Australia Awards Philippines

Social inclusion advocates and Australia Awards alumni Dr Rex Bernardo, Naprey Almario, Krissy Bisda, Ma Lourdes Eudela and Giselle Montero banded together to promote their shared advocacy on disability inclusion.

With support from the Australia Alumni Grants Scheme, they led the project “Equalizing Our Universal Access, Taking Down the Barriers.” This project trained educators and employers to design inclusive and accessible digital spaces and content.

In 2023, Anya launched the ANTHILL Bayanihan Crowdfunding Campaign, which connected women artisans to donors who pledged donations that will help them achieve their specific goals. This also helped artisans safeguard their livelihoods while preserving their traditions.

With support from the Australia Alumni Grants Scheme (AGS), the pilot run of the campaign helped weave the dreams of three inspiring women – a seamstress, a weaver, and a crafter.

Under the AGS, Australia-educated Filipinos and recipients of training supported by the Australian Government can submit proposals for grant funding for projects that apply their Australian experiences, knowledge, and skills in addressing development issues. Applications for AGS are open year-round.

Australia Global Alumni recently gathered in Davao City to discuss meaningful ways to support indigenous communities in the Philippines. Australia-educated Filipinos who have been leading projects that empower indigenous people, through the support of the Alumni Grant Scheme, led the conversations and shared stories, insights, and learnings from their initiatives.

Thank you to all the alumni who joined the knowledge-sharing session!

Eight research and development projects led by Australia Global Alumni from across the Philippines will be making a difference in the lives of Filipinos particularly in agriculture, education, disability, and social inclusion. Under the Australia Alumni Grants Scheme (AGS), Australia-educated Filipinos and recipients of training supported by the Australian Government can submit proposals for grant funding for projects that apply their Australian experiences, knowledge, and skills in addressing development issues. Grantees will receive up to Php 500,000 in funds to deliver their projects and research.

Applications for grants are accepted year-round.

The Australian Embassy and the Australia Global Alumni in the Philippines celebrated Filipino Food Month with a series of events that highlight Filipino cuisine with a taste of Australia. To headline the celebration, the Australian Embassy has brought to Manila Filipino- Australian food and travel content creator, cookbook author and businesswoman Yasmin Newman, to share well-loved Filipino dishes using Australian ingredients from her cookbook Under the Coconut Skies: Feasts and Stories from the Philippines.

While in Manila, Yasmin met different communities of Australia-educated Filipinos for the Philippine launch of Under the Coconut Skies, which will include book signings and cooking demonstrations of Filipino dishes using Australian ingredients.

The Australia Global Alumni community in the University of the Philippines recently welcomed Ambassador HK Yu in UP Diliman where they had productive discussions on future collaborations and engagements between Australia and UP. Ambassador Yu also met UP President Angelo Jimenez to strengthen Australia’s partnership on collaborative research, student and faculty exchange, and capacity building. More than 100 Australia-educated Filipinos currently serve as faculty members at the University of the Philippines system, doing important work for the next generation of Filipinos.

The Australia Global Alumni community in Davao recently welcomed Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu PSM to Mindanao. In addition to meeting Australia Global Alumni based in the region, Ambassador Yu also visited alumni-led businesses in Davao including the Malagos Garden Resort and Belviz Farms as well as an alumni-led development project at the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

Daghang salamat to our alumni community in Davao for the warm welcome and hospitality!

The Australia Global Alumni community in the Philippines recently celebrated the 122nd Philippine Civil Service Anniversary with knowledge-sharing sessions on best and innovative practices of good governance in and with the government. The two-day event dubbed GOOD-byerno: Celebrating Good Governance Champions was held in collaboration with the Australia Alumni Communities Philippines - Governance Community of Practice. Over 100 alumni attended the event and engaged in meaningful conversations with speakers and fellow alumni.

GOOD-byerno: Celebrating Good Governance is part of the series of professional development activities organised by the Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program - Philippines for 2022, in collaboration with the Australia Alumni Communities - Philippines (AACPH). The next alumni knowledge sharing series is happening on 9 December 2022 in Davao City.

Story Bites Alumni

The Australia Global Alumni community in the Philippines recently welcomed the 2022 Philippine cohort of the Australia-ASEAN Muslim Exchange Program (AAMEP) in a “meet and greet” held earlier this month, with the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, Steven J. Robinson AO, and other officials of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines. Nine delegates from the Philippines, including #AustraliaAwards alumna Amanah Busran Lao and In-Country Scholarship Program alumni Emraida Ali and Jimmy Musa, joined AAMEP’s community-based program of dialogue and intellectual and cultural exchange, together with emerging Muslim leaders from Australia and other ASEAN countries.

The Australia Alumni Communities Philippines (AACPh) recently launched its latest community of practice – the Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources (AANR) community of practice (CoP), which aims to contribute to finding suitable or best fit solutions and approaches to the challenges in the AANR sector. The new CoP, which is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), is led by co-convenors Dr. Moises Neil Seriño and Dr. Nelson Pampolina.
The launch was graced by Australian Embassy Charge d'Affaires Richard Sisson, ACIAR Chief Executive Officer Prof. Andrew Campbell, DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo Ebora together with AAAEP-P Senior Project Manager Gel Ferrer, AACPh National Convenor Dr Pacifico Calderon, and AACPh Founding Convenor Michael Angelo Malicsi.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/ausalumcph to know more about AACPh and its initiatives.

Borne out of their passion and commitment to use their Australian education for Philippine development, members of the Australia Global Alumni organised communities of practice to bring together Filipino alumni with shared interests and in the same field of practice. Dubbed Australia Alumni Communities of Practice – Philippines (AACPh), the network envisions itself as a catalyst of positive impact, enduring collaboration, and transformational leadership driven by communities of practice of Australia-educated Filipinos committed to national development.

AACPh recently announced its new board of convenors for 2021-2022. Visit https://www.facebook.com/ausalumcph to learn more about AACPh and its initiatives.

Sabrina Ongkiko, better known as Teacher Sabs, is a public school teacher at Culiat Elementary School where she led the school’s learning continuity program during the pandemic by piloting Facebook messenger classes and strengthening learner mapping and community support, among others. She was recognised by the Metrobank Foundation for her initiatives and learning continuity plan in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) during the ongoing pandemic.