2018 Events

Peace of Mind Project 2.0, in partnership with the Child Protection Committee of the Department of Education- ARMM, was successfully launched last January with the Training of Trainers. The training was attended by the core team, volunteers, and the six high school teachers from the partner schools in Maguindanao. The aim of the training was to introduce the teachers to the project and module to be used during the session with the students.

AFS Ramon Magsaysay Technology University (AFS-RMTU) school club successfully conducted a community outreach project in the lahar-laden area of Botolan, Zambales, with activities such as reading, simple mathematics solving, feeding program, exchanges of cultural artefacts such as dances, and an overnight immersion in the community involving the pupils, parents and community leaders of Owaog-Nebloc Integrated School on December 19-20, 2017.

AFS IPP Negros Occidental participants namely Elias Vandenbulcke from Belgium-Flanders, Nao Endo from Japan, Isadora Bosi Campelo from Brazil, Daniele Fabris, Mattia Santoro, and Simone Sparapani from Italy, joined the Legacy Camp — Wave 4 on February 23 – 25, 2018, organized by the Sowing Legacy Movement in partnership with the University Community Development Office of UNO – Recoletos, Young Southeast Asian Leader Initiative, Life Bank Foundation, Everyday Titans, Sustainable Solutions Development Network Solution, and the Creamery Print House.

Team MaguindaNOW is composed of five Youth Exchange and Study Program– United States Government Alumni (YES-USG) who established their project called “Peace of Mind” that aims to capacitate and train teachers and guidance counselors to become a Mental Health and Psychosocial Service Provider. They are Abdul Rahman Alongan, Jeahan Haron, Jowahdi Salik, Harris Sulaiman and Johnson Badawi, all from Cotabato City.

YES alumni conducted a feeding program to 82 children and donated groceries to one hundred families that is composed of the indigenous members of community. This is also part of the project’s advocacy which is  to fight hunger. The groceries were donated by several benefactors who took the crowd sourcing challenges through social media platforms called Take-A-Pledge and Saan-Aabot-Amot-Mo.

The event focuses on two consecutive workshops; Alumni Social Entrepreneur Leadership Workshop that happened last March 19^th -22^nd and the Sponsored Programs (SP) Workshop on March 22-25^th. Likewise, the workshop is a great avenue for the AFS volunteers and staff to celebrate the global impact of the sponsored programs.

It was a flabbergasting moment for us to see how these smart students were so interested and excited about YES Program. These guys were in full energetic mode that made our roadshow more lively and interactive!

After its recognition, AFS-IPP Zamboanga Del Sur Community has successfully conducted its KL-YES Cycle 16 Info-drive Sessions targeting all future ambassadors and leaders around the Province of Zamboanga Del Sur, Province of Zamboanga Sibugay, and Province of Zamboanga Del Norte.

AFS Cotabato community endeavored to reach out to new areas and schools in North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat. It is through the combined efforts of everyone involved that we have been able to introduce the program and its life-changing effects on the future leaders of society.

I am Sarah Mae Ismael and I had the chance to study in the United States in 2005. Back then, I was amazed by almost everything I saw and experienced. I remember thinking to myself, “I wish the Philippines was more like this.” I also distinctly remember telling myself that I need to go back to the Philippines and make sure that I contribute something that makes a difference.

Sea Peace Camp includes student leaders – both elementary and high school, around the coastal areas of Pagadian City to eradicate instances that would harm mankind. It consists of: (1) Multiple focused group discussion about marine sustainability and project-making; (2) Implementation of the knowledge earned in line were the mangrove tree planting and coastal clean-up.

AFS IPP Davao Community launched an activity called Young Meranao Peace Advocates Camp or YMPAC. It was participated by 29 young leaders from Marawi, aged 18 to 25 in Ateneo de Davao University and Rotary Club of North Davao Clubhouse wherein the participants developed leadership skills such as project conceptualization, planning, implementation and management, and budgeting to effectuate a project in their respective communities.

