08 September 2016 – Two Filipino nominees have been selected by the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and the East-West Center in Honolulu to undergo the 5th 11-Week English Language Programme 2016 in Bandar Seri Begawan and Honolulu, on September 05 and November 19, respectively.
Organized by the UBD and the East-West Center under the Brunei–US English Language Enrichment Project for ASEAN, the two Filipino nationals selected were Ms. Joan Y. Agdeppa, Associate Professor II at the National University (NU), and Ms. Ma. Esmeralda S. Perez, Scholarship Affairs Officer I at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). Ms. Agdeppa will undertake Course I of the program which is English Enrichment and Professional Communication for Teacher-Trainers, while Ms. Perez will take Course II which is Professional Communication for Officers and Diplomats.
An opening ceremony for the program was held at the Lecture Theatre of UBD’s Institute of Leadership, Innovation, and Advancement (ILIA) on September 06. Present during said event were Guest of Honor, Yang Mulia AP Dr. Hj Azman bin Ahmad, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE); Dr. Salbrina binti Haji Sharbawi, Project Executive at the UBD; and US Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Craig Allen.
In her remarks, Dr. Salbrina welcomed the 60 participants from ASEAN Member-States (AMS) who were selected for the program and conveyed her appreciation to the U.S. government, particularly the U.S. Department of State, for its assistance and cooperation in the management of the program. She also intimated that since the program started in September 2012, there have been 255 participants from AMS who graduated from the course, many of whom are currently holding key government positions in their respective countries.
During the event, Embassy representatives, Consul Melvin C. Almonguera and Attaché Frederick A. Rili, had the opportunity to welcome the Filipino participants in Brunei and discuss matters relative to their participation in the program.
The Brunei-US English Language Enrichment Project for ASEAN is a five-year project supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT) of Brunei Darussalam and the United States’ Department of State, which involves AMS and the U.S. Funded by the Brunei government, the said program is designed for officers, diplomats, and teacher-trainers, and aims to strengthen ASEAN as an institution and each AMS by promoting English language proficiency and associated skills of key personnel in those countries. END
