THE Department of Foreign Affairs Office of the Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs (OUCSCA) and the Diplomatic League (D-League) in partnership with Co-exister Philippines has organized the Diplomatic League Conference Mindanao 2023-Tagum held on November 17 to 19, 2023 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The three-day conference centered on the theme “Bridging Realms: Fostering Youth Engagement in Diplomacy and Global Security in Mindanao” aimed at empowering young individuals in Mindanao to actively participate in diplomatic initiatives and contribute to global and national security efforts.
The D-League Secretariat officially commenced the first day of the event by paying subsequent courtesy visits to the Office of the City Mayor of Tagum and the Local Youth Development Office (LYDO) where they gained insights on the city's best practices and project initiatives to empower the youth.
The team also visited the University of Southeastern Philippines-Tagum Campus and met with the university officials on the second leg of the conference.
Honorable representatives from the local, national, and international agencies graced the main event on its third day as they enthusiastically shared their expertise on the panel discussions. A total of 270 attendees, including the online delegates, eagerly participated in the conference.
The first panel includes Ysobel Pareja of the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy (OPCD), Christina Rola-McKernan, and Erika Henri Laudencia, both from OUCSCA, where they shared their insights on the promotion of public and cultural diplomacy, its importance in the Philippine foreign policy, and the process on how to become a Philippine Foreign Service Officer (FSO).
For the second panel, Angelita Bonsilao and Dara Janelle Eoy introduced the Diplomatic League to the delegates as the youth engagement platform of the Philippine Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA), including the organization’s flagship projects such as the Volunteer Ambassador Externship Programme (VAMBA).
It is then followed by the discussion of Edu Macabatas on the importance of active youth participation in the development of Tagum City. Ramon Beleno III of Blue Vote Ateneo de Davao University and Kristine Canon of the Teach Peace, Build Peace Movement further inspired the delegates by exploring the opportunities for youth diplomacy in Mindanao.
To promptly wrap up the first half of the panel sessions, Johanna Ella May Erroba of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines gave an overview of the UNDP’s initiatives for youth development.
Elaine Viktoria Dayanghirang of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) started the third panel session with her discussion on the career opportunities in the UN system and UNODC.
Consequently, the following presentations by Elaine Marie Cabatingan of Youth for Peace Movement - Davao de Oro and Juanquine Carlo “Wacky Racho” Castro of Co-exister Philippines strengthened the panel session by forwarding the importance of youth involvement in peace and conflict resolution in Mindanao.
Jesus “Gary” Domingo, Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs, set off the final panel session with the topic of International Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Cooperation for Mindanao. UNDP’s Patrick Erestain then discussed the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM).
After the interactive open forum where the delegates had the opportunity to directly ask questions to the panel, a call to action and closing message were delivered by Ronan Abalos of D-League and Rey Almer Gindap of Co-exister Philippines.
The Diplomatic League Conference Mindanao 2023 - Tagum was beautifully concluded by the Dilaab Artists' Ensemble. PR