On March 11-13, 2015, the Ateneo de Naga University-Center for Local Governance conducted the Training on Developing, Implementing, and Sustaining Local M&D Services at Panicuason Hot Spring Resort, Naga City. It was attended by the same participants who attended the previous trainings on M&D held at Sorsogon City and Masbate City with the addition of participants coming from different Overseas Filipino Workers Associations, Social Action Center-Diocese of Legazpi, and key government agencies.

This training event is the third and last one among the capacity building activities under the Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) Phase II Project in the Bicol Region of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the European Union in partnership with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), City Government of Naga, and the Ateneo de Naga University.

The said training involved four sessions for the two and a half day event: Session 1 includes presentation of updates of each LGU on their Migration and Development (M&D) Program; Session 2 includes panel discussion and workshop of possible services to offer; Session 3 includes lecture- discussion on basic customer service skills; and Session 4 involves lecture discussion and workshop on engaging the diaspora. The activity also includes a site visit to the city government of Naga to observe the city’s programs for migration and development.

The said activity also involved sharing of experiences and inputs from guest presenters. The invited resource speakers were the following: Rex Varona of the Migrant Forum in Asia, Dr. Gina Yap of the Batis Center for Women, Mr. Nicolas Mongoso of iSERVE in the City Government of Naga, and Ms. Andrea Louisa Anolin of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

The main output of the training is for the Local Government Units with the help of different OFW organizations and government agencies to be able to come up with a project design about providing M&D services to their respective localities.
The said training was facilitated by Dr. Malu C. Barcillano, who was also the resource speaker in one of the sessions, and Jay P. Abawag while Julie Ann Prado served as the documenter.
by Jay P. Abawag