Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco Conducts Online Training on Domestic Violence 

More than 40 participants from the Consulate and other Philippine foreign service posts in the U.S. such as the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Philippine Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York also took part in the online training which also coincided with the yearly observance of the 18-Day Campaign To End Violence Against Women that highlights the Philippine Safe Spaces Act of 2019. (Photo from SFPCG)

SAN FRANCISCO, 24 November 2021 - As part of its mandate to advance the welfare and well-being of overseas Filipinos in the United States, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco partnered with the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ALLICE) for an online training on intimate partner violence (IPV) on 19 November 2021.

More than 40 participants from the Consulate and other Philippine foreign service posts in the U.S. such as the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Philippine Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York also took part in the online training which also coincided with the yearly observance of the 18-Day Campaign To End Violence Against Women that highlights the Philippine Safe Spaces Act of 2019.

In his remarks, Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer said that the online training seeks to turn the Philippine embassy and consulates in the U.S. into “safe spaces for those who have found the courage to end their silence and unshackle themselves from intimate partner violence.” The Consul General further said that the online training aims to raise the competency of Philippine foreign service personnel in the U.S., in dealing with domestic violence cases, which disproportionately impacts on overseas Filipino women.

The Consul General also thanked ALLICE for collaborating with the Consulate for the webinar, the first-ever training held for the Philippine embassy and consulates in the U.S.

Dr. Jei Africa, ALLICE Clinical Director and Marin County’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) Director, served as the resource speaker during the online training, where he discussed the many forms and nuances of IPV in the Filipino- American setting. He also outlined ways to detect signs that a person is experiencing domestic violence, and the community resources that can help IPV survivors.

ALLICE is a non-profit all-volunteer organization dedicated to promoting healthier relationships, homes, and communities through education. ALLICE has long been a partner of the Consulate in community and women empowerment in the Bay Area through activities such as the annual “Free from Violence” Seminar and Resource Fair, and public forums on IPV. END

For more information, visit https://pcgsanfrancisco.org/ and https://web.facebook.com/PHinSF