Consul General, Ateneo head to grace LSE graduation rites

Philippine Consul General Bernardita Catalla and Ateneo de Manila University President Rev. Fr. Jose Ramon T.  Villarin S.J., will speak to graduates of the Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) Batch 22 in Hong Kong on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Participants of LSE 22, Hong Kong

The latest batch of LSE graduates are composed of 38 Filipino migrant workers and one Filipino resident who have successfully completed the six-month course. Another 16 participants finished the Practicum 2 class.

“We are thrilled that Consul General Catalla and Fr. Villarin accepted our invitation to speak during the graduation ceremony. This means that they recognize the achievements of our migrant workers here in Hong Kong,” said Leila Rispens-Noel, director and co-Founder of Wimler Foundation HK.
“Their presence will encourage and motivate the participants all the more in their quest for new skills and knowledge. This is our fourth batch and we are proud of what our graduates achieved. We are looking forward to welcoming the next group of participants in March next year,” she added.
The commencement ceremonies will be at 2:00 to 6:00 pm at the Bradbury English School, Stubbs Road, Hong Kong.

Fr. Pat Falguerra of Ateneo School of Government and Mariel Vincent Rapisura, president of the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI) are also expected to attend the event.
Part of the requirement of the course was to submit social entrepreneurship business plans. Batch 22 submitted a total of 17 business plans while graduates of Practicum 2 submitted six business plans. All submissions were subjected to rigorous mentoring before they were presented to a board of panelists for further comments.

Among the plans submitted this year were enterprises involving super e-jeep, affordable boarding houses as well as spa/beauty salon, bakery, resort businesses and marketing of handmade handicrafts.
Most of the practicum graduates already launched their business plans which included a junk shop business, waffle express and a non-profit organization catering to the needs of OFWs and their families in Iloilo.

The business plans are aimed at enhancing the participants’ skills and knowhow in starting a business that could help prepare them for their eventual return and reintegration in the Philippines.
LSE graduates will receive certificates from the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG). Successful LSE course graduates and those who completed the practicum program, who are college graduates, will be granted LSE diplomas. Eight graduates qualified to receive their diploma.

The LSE is an empowerment program for overseas Filipinos. The LSE 22 covered 13 sessions conducted two Sundays per month over a six-month period. Sessions lasted from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. LSE programs cover three modules: financial literacy, leadership and social entrepreneurship. The LSE aims to develop leadership skills among overseas Filipinos and their families, provide knowledge and skills in savings and investments and other financial matters and develop and/or enhance entrepreneurial skills.

The program is a joint initiative of the ASOG with the Overseas Filipinos Society for the Promotion of Economic Security (OFSPES), SEDPI, Ugat Foundation, the Philippine Consulate, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The course is organized and coordinated in Hong Kong by WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong with support from Prime Credit and SWIFT APAC.

About WIMLER Foundation HK

WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong Ltd. was officially registered in 2011 as a non-profit and charitable organization whose primary objective is to support the capacity building and empowerment of migrant communities regardless of nationalities and to promote cultural diversity in Hong Kong based on mutual respect, solidarity and shared empowerment among peoples.
www.wimler.org
http://wimler.blogspot.com