19 November 2017, Tel Aviv - On 17 November 2017, a Memorandum of Understanding institutionalizing the Filipino Language and Culture Program for Filipino students enrolled in the Bialik Rogozin Campus, a public school mainly for children of migrant workers and asylum seekers in Israel. The MOU was signed by Philippine Ambassador to the State of Israel Neal Imperial and Bialik Rogozin Campus Principal Eli Nechama. The signing was witnessed by Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola of the Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs. DFA-OUMWA supports the program as part of the reintegration process and promotion of the welfare of the Filipino children.
The MOU institutionalized the program and will ensure its continuity in promoting awareness and appreciation of Philippine heritage and language by Filipino children born and raised in Israel. The program is being funded by the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs.
Bialik Rogozin Campus is a special school for children of migrant workers which was featured in an Oscar award-winning documentary “Strangers No More.” The school provides its students from around 50 countries with equal opportunities to learn and excel regardless of their status or nationality. Out of the school’s 1,300 students, about 60% are Filipinos.
The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv initiated the program to provide the children of migrant workers, including irregular migrants, with reintegration support through learning of the Filipino language and culture. The Embassy previously conducted summer training camps for the students of BialikRogozin under its annual Bata Batuta program held every Friday for the month of August to coincide with the Linggo ng Wika (National Language Week) celebration. However, since the children are only taught in Hebrew at Bialik Rogozin, the Embassy realized the need to have a more institutionalized and long-term program to ensure their continuous learning of the Filipino language.
A short program followed the MOU signing wherein selected students sang the “Bahay Kubo” and performed the Cariñosa, a traditional fan and hat dance, and delivered a thank you message for Undersecretary Arriola in the Filipino language. –END-
DFA-OUMWA Undersecretary Sara Lou Y. Arriola witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Ambassador to the State of Israel Neal Imperial and Bialik Rogozin Campus Principal Eli Nechama.
(Top photo) Neel Vicente delivers the thank you message on behalf of the students enrolled in the Filipino Language and Culture Program. (Bottom photo) Select students sing the “Bahay Kubo”, a popular folk song learned during the lessons on Filipino family life.
The Filipino parents and other students in the Filipino Language and Culture Program enjoy the Cariñosa performance of select students,
DFA-OUMWA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, Ambassador Neal Imperial, Bialik Rogozin Campus Principal Eli Nechama, and DFA-OUMWA Special Assistant Raul Dado with the students of the Filipino Language and Culture Program. They are joined by Consul General Randy Arquiza, Vice Consul Judy Razon, volunteer teachers from the Filipino community, Ms. Agnes Hoffman and Ms. Elaine Vicente.