06 November 2013 - Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Minda Calaguian-Cruz joined in the celebration of the 25th founding anniversary of the Filipino On-going Development Program (Filodep) last November 03 at 29A Holland Road, Singapore. She was joined by Sr. Andrea Casuso, one of the founders of Filodep, Filodep officials, volunteers, graduates, employers and members of the Filipino community in Singapore.
Filodep was established in 1988 by then Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Francisco Benedicto and the Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM), Sr. Andrea Casuso, Sr. Georgina Liwanag and Sr. Mary Laetitia. Sr. Rosalind Chan is its current director.
Filodep is a non-profit Ministry that aims to help Filipino domestic workers in Singapore make use of their weekends to learn new livelihood skills to get them ready for their return to the Philippines after they have finished their employment contract. For this purpose, it offers a variety of vocational courses including dressmaking, baking, body massage and aromatherapy, guitar classes, cooking, hairstyling, computer, handicrafts and English classes, among others. In addition, it also facilitates character formation activities.
Filodep has gone a long way since its establishment. Initially, it catered only to Filipino domestic workers but more recently, it opened its doors to domestic workers from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and South America. As of date, its graduates number at 12,779.
In her remarks, Ambassador Calaguian-Cruz extolled the vision of those who made the establishment of Filodep possible and the positive impact that it has made in the lives of domestic workers in Singapore. She also thanked the volunteers and the employers whose support tremendously contributes to help realize a brighter future for Filodep’s intended beneficiaries. END