Highlights
- According to the Department of Education, there are more than 12,000 international students from the Philippines from January to May 2022.
- Education plays a vital role in strengthening the relationship between Australia and the Philippines according to Philippine Ambassador to Australia Maria Hellen Dela Vega.
Listen to the audio:
LISTEN TO
Programa sa edukasyon na layong mas magpatibay ng ugnayang Australya at Pilipinas, nilagdaan
SBS Filipino
09:47
“I think we should really come up with our own branding of Philippine-Australia relations and that branding will have to come from a real core of the new generations of Filipino-Australians who are invested in these relationships and that are the students present here.”
Speaking to SBS Filipino, Philippine Ambassador to Australia Maria Hellen Dela Vega recognized the significance of the ceremonial signing of the Philippine Studies Program of La Trobe University in Melbourne.
Signing Ceremony for the Philippines Studies Program, La Trobe University and Students Forum and Networking 30 July 2022 Source: SBS Filipino
Philippine Consul General to Melbourne Maria Lourdes Salcedo in her welcome remarks said this will be a venue for Filipino international students in Victoria to learn and experience more.
“Among the proposed activities of the Philippine Studies program at La Trobe University is to engage the Filipino Australian Student Council of Victoria. These would undoubtedly involve a holistic approach that goes beyond academic concerns and will also include students' welfare and overall wellbeing.”
La Trobe University representative Dr. Raul Sanchez Urribarri mentioned the great timing of the partnership that aims not only for students to learn but collaborate with academe in the future.
Two students who are instructors from the Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines have been welcome in the said event who just came to Melbourne a week ago.
Andrew Albert Ty & Gilbert Jacob Que, PhD candidates at La Trobe University Source: SBS Filipino
“We were both employed by Ateneo and the partnership program between La Trobe and Ateneo is a joint co-supervision. Our external co-supervisors are staff in Ateneo, they are our colleagues and the principal supervisors are in La Trobe and the way the program was designed to be done remotely so that we are doing research abroad, we are communicating La Trobe supervisors even before the pandemic,” Andrew narrated.
He added “We are here now for a period of four months, it's an optional part of the scholarship that will allow us more closely immerse ourselves in Melbourne’s research culture but also the overall general vibe of the city itself”
Gilbert is happy that he gets the opportunity to see personally familiar faces online and eventually come home with a great experience and a new perspective.
“We were really supposed to go back to Ateneo after the program. I think it’s cliche but of course, we’re gonna bring all our learnings back to the academe, share our experiences with our colleagues but also with our students,” he quipped.
Signing Ceremony for the Philippines Studies Program, La Trobe University and Students Forum and Networking 30 July 2022 Source: SBS Filipino
Education programs strengthen the relationship between the Philippines and Australia according to Ambassador Dela Vega.
These study programs have been initiated ‘to bring awareness for Australians to understand the Philippines and at the same time for the Philippine students to be part of this cohort where they could help make Australians understand the Philippines as well.’
We’re looking at elevating our partnership with Australia into a strategic one so what is the better way to really elevate it than through the pillar of people-to-people link.
Aside from the state of Victoria, Amb. Dela Vega explores more partnerships with other states and universities between the two countries.
“I'm excited, as you probably know, this has really been my advocacy when we begin planning out the strategic partnership. I put this on our action plan, education cooperation because I think with what is happening in the region, especially during the COVID years of the surge, and what is happening in the geo-political space.” Dela Vega said. 
Panel of Academe Professionals at the Signing Ceremony for the Philippines Studies Program, La Trobe University and Students Forum and Networking 30 July 2022 Source: SBS Filipino
Student forum and networking were held during the said event where academic professionals such as Global Victoria’s Kim Cleary, Dr Alfred Presbitero of Deakin Business School, Dr Marianne Sison and Dr Roby Guevarra of RMIT University, and some community leaders imparted their knowledge and experience.
On the other hand, international students shared their testimonials of challenges and journeys in Australia. 
Attendees of the Signing Ceremony for the Philippines Studies Program, La Trobe University and Students Forum and Networking 30 July 2022 Source: SBS Filipino
