|
A BATCH of Filipino professionals will leave for
Australia next month to pursue Australian Embassy sponsored
scholarships to undertake post-graduate studies at Australian
universities.
The 42 professionals from
different fields were awarded Australian Development Scholarships by
the Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility (PAHRDF)
through its long-term training program.
The five-year, P2.3 billion (60
million Australian dollars) program is an initiative of the
Australian Government’s international aid agency, AusAID which
operates through its embassy in Manila.
It aims is to assist partner
national and local government agencies, academic institutions and
private organizations to address key organizational and business
needs.
The program also enables them to
provide better services and manage their institutions more
effectively through short and long-term human resource development
programs.
A pre-departure briefing for the
new Filipino scholars, some who will be studying in Australia for
the first time, was conducted in Davao City.
AusAID First Secretary Louisa
Petralia, and Chief of the Public Investment Staff of the National
Economic and Development Authority Florante Igtiben, attended the
event. Long-term training alumni were also present to share their
experiences and give advice to the new scholars. Also in attendance
were awardees of AusAID’s scholarship at the University of
Wollongong’s Centre for Transnational Crime Prevention.
Led by the development
facility’s Senior Human Resource Development Adviser, Mark Flores,
the two-day briefing focused on helping the scholars prepare for
their training programs in Australia. It included presentations on
living and studying in Australia and understanding the conditions
and requirements of the scholarships.
Australian Development
Scholarships awardees are nominated to pursue post-graduate studies
in different priority disciplines including human resource
management, public administration, public policy and educational
leadership. About 80 Filipino scholars are awarded Australian
Development Scholarships annually.
After completing their studies,
the returning scholars’ are expected to apply the knowledge and
skills they gained from their scholarships to contribute to the
organizational change of their respective institutions. In this way,
the scholarship program has a larger impact on broader Philippine
development.
Australia’s aid to the
Philippines focuses on helping the country improve prospects for
economic growth, increase access to and quality of basic education,
reduce poverty and enhance national stability and security. In its
broader aid program, Australia recognizes that human resource
development within institutions is critical to the Philippines’
achieving its development goals.
The Philippines currently ranks
fourth among the major recipients of Australia’s scholarship
program in the Asia–Pacific region. Australia, one of the
Philippines’ top bilateral grant aid donors, will contribute about
P4 billion (approx 100 million Australian dollars) in aid in
2007-2008.
Australia’s aid program to the
Philippines has grown to be its fourth largest globally, providing
about 570 million Australian dollars in grant contributions over the
past decade.
The current sparring round (it
has yet to reach the boxing stage, we think) between the Lopez clan
at Meralco and GSIS president Winston Garcia appears to have two
game plans—as far as the GSIS, which is a major shareholder in
Meralco, is concerned.
First and foremost, the bringing
down of electricity prices (to which we can all raise a loud cheer)
and secondly—but more discreetly (if the talk in café society is
anything to go by) bringing down the Lopezes. A matter, if it is
true, has muted support.
Which begs the question, Are
these two issues mutually inclusive?
E-mail: bizzfizz_98@yahoo.com
|
