the Partnering Arrangement between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Australia Awards and the Alumni Engagement Program at the DFA on 17 January 2020. (Photo by Philip Adrian G. Fernandez)

PASAY CITY 17 January 2020 –– Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya and Mr. Richard Sisson, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Australian Embassy, signed the Partnering Arrangement between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program at the DFA today.

“Our vision of a resilient foreign service is premised on having highly competent DFA personnel. This partnership with Australia Awards will assist in enhancing competencies of our personnel based on the DFA’s organizational requirements,” Undersecretary Malaya said during his opening remarks at the signing ceremony. In particular, he noted that the Australia Awards Scholarships will make available to DFA personnel high-quality education and professional development experiences. A number of DFA personnel have attended training programs and availed of scholarships in Australian universities. Notably, a series of training courses on the law of the sea has been conducted for DFA and other government personnel in cooperation with the Australian National Center for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS).

Australia Awards are prestigious international scholarships and short courses which opens opportunities for emerging Filipino leaders to pursue postgraduate studies in Australia’s premier academic institutions toward contributing to the development of the Philippines through the implementation of the re-entry action plans (REAPs). The Australia Awards is administered by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in line with its development policy on promoting tertiary education through international scholarships, fellowships, and short courses, among others.

The Partnering Arrangement will institutionalize, diversify, and further expand the existing cooperation between the DFA and Australia Awards. END

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya (seated, left) and Australian Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Sisson (seated, right) with the representatives of the DFA-Office of the Secretary, Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs, Human Resources Management Office, and Office of Treaties and Legal Affairs, as well as members of the Foreign Service Institute, the Embassy of Australia in Manila, and the Australia Awards, during the signing of the Partnering Arrangement between the DFA and Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program, at the DFA on 17 January 2020. (Photo by Philip Adrian G. Fernandez)