Special Features

Founding Meeting of IFP-Philippines Alumni Association

Filipino alumni of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program held their first meeting last April 20 to 21 2007 at the Mercedes Concepcion Seminar Room of the Philippine Social Science Center in Diliman, Quezon City. Twenty-five out of the 39 alumni attended the meeting. Three major topics were discussed in the two-day meeting: 1) Re-entry of fellows, 2) Establishing the vision and mission of the association, and 3) Defining the objectives, structure and plans of the association. Dr. Ma. Cecilia Conaco of the University of the Philippines’ Department of Psychology facilitated the first two sessions. The alumni chose the name IFP-Philippines Alumni Association (IAA) as their official name and has registered this with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.

The alumni established the Association’s vision, thus: A dynamic community of Filipino professionals committed to attain sustainable development and social justice. They identified three major objectives of the Association: 1) Strengthening professional capacity of alumni, 2) Empowering communities for sustainable development and social justice, 3) Building partnerships and linkages with other sectors in initiating and directing social change.

The Alumni agreed to create a National Council composed of the following: 2 representatives from the National Capital Region (to include Metro Manila and Central Luzon); 1 representative each from Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, Western Mindanao, and Northeastern Mindanao; and an Executive Committee composed of a chair and vice-chair and the secretariat head. Mr. Emanuel de Guzman, IFP alumnus who pursued a PhD in Sociology at Manchester University in the U.K. volunteered to become the contact person and spokesperson for the IAA. The alumni group is in the process of coming up with their own e-group which will announce the activities of the alumni and keep them in touch with each other.