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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Filipino-Australian youth participate in immersion program in PH

Filipino-Australian youth participate in immersion program in PH

Published Jan 12, 2026 07:34 pm
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) recently hosted a high-level exchange with Filipino-Australian youth delegates as part of its efforts to ensure they remain anchored to their heritage.
CFO Secretary Dante "Klink" Ang II, on Jan. 6, led the 2026 Youth Leaders in the Diaspora or YouLeaD program with participants from the Australian-Filipino Community Services (AFCS).
The engagement, according to the CFO, serves "as a cornerstone of the commission’s mandate to permanently link the diaspora to the Philippines across cultural, economic, and political dimensions."
The program is designed to transform the Filipino-Australian diaspora’s perception of the Philippines from a distant ancestral land into a vibrant partner for their professional and personal futures.
Ang engaged the delegates in a reflection on their immersion, emphasizing that their journey is a vital component of the CFO’s mission to ensure the Filipino identity thrives across borders.
"Our goal is to build bridges that are not only emotional but functional," Ang said in a vision that was also echoed by AFCS Chief Executive Officer Corina Dutlow, who noted that this pilot team is the first of many expected to participate in the YouLeaD initiative.
The discussions, according to the CFO, "moved beyond cultural appreciation to explore substantive economic and political ties."
One of its key proposals was linking Australian and Philippine universities to promote academic exchange and encourage the diaspora to pursue higher education or specialized courses in the Philippines.
Why it was proposed was because such partnerships represent a "brain gain" for the "Motherland," said the CFO, in an aim to foster bilateral educational ties that can lead to future trade and professional collaborations.
"Furthermore, the group discussed developing YouLeaD modules centered on specific career tracks—including media, fashion, and technology—to show young Filipinos abroad how their professional expertise can intersect with Philippine industries," it added.
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