30 October 2014 – Philippine Embassy in Canberra’s First Secretary and Consul Jim Tito B. San Agustin received the Philippine Delegation to the AusAID Fellowship Program on Inclusive Disaster Management on October 22 at the Chancery.

The delegation was headed by Mr. Mateo Lee of the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). Other members were Mayor Christine Garin of Guimbal, Iloilo, Ms. Delfina Baquir and Mr. Mario Siwa of NCDA, Lt. Owen Adao and Mr. Julio Colarina of the Philippine Coast Guard, Ms. Golda Pocon of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Ms. Amie Dava of the Provincial Government of Antique, Ms. Amalia Decena of the Disabled Peoples Organization, Ms. Virginia Clavel of the Department of Internal and Local Government (DILG), Mr. Vincent Sacriz of the Queensland University of Technology and Ms. Sheila Mae Satura.

The delegation’s Fellowship Program is a five-week course which started on September 25 and is  being held at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

The meeting started with self introductions from each member of the delegation as well as from Consul San Agustin.

It was followed by a short briefing by Consul San Agustin. He presented the delegation with salient information on Philippine-Australia Relations, including Politico-Security issues, economic matters and people-to-people links. The West Philippine Sea issue was also briefly discussed. This was followed by a short Q & A. 

The delegation also presented gifts for Philippine Ambassador to Australia Belen F. Anota and Consul San Agustin, and posed for a group photo with Consul San Agustin and Consul Grace Anne Bulos.  END