Twenty-seven Filipino scholars have returned home from their one-year postgraduate studies in Australia, and will now contribute to the development agenda of their respective institutions.
The Australian Embassy said the 27, who got scholarships administered by the Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility (PAHRDF), reviewed and presented their re-entry action plans (REAPs) in a Re-entry Action Plan Conference Thursday.
“PAHRDF is an A$60 million (about P2.3 billion), five-year initiative of the Australian Government through its international aid agency, AusAID, which aims to improve the capacity of targeted partner institutions with assistance that may include long-term training and other shorter-term human resource development activities,” it said in a statement.
PAHRDF provides around 80 Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) each year for full-time postgraduate academic studies at Australian universities.
ADS awardees are nominated by various government, private and academic institutions in the Philippines to pursue post-graduate studies in different disciplines.
PAHRDF assists these partner institutions in identifying and addressing key organizational needs so they can provide better service and manage their institutions more effectively.
“Upon completion of their studies, the scholars and their supervisors work on the scholars’ re-entry action plans (REAPs), which will ensure that the theories and skills the scholars learned in Australia can be used to attain organizational objectives,” it said.
In attendance were AusAID’s Minister Counsellor in the Philippines Titon Mitra, and Florante Igtiben, Chief, Public Investment Staff of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Respective supervisors witnessed the awardees taking their “Pledge of Commitment” where both awardees and supervisors promised to implement re-entry action plans for their institutions.
“I congratulate the returning scholars and I hope that the training opportunities they have received have equipped them with relevant skills to help their institutions achieve their goals,” Mitra said.
Australia is one of the Philippines’ top grant aid donors, with over A$100 million (P4 billion) in aid in 2007-2008.
Australia’s aid program to the Philippines has grown to be its fourth largest globally, with some A$570 million in grant contributions over the past decade alone.