11 December 2017, Tel Aviv – In coordination with the Granot Agrostudies Program and the Federation of Filipino Communities in Israel (FFCI), the Philippine Embassy in Israel conducted a Post-Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) to newly arrived student-trainees who are participating in the annual Granot Agrostudies Program. The event was held on 09 December 2017 at the Beit Dani Gymnasium in Tel Aviv.
Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial urged the more than 400 Filipino agricultural student-trainees studying in Israel to help revive the philippine agricultural sector by imparting the experience and knowledge gained in Israel back to the Philippines.
‘‘Your exposure to Israel’s advanced agricultural technology and farm practices must be harnessed for the modernization of Philippine Agriculture. You are the future of our food security,” Imperial said.
The Ambassador also provided a briefing on Israel and Philippines-Israel relations. Consul General Randy Arquiza presented an overview of the Embassy functions, the security advisories issued, and the basic rights of student-trainees in Israel.
The Agrostudies Program combines practical work and academic training for 11 months in Israel. Since 2005, a total of 3,315 Filipino student-trainees have graduated from the Agrostudies Program. The current group of 587 students is the 13th batch after the graduation of 536 students on 03 September 2017.
The Embassy considers the program an important pillar of the Philippines-Israel development cooperation in the agricultural sector.
The group of Filipino student-trainees of the Agrostudies Program in attendance during the PAOS.
Philippine Ambassador to Israel Neal Imperial is flanked to his left by Mr. Yaron Tamir, (2,L) Agrostudies Program CEO, Ms. Inbal Shoval, (3,L) Agrostudies COO, Ms. Gabriela Bar, (3,R) Student Relations Coordinator, Consul General Randy Arquiza, (2,R) and Mr. Joeffrey Olayan, FFCI Coordinator (1,R).