OUCSCA Holds Inaugural “Aguhon” Brown Bag Session

Usec. Gary Domingo in discussion with UP Associate Professor Edcel John Ibarra, who joined the meeting virtually, during the inaugural “Aguhon” Brown Bag session held on 17 March 2025, along with other DFA participants of the activity.

MANILA 26 March 2025 – As a way to sustain the momentum of interest generated by the Dialogo: Philippine Studies Goes Global 2024 International Conference on Philippine Studies held in November of last year, the Office of the Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs (OUCSCA) developed Project “Aguhon”. The concept features a series of informal discussions on a wide range of topics on foreign policy, politics, defense and security, economics, society and culture, as well as other subjects that intersect with the mandates and missions of the DFA. 

The term “Aguhon”, Filipino for compass, is premised on the idea that similar to the compass’ reliable ability to orient to a direction, and the constancy of a compass needle’s ability to point to the magnetic north, career diplomats play an invaluable role in realizing a measure of consistency and stability in charting, or implementing state policies, strategies, and other essential institutional undertakings. The discussions are envisioned to facilitate discussions on many of the most important and pressing national issues and concerns, and are patterned after so-called “Brown Bag” sessions. 

The inaugural Aguhon session was held on 17 March 2025, from 12 noon to 1:00 pm at the DFA Mess Hall on the 6th Floor of DD Tower. For the debut Brown Bag session UP-Diliman Political Science Assistant Professor Edcel John A. Ibarra presented his paper Articulating a Philippine grand strategy: Policy continuities on the South China Sea. The topic of his presentation on grand strategy served to frame the hour-long free-wheeling discussions during the Brown Bag session. OUCSCA will announce details of succeeding sessions of the “Aguhon” Brown Bags in due course. END