Filipino-American Millenials Discuss Filipino Identity and Immersion with DFA Officials
Delegates to the 2nd Midwest Youth Leaders in Diaspora Immersion Program (Midwest YouLead II) posed at the DFA lobby with Consul General to Chicago Gina A. Jamoralin (rightmost). (Chicago PCG photo)
PASAY 28 January 2020 — Twelve Filipino-American youth aged 18-25 years from the different states in the US Midwest participated in a dialogue with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials on 08 January 2020.
The dialogue was part of the activities for the 2nd US Midwest Youth Leaders in Diaspora Immersion Program in the Philippines (Midwest You-Lead II) which took place from 03 to 09 January 2020 in Manila, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija.
The program is a joint project of the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago and the Commission of Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Now on its 2nd edition, the program aimed at providing Filipino-American youths from the US to rediscover their Filipino roots and gain better understanding of their Filipino identity and appreciation of their motherland.
The twelve young participants were Angelica Alday, Madeline Azcueta, Ralph Balita, Celia Benito, Christopher Garrick, Jasmine Natividad and Christiana Santiago who are all from Illinois, Mary Nicole Cabaluna from Indiana, Makayla Leiting from Nebraska, Nicholle Nacionales from Minnesota, and Isabelle Rivera and Marcus Villareal from Ohio.
On 08 January 2020, the Midwest delegates accompanied by Consul General to Chicago Gina A. Jamoralin and Commission on Filipinos Overseas YouLead staff, Mayumi Peralta and Jovian Bulawan were received by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Strategic Communications and Research Ernesto C. Abella for courtesy call and briefing. Assistant Secretary for American Affairs Maria Lumen B. Isleta opened the program.
Undersecretary Abella talked about the Filipino identity and roots. He asked each one of their impressions and the reasons for joining the immersion trip. The participants were also briefed on Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) and humanitarian activities of the Philippine foreign service posts by Office of Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) Principal Assistant Atty. Sandra C. Guiang.
Later in the afternoon, the participants were welcomed at the US Embassy in Manila where US officials from the political, economic, cultural and public diplomacy sections briefed them of Embassy activities, including programs for young people both in the Philippines and the United States.
All the Midwest You-Lead II participants individually spoke of their impressions and the impact of the immersion program in their lives. These experiences made them feel special and help them reconnect with the country. They promised to help promote the immersion program to their peers back in the US which is a unique and the first of its kind immersion program for the Filipino-American millennials in the Midwest initiated and supported by the Philippine government. END
Midwest YouLead participants with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Strategic Communications and Research Ernesto Abella (sixth from left), Office of American Affairs (OAA) Assistant Secretary Honey Isleta (fifth from left), Consul General to Chicago Gina A. Jamoralin (seventh from left) and other DFA officers during the visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. (Chicago PCG photo)
During the dialogue with Undersecretary for Strategic Communications and Research Ernesto Abella at the Conference Room of the Office of American Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs. (Chicago PCG photo)
Midwest YouLead participants listening to a briefing on Assistance-To-Nationals matters from Office of Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) Principal Assistant Atty. Sandra C. Guiang. (Chicago PCG photo)
Commission of Filipinos Overseas officials (standing) led by Secretary Francisco Acosta (fifth from left), Undersecretary Astravel Pimentel-Naik (fourth from left) and Director Marie Appatad (first from left), Consul General to Chicago Gina A. Jamoralin and Midwest YouLead participants after the opening ceremonies at the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Philippine Consulate General in Chicago and CFO partnered together to implement the 1st and 2nd Midwest Youth Leaders (YouLead) Immersion Program in the Philippines. (Chicago PCG photo)
For more information, visit https://www.chicagopcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.chicagopcg.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinChicago/.