The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Philippines and the Philippine Government, through the Department of Justice – Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (DOJ-RSPPU), conducted the 2nd National Complementary Pathways (CPath) Gathering of Rohingya refugee-scholars from 7 to 10 January 2025 at the American Corner Baguio, 4th Floor, Msgr. Charles Vath Building, SLU Main Campus, Bonifacio St., Baguio City.
The annual National CPath Gathering aimed at strengthening and institutionalizing the network and collaboration of schools and the member agencies of the Inter-Agency Committee on the CPath Programme (IACCP) of the Philippines to help the program become more sustainable through an exchange of experiences, milestones, challenges, and lessons learned. It provides a venue to further strengthen the whole-of-society approach as it connects key stakeholders – refugees, Government, academic partners, existing and potential donors and UNHCR.
The event gathered 50 Rohingya refugees who are enrolled in varied courses in six different higher education institutions in the Philippines, including SLU, Columban College, Inc. (CCI), De La Salle Araneta University (DLSAU), San Beda University (SBU), Tarlac State University (TSU), and University of St. La Salle (USLS). Staff from the IACCP, school representatives, and other stakeholders also attended the three-day gathering.
The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority from Myanmar, have endured decades of violence and discrimination, leading to a mass exodus in August 2017 when over 730,000 fled to Bangladesh due to military operations in Rakhine State. Denied citizenship since 1982 and unrecognized as an official ethnic group, they have become the world’s largest stateless population.
By conducting the CPath Gathering annually, the emotional and mental health needs of the scholars and stakeholders are addressed through respite and opportunities to reconnect with the community of shared goals.
CPath Gathering opens with key messages by partner organizations
Upon the arrival of the delegates on 7 January, the opening ceremonies commenced beginning with the opening remarks of State Counsel Paulito C. De Jesus, the Assistant Head of the Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit, Department of Justice. He emphasized that responding to the refugee crisis is a “state obligation” and that a whole-of-country and whole-of-society approach is needed for the benefit of the persons of concern. That being said, the gathering opens the conversation as to how to improve and expand the CPath program. The CPath program will grow because “the Philippines is a welcoming country,” ready to give what’s needed, State Counsel De Jesus added.
SLU President Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, CICM, PhD, welcomed participants and emphasized the university’s commitment to empowering scholars by ensuring their voices are heard and their aspirations nurtured. He stated that SLU is dedicated not only to supporting their academic pursuits but also to addressing their emotional and mental health needs, recognizing the challenges scholars face. “We recognize that the journey of a scholar is often fraught with challenges, and we consider it as our responsibility to provide a nurturing environment that fosters both academic success and overall well-being – this is our mandate as institutions of higher learning,” Fr. Sales remarked.
In the key message, Lindsey Atienza, Officer-in-Charge, UNHCR Philippines National Office, said that institutionalizing the refugee program contributes to the global compact objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDG 4 (Quality Education for all), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 1 (No Poverty). “The UNCHR is expressing its commitment to provide support to key stakeholders to enhance and expand the CPath program to ensure that no one is left behind,” Ms. Atienza stated.
Day 2, 08 January 2025: CPath plenary sessions and activities enhance support for Rohingya Refugee Scholars
On the second day, 8 January, a series of activities were conducted that embraced an interactive approach through sessions, team building activities, and field trips.
State Counsel De Jesus gave a discussion on the key updates of the DOJ-RSPPU on the CPath Program. He also detailed out the rights of refugees, as well as pertinent relevant laws, as implemented by National Policy; the framework on the IACCP Program; and the partnerships anchored on the whole-of-society approach in providing services to refugees.
The presentation was followed by briefers from representatives of IACCP member agencies. Atty. Christopher Coles, Board of Special Inquiry of the Bureau of Immigration discussed the mandate and services provided by the Bureau as stated in the Commonwealth Act No. 613 and The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
Raphael Gabriel B. Tubaña of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) then gave pertinent information on the mandate of DSWD in providing assistance to refugees through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program and the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).
Another equally-important info session was given online by Karen Dunwoodie, PhD, the Director of the Deakin Centre for Refugee Employment, Advocacy, Training and Education (CREATE) of Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. She focused on how partner higher education institutions can create a streamlined exit strategy from education to access to livelihood and meaningful employment. She highlighted how they conduct the Refugee Career Clinics, a flagship program for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds to assist in the re-establishment of their careers in Australia. Dr. Dunwoodie encouraged HEIs to “be innovative, creative, and to think laterally” especially when it comes to the funding and sustainability of such a program.
The series of sessions was followed by friendly games and sports (badminton, table tennis, futsal, and wall-climbing) facilitated by the SLU Center for Sports and Development (CSD) and held at the Bishop Carlito Cenzon Sports Center.
Day 3, 09 January 2025: CPath provides skills development for scholars and stakeholders
Capping off the learning sessions, breakout sessions were held for refugee-scholars and for IACCP, school representatives, and key stakeholders.
For the scholars’ session, Rhoda Avila, the Assistant Director of the SLU Center for Counseling and Wellness (CCW), gave a talk on Career Counseling. The topic on resume writing and building a LinkedIn profile was then discussed by Kaye Leah Sitchon, Writer of the SLU University Information Office (UIO) and Communications Instructor from the Languages and Communication Department, School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA).
The breakout session with representatives from IACCP and schools included two topics. The first was “Briefing on Access to Higher Education for Rohingya Children and Global Task Force” which was facilitated by Mohammed Jahedul Islam Chowdhury of UNHCR Bangladesh and Dr. Rebecca Granato of BARD University and Global Taskforce on Education Pathways. The second topic was “Refugee-Led Organization / Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation” by Vic dela Cruz, UNHCR Philippines National Office.
After the breakout sessions, Andyo Abusmas from the De La Salle Brothers Inc., delivered closing remarks that reflected the shared and vocational mission of the cohort. This was then affirmed by the sharing of learning by two refugee-scholars who will be graduating within this year.
The participants then enjoyed a tour around Baguio City, which gave the event a meaningful close.
SLU as host institution of the 2nd National CPath Gathering affirms its core values of Social Involvement and Christian Spirit. The gathering aligns closely with the CICM advocacy of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, reflecting the University’s dedication to fostering a holistic educational environment beyond borders.
