A five-day seminar on the various development issues in rural and urban communities in the Philippines was recently hosted by the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD) for students of the Nihon Fukushi University Graduate School of International Social Development (NFU-ISD).
According to the CSWCD, the seminar “fosters meaningful exchanges between Japanese and Filipino participants to deepen their understanding of community realities, participatory development, and collective action in building inclusive development.”
Held from Aug. 17 to 21, the seven NFU-ISD students participated in the seminar’s lectures, panel discussions, and field interaction with sectors.
Through the seminar, with the theme UGNAYAN: Communities and Collective Action for People-Centered Futures, the participants were able to “explore how communities, civil society organizations, and people’s organizations contribute to addressing social, economic, environmental, and development challenges,” states the CSWCD.
Two topics were discussed on Day 1 of the seminar: Philippine Society and Social Realities and People-Centered Development.
The former topic was presented by Judy M. Taguiwalo, PhD, former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and retired professor at the UPD Department of Women and Development Studies; while the latter was discussed by Paul Edward N. Muego, DSD, associate professor at the UPD Department of Community Development.
On hand to welcome the participants and guests were CSWCD Dean Justine Francis Leon V. Nicolas and NFU-ISD Dean Teruhiko Yoshimura, PhD.—With a report from the CSWCD