Through the YES Training of Trainers’ Workshop, I did not only take home many photos with stories with me but also important learning and techniques on how to become an effective trainer in the future. This always reminds us YES alumni the reason why we were given an opportunity that changed our lives in so many ways. And that reason is to serve our communities by sharing whatever things we got from our exchange.

Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (Alumni TIES) are regionally-focused gatherings for U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs for alumni funded by the US Department of State. This year, 2018, the seminar took place in Intercontinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With its goal focused on maintaining lasting ties with the US, honing leadership skills, volunteerism and mutual understanding, TIES, explored relevant issues in the community.

roject Bayanihan, is a two-day workshop and training regarding “Anticipatory Transitional Justice happened in San Beda University College of Law last August 26, 2018.  The event organized by the San Beda School of Law, was participated by around 35 attendees coming from different sectors of the society. In fact, Legal Network Truthful Elections (LENTE), an NGO, was one of the partner institutions that help make the event successful.

For sixty years, AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines (AFS IPP) has surmounted challenges and celebrated milestones in pursuit of its mission to provide intercultural learning opportunities to Filipino communities. Between 1956 until 1979, the organization exchanged more than a thousand Filipino and six hundred American students, until its operations were halted for the next twenty years.

Two trainers were tasked by AAI to lead the said seminar, Tami Muto hails from Japan and played various roles in AFS Japan. Currently, she is one of their advisors — working closely with legal counsel, medical unit, and risk management team. Bert Vercamer who is AFS International’s Program Innovation head, working with 18+ programs, Sentio Global Education network and the Global Competence Certificate.

Our 60th Anniversary of providing Intercultural Learning opportunities was held at Makati Shangri-La on the 26th of August 2017. It is within our hopes that we have provided a fun-filled learning experience through this gala.

AFS Philippines’ Adult (18+) Programs is starting to make its way to become one of the sought-after organization that promotes volunteerism, global education and intercultural learning through various programs for young adults, professionals, and educators.

In 2016, the European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL) and AFS Asia and the Pacific Initiative (AAI) worked together in developing a program proposal referred to as Global Citizenship Trimester Program (GCTP), which obtained the approval and funding support of the European Commission Erasmus+ program following a two-phase execution—planning and program development (2017) and program launch with exchanges between select EFIL and AAI countries (2018).

AFS Philippines visited schools in Dumaguete City and subsequently, followed by visits in several other cities and provinces around the country where the team was able to meet and plan with school administrators, educators and students from 39 schools scattered all over the country and as a result, there were 28 schools committed to establishing an AFS School Club this year.

On its mission of empowering citizens from across the globe and cultivating intercultural learning, the AFS IPP conducts its three-day YES and Jenesys Program Coordinators Training and workshop this April 13-15, 2018 at The Linden Suites Hotel, Pasig City.

The AFS IPP National Director Ms. Armieyah Ayob shared the importance of embodying Global Competence for the future Entrepreneurs and Innovators planning to get employed and accepted in a multinational corporation around the world.

A project entitled: Suara Muslim Initiative for Leadership Empowerment (S.M.I.L.E.) and Iftar for Cause: RTD (In the Rehabilitation of Marawi City) was launched last May 30, 2018 by partner organizations – University of the Philippines’ Institute of Islamic Studies in partnership with Research Association for Islamic Social Sciences, Inc. (RAIS) and Center for Integrated Development Studies – Islamic Studies Program with the US Embassy Philippines.

As the era of globalization takes place, the world becomes closer as it promotes higher demand of global interactions. We meet people from different places with unique skills, talents, and personal advocacies.

