Press Release

CFO Conducts Financial Literacy Training to Migrant Returnees, Families and Students in Baguio City

By Michael A. Apattad
Commission on Filipinos Overseas
Manila
February 15, 2016



In its effort to continuously mainstream migration and development into local development and investment plans of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) conducted a three-day financial literacy trainings  and fora on Migration and Development (M & D) last January 25 – 28, 2016 in the region’s premiere tourist destination – Baguio City.

The trainings were conducted in two sessions. The preliminary session focused on M & D Forum which involves discussions on the interrelationships between migration and development and programs and services of CFO. Meanwhile, the other session was devoted to the PESO Sense – The Philippine Financial Freedom Campaign – with an aim to provide financial education to migrants, their families left behind, students and children of migrants. Modules and the information materials of the PESO Sense were used in this part of the training.   

The first day of the training was dedicated to the migrant returnees, their families and members of Baguio- Benguet Federation of OF/W Returnees and Families (BBFORD). Ms. Myrna Garcia, the president of BBFORD and Federation of OF/Ws in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), graced the event with her welcome remarks. Moreover, Ms. Garcia expressed her enthusiasm for future partnerships with CFO. “As the president of BBFORD and Federation of OF/Ws in CAR, I assume that this training will just be the beginning of our future projects. I’m excited.” she said.

The second day of the training was conducted at the Happy Hollow National High School (HHNH) in Happy Hollow, Baguio City, with a total of 137 participants who were both students and faculty members. They were warmly welcomed by Dr. Jayrerose Guevara, teacher-in-charge of HHNH. Also, Dr. Guevara sincerely extended their schools’ gratefulness to the CFO team for having been chosen as a venue of the financial literacy training among the high schools in Baguio City.
The third and last day of the financial literacy training was concluded at the University of Baguio (UB). Children of OF/Ws and representatives from the different colleges like: Liberal Arts and Human Sciences; Dentistry; Teacher Education; and Engineering and Architecture gathered for the training. They were welcomed by Mr. Amado Orden, the director of the Office of Student Affairs. Delighted to have such training in the university, he stated that “Dr. Miranda (UB’s Vice President for Academic Affairs) and I saw the importance of this financial literacy training. Hence the moment we learned that they (CFO) will conduct it here in our university, we didn’t hesitate to accept and accommodate them.” Mr. Orden also encouraged the active participation of the students as the training could provide them long-term benefits.

These fora on migration and development and provincial training on PESO Sense served as a learning opportunity to former migrants, their families left behind, students and children of migrants to maximize the positive benefits and realize the negative pitfalls brought about by remittances. It also highlighted the critical link of financial education to migration and development.
The Migration and Development Initiative for Region 1 (MDI-1) was made possible through the funding from the Western Union Foundation and collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Economic and Development Authority Region 1 (NEDA-1).
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For more information regarding this press release, please contact:
Commission on Filipinos Overseas Contact Person: Ms. Patricia Marie M. Salvador Contact Information:            Email addresses: 
          Telephone Numbers: (632) 552-4760
          Facsimile Number: (632) 561-8327