PH Ambassador Cites Technology and Philippine Culture for Next Generation at “Koding at Kultura” Workshop in Abu Dhabi

Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver (3rd from right back row) together with Ms. Charlene Mae Sta. Teresa, lead instructor, and the pilot batch of the Koding at Kultura Workshop at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi. 

ABU DHABI 18 August 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to UAE Alfonso A. Ver expressed his appreciation for the active participation of the nine students ages five to 18 years old who completed the pilot run of the workshop "Koding at Kultura," a summer enrichment program that aims to promote computer coding and Filipino culture for children and educators in the UAE. The workshop is an initiative of the Embassy under the banner of Sentro Rizal Abu Dhabi together with Ms. Charlene Mae Sta. Teresa, National Coding Ambassador from CodersHQ of UAE's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications.

The workshop, divided into two sessions, was aimed at developing proficiency of the students in using Scratch coding blocks, sprites, and backgrounds to create interactive animations based on Filipino folktales, and an understanding of the concept of Artificial Intelligence and its domains, creating applications using computer vision, data science, and NLP. "As artificial intelligence continues to advance, it is our aim to empower our young generations, including our educators, with advanced technology, tools and skills on Al. Our long-term vision is to train more teachers and create a pool of educators so we can increase the number of Filipinos in the UAE with digital skills, integrating this to our Filipino culture," says Ambassador Ver.

This initiative is in line with the Philippine government’s thrust to encourage the youth to take up STEM courses which would enable the next generation to compete in a highly technological and competitive world.

Likewise, the Embassy's "Koding at Kultura" workshop is aligned with the UAE government's vision of empowering its citizens, including the Filipino community, igniting programming passion, and enabling them to contribute to creating a sustainable digital economy.

After the workshop, Ambassador Ver gave the students Filipino publications as part of Sentro Rizal Abu Dhabi's activity for Buwan ng Wikang Filipino. END

Keilah Czerin Canceran during the presentation of their project on Filipino language and Artificial Intelligence.