As a tribute of AFS Philippines to our beloved nanay, ina, mommy, mama, or whatever we call our mothers, 365 orange roses were given around certain locations in Metro Manila. Orange is a symbol of passion and enthusiasm and with this, AFS have seen it as the best color that could embody our mother’s character who are very dedicated and relentless in doing their mission to guide and love their children wholeheartedly. AFS volunteers, staff, and even exchange students gathered around major center points in Makati, Taguig, Ortigas, and Quezon City to surprise and show our love to all the mothers out there.

The experience they had in the Philippines serves as a foundation for them to be able to create an impact on their community and to the global arena. As a year has already passed, their lifetime mission of being a catalyst for change continues. It is the spirit of volunteerism that acts as the root of AFS.

Being a Muslim in the Philippines is seen in so many lenses we cannot even imagine. Some are hidden behind the interpretation of mass media, the views of the general public, and sometimes our own stereotypes. In the Philippines, we have been taught in schools only of “one” history.  A history that points out to the country alone from colonization to modernization.

As Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) welcomes new batch of blue blooded eagles this school year, the Office of Students Affairs in partnership with the university’s official student council, El Consejo Atenista, conducted a two-day Orientation Seminar (OrSem) for the freshmen on June 08 to June 9, 2018 with its theme “Supernova 2018” in the Multi-purpose Covered Court.

The AFS Philippines in partnership with the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study and the US Department of State organized an Intensive English Language Workshop to train the new batch of YES Program scholars in order to help them practice and enhance their knowledge of the English Language.

Each of them was called “Ambassadors of Global Citizenship”, they will prepare themselves for learning and share different knowledge through building a good relationship with Filipinos. Through the guidance of our host families, host schools and host communities these foreign students will not just discover the richness of Filipino culture but also the willingness of Filipinos to live in a more just peaceful world.

August 2 – 4, 2018 highlights the celebration of the 15 years of the Youth and Study Exchange (YES) Program in the Philippines. YES Program established by the Congress of the Federal Republic of the United States of America in response to the events of September 11, 2001, or what we popularly knew the 9/11 attack. In this momentous occasion, 100 YES Alumni participated in a series of sessions and workshops to come up with change-making projects in their respective communities.

AFS has recently launched the Global Competence Readiness Index Tool or the Global Index Survey, where educators and schools at any grade level will be able to evaluate how prepared they are in developing their students’ global competence. The tool proves beneficial and advantageous since it provides recommendations and resources in terms of launching, developing, and improving intercultural programs and other activities.

It will be another fruitful year for AFS students, as AFS IPP welcomes them to their journey as being part of the growing global community.  As part of the AFS mission to promote intercultural learning in creating a diverse world, here they are today, these foreign participants are equipped with determination and perseverance along with the paramount goals of AFS.

During the orientation, a series of topics tackled about empathy, motivation and goals, and rules and regulations. Empathy speaks about how a single “empathetic act” can be a start of a worldwide change. Motivations and goals serve as the fuel in keeping the fire burning. Rules and regulations act as a guideline so that students become a more effective learner during the duration of the exchange year.

To recap the events, the participants engaged in focus discussions on the first day. The focus discussions aimed to empower the student participants to be global students and for the educators to be globally competitive.

Joined by 60 qualifiers, the KL-YES National Selection and Orientation Camp was held last September 15-19, 2018 at the New Dawn Hotel Plus, Cagayan de Oro City. Various activities and tests highlighting the participants’ individual and teamwork skills were conducted as part of the final screening process for the KL-YES Program.

The Philippine Intercultural Youth Convention 2018 last September 22 and 23, 2018 at the Great Eastern Hotel showcased well experienced speakers from different sectors of the society as well as different tribes and cultural groups in the country.

With us were two young gentleman, also former AFS Scholars. Together, they fell into a lively conversation on our way downtown for lunch. Christine lively talked just about everything in her noticeably fluent English. Asked about it, “Oh, English is one of the major offerings in our Italian schools. Actually, my parents come from Brazil who settled in Italy. So, I have had the chance to learn and speak Portuguese, German, Spanish, and Italian, aside from English.