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535 FILIPINO STUDENT-TRAINEES GRADUATE FROM AGRICULTURE PROGRAM IN ISRAEL

08 September 2015 – Five hundred thirty-five (535) Filipino student-trainees were among the 1,400 graduates from Asia, Africa and South America of the Agrostudies On-the-Job Training (OJT) Program during the graduation ceremony held on September 02 at the International Convention Center in Haifa, Israel.



In a keynote address during the ceremony, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial cited the positive impact of the Agrostudies Program on development cooperation between the Philippines and Israel and on the future career and employment of the graduates.

The Filipino students, who come from different agriculture university and colleges in the Philippines, completed their 11-month course of combined academic learning and practical work which exposed them to the latest agro-based technology and techniques being utilized by farms in Israel. The students were situated in the most enabling and stimulating learning environment, allowing them to benefit from the most advanced agricultural working methods. The program offered the Filipino students the opportunity to work in modern farms throughout Israel and study various fields such as citrus farming, horticulture, dairy, poultry and agricultural pollination employing Israeli modern technology. 

The students are all preparing to return to the Philippines armed with newly gained knowledge and fresh enthusiasm to become catalysts of agricultural development in their respective communities.

Mr. Marvin Cugana, a student-trainee from the Pangasinan State University, after receiving his Agrostudies diploma, said that: “I learned a lot from the program during my stay in Israel. I am excited to apply in my community in the Philippines the many things I learned in my study and practical training in Israeli farms.” 

This year is the tenth batch of Filipino student-trainees of the Agrostudies Program in Israel, with the Philippines having the most number of students, a testament of the Israeli farmers’ preference to partner with the Filipino students.  

The Philippine Embassy considers the Agrostudies Program an important pillar of Philippines-Israel development cooperation in the field of agriculture.

"BATA-BATUTA" SUMMER CAMP IN ISRAEL TEACHES PINOY CULTURE THROUGH GAMES, MUSIC, AND FOOD

19 August 2015 – Almost 100 Filipino children are participating in the Philippine Embassy's "Bata-Batuta" summer program in Israel.

The annual month-long program aims to teach the children of Filipino migrant workers who have become strangers to Philippine culture, traditions, and values. Many children born to Filipinos in Israel speak only Hebrew and have never been to the Philippines.

First introduced in 2009, the "Bata-Batuta" Summer Camp is held for four Friday afternoons, between 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., usually in August. Coinciding with the "Buwan ng Wika," the program seeks to educate children in Israel on Philippine culture and values through games such as "luksong tinik" and "tumbang preso," arts and crafts, songs and dances (tinikling), food, storytelling, and other fun activities taught by volunteer teachers from the Filipino community.

The Embassy is hosting two classes/groups for every session: Group 1 for children ages 4 to 6 and Group 2 for children ages 7 to 12. Some 23 and 73 children are enlisted for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. More children are expected to join in the remaining sessions.

Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial reminded the parents of participating kids of their responsibility to help their children discover and imbibe Filipino tradition and values.  "We do not want our children to grow up rootless and with a crisis of identity. It is our duty to bequeath to them our Filipino values and our heritage, even as they learn to adapt to Israeli culture," he said.

Many of the participating kids in the summer program are from the Bialik-Rogozin Public School in Tel Aviv, where 45% of the 1,200 school enrollees are Filipinos. The school, which was featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "Strangers No More," caters to children of immigrants, foreign workers, and refugees from different countries. To help these Filipino students, the Embassy is working closely with Bialik-Rogozin on the possibility of incorporating a Filipino language and culture program for Filipino students in the school curriculum.