Amb. Dizon-De Vega (center 1st row), flanked by Labor Attache Delmer Cruz and Welfare Officer Sylvia Gabriel, with the newly-arrived Filipino nurses.

A group of 13 Filipino nurses who arrived in Berlin in late July to take up employment in Germany were yesterday welcomed by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. The nurses, who were brought in by Geras GmbH and its Philippine recruitment agency partner Global Resource for Outsourced Workers (GROW) Inc., had been undergoing preparations to work in Germany since 2018.

Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega led the welcoming team, and was joined by Labor Attaché Delmer Cruz, Welfare Officer Sylvia Gabriel, and Consul Catherine Torres. The brief program was held at the Embassy’s outdoor amphitheater with hygiene measures observed in light of the COVID-19 situation.

Filipino nurse Bryan Robles delivers a short message on behalf of the nurses (all photos by Berlin PE)

The Ambassador congratulated the nurses for making it through various hurdles and wished them well on the next phase of their life in Germany: integration. She assured them that the Embassy would be there to support them should they encounter difficulties, and encouraged them to get in touch with the Embassy and POLO-Berlin in case the need arises. Labor Attaché Cruz seconded this and also encouraged the nurses to uphold the world-class reputation of Filipino healthcare workers.

Mr Shaun Procter of Geras GmbH briefly recounted the long process of bringing the nurses in, which he was first inspired to do after experiencing excellent service from the Filipino crewmembers of a cruise ship. Afterwards, one of the nurses, Mr Bryan Robles, gave a brief testimonial where he acknowledged the nurses’ mixed emotions in coming to Germany to practice their profession at a time when there are also health challenges back home. He said that, ultimately, the decision is a fulfillment of a long-term aspiration not only for themselves but also for their families.

The program then segued to a more informal exchange as each of the nurses introduced themselves and shared their journey over simple merienda fare from Ayan Filipino Streetfood Restaurant. END.

The Philippine Embassy in Berlin today hosted 27 representatives of Executive and Legislative government agencies in the Philippines who are in Berlin for the International Training on Intrapreneurship and Competitiveness at The DO School from 13 to 17 January 2020.

Arranged by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), as the PH’s national productivity organization, with the support of the Office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Loren Legarda, the training seeks to enable the delegates to pursue and develop innovative products and services, and creative solutions to strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs in light of Industry 4.0.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega receives a certificate
and token of gratitude from the delegation.

Before the briefing, the delegation joined the Embassy’s personnel in the flag-raising ceremony traditionally held on Monday mornings to open the work week. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega then opened the briefing with her welcome remarks, wherein she highlighted the abundant opportunities for learning best practices and skills upgrading offered by Germany. She noted the German Government’s game-changing efforts to focus economic policy including in the MSMEs Sector on three areas: Innovation, Sustainability, and Digitization.

DTI Undersecretary Blesila Lantayona, as mission leader of the delegation, thanked the Embassy for the briefing and enjoined the delegates to work together as a team for the sake of their clients and beneficiaries. DAP Senior Vice President Magdalena L. Mendoza then gave a brief background of how the training program came about, noting the novelty of the idea of “intrapreneurship” in the PH public sector, followed by Mr Phillip Tettenborn, Director for Impact Entrepreneurship at The Do School, who gave an overview of the institution’s objectives and expressed eagerness in working with the delegation in the coming days.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega welcomes the delegation and tells them
about relevant developments in Germany with regard to MSMEs and innovation.

The welcome and opening remarks were followed by presentations to orient the delegates on developments and opportunities in Germany. Post’s Economic Officer Catherine Torres talked about Sustainabililty and Social Innovation in Germany, focusing on Germany’s efforts to gradually wean its export economy from carbon-dependence and to move toward cleaner and greener alternatives, especially in the areas of Agriculture, Energy, Mobility, and Fashion.

Commercial Counselor Althea Antonio then gave a presentation on the priorities and programs of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Berlin, including programs specifically geared at MSMEs. Among others, she talked about Philippine participation in major trade fairs and exhibitions in Germany, such as Ambiente, Biofach, Anuga, and Electronica, and the launch in 2019 of the Trabaho Negosyo Kabuhayan program in Germany as a joint project of PTIC-Berlin with the Embassy and POLO-Berlin.

Lastly, Labor Attache Delmer Cruz talked briefly about the Philippine Overseas Labor Office’s (POLO) role in helping to manage migration of Filipinos abroad, which also includes providing returning Overseas Filipinos with reintegration support and assistance, such as livelihood opportunities.  (END)