ALSE OF-LIFE Culture - Building Workshop in the Middle East, Doha, Qatar, 22- 24 February 2024

The Ateneo School of Government, through the Executive Education Program (ASoG  ExecEd) organized a Culture-Building Workshop for the Middle East last 22-24  February 2024 in Doha Qatar for the Ateneo Leadership and Social Enterprise  Program Overseas Filipino Literacy, Innovation, Financial Literacy and  Entrepreneurship (ALSE OF-LIFE) Program, a mission-driven program that ASoG 

initiated in 2008 with the Overseas Filipinos Society for the Promotion of Economic  Security (OFSPES) in Rome, Italy. Since its inception, the program has continuously  run over the last 15 years, reaching almost 5,000 OFs/OFWs in 32 countries. The  program teaches three modules on Servant leadership, Financial Literacy, and Social  Entrepreneurship over a 12-session/ six-month journey to understand Ignatian values  and prepare to return OFWs for their reintegration journey or develop innovative  initiatives in their host country.  

The ASoG ExecEd Culture-Building Workshop for ALSE OF-LIFE has its roots in the  Ateneo’s Office for Mission and Identity (OMI) formation course. To date, three major  culture-building workshops have been held in November 2022 in Quezon City, May  2023 in Madrid, and February 2024 in Doha. The themes of the CBW revolve around  a deeper understanding of Magis, Cura Personalis in the life of the ALSE OF-LIFE  volunteers who are trained to backstop the program in situ, Finding God in all Things  in gratitude of what is and appreciate the sense of the Divine and lastly Becoming  Men and Women for Others to reach out and build community.  

The Doha workshop brought together ALSE OF-LIFE volunteer teachers, support  team volunteers, and in-country core secretariat members from Qatar, UAE, Bahrain,  France, and Switzerland. The workshop was opened on 22 February by a video  message from ASoG Dean Randy Tuano and opening Remarks by Edgar Valenzuela,  ALSE OF-LIFE Program Co-Coordinator. The Philippine Embassy to Qatar was  represented by Atty. Don Pagcong, Migrant Workers Office in-charge, who  commended the ALSE graduates for their involvement. Cristina Liamzon, ALSE OF 

LIFE Program Co-Coordinator, introduced the ALSE OF-LIFE Culture-Building  Program. The workshop was attended by some 21 persons and was facilitated by  Mimo Perez and Aubrey Albo. The ALSE OF-LIFE Program values are translated into  Pilipino as Magis (banal at bayani), Cura Personalis (kalinga sa sarili at sangnilikha),  Person for Others (malasakit at bayanihan), and Finding God in all Things/AMDG (bukas sa lahat). 

The workshop also discussed strengthening the existing coordination and expanding  outreach in the region. Following the Workshop in Doha, Qatar, meetings were held  in Manama with the Philippine Ambassador in Bahrain, H.E. Ambassador Anna  Jalando-on Louis, and MWO OIC Celia Cabadonga on 26 February 2024, and in  Muscat with the Philippine Ambassador in Oman, H.E. Ambassador Raul S.  Hernandez, and MWO Labor Attache Atty. Gregorio T. Abalos, Jr on 28 February  2024.