Events:  News

20 - 24 June 2005 - Members of the Senior Advisory Council of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) visited the Council of Europe (CoE) in Strasbourg at the invitation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Mr. René van der Linden and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). The visit aimed to provide the members of the Senior Advisory Council with detailed information on the history, structure, and mechanisms of PACE in connection with the decision of AAPP to transform itself into the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), as well as to expand and strengthen possibilities for future cooperation between APA and PACE.

Present during the visit were members of the Senior Advisory Council, namely:

• H.E. Sheikh Hasina, member of the Parliament of Bangladesh and President of the 1st AAPP General Assembly
• H.R.H. Samdech Krom Preah Norodom Ranariddh, President of the National Assembly of Cambodia and President of the 2nd AAPP General Assembly
• H.E. Jose de Venecia, Jr., Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, President of the 4th AAPP General Assembly, and Chairman of the Senior Advisory Council
• H.E. Chaudhary Amir Hussain, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan and President of the AAPP
• H.E. Dr. Bhokin Bhalakula, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Thailand and host of the 6th AAPP General Assembly

H.E. Wu Banguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China and President of the 3rd AAPP General Assembly, was represented by Mr. Ji Peiding, Vice Chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee.

The delegation also included members of the APA Interim Secretariat.

Highlights of the visit included the address of H.E. Chaudhary Amir Hussain and H.E. Jose de Venecia, Jr. at the Plenary Sitting of the Assembly, a visit to the European Court of Human Rights for a meeting with its President, Mr. Luzius Wildhaber, and meetings with the various committees and committee heads of the PACE.

Joint Statement of H.E. Chaudhary Amir Hussain and H.E. Jose de Venecia, Jr. >>>

Statement of the Political Affairs Committee of the PACE >>>

Speech of H.E. Chaudhary Amir Hussain >>>

Speech of H.E. Jose de Venecia, Jr. >>>

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31 May 2005 - The Hanns Seidel Foundation - European IT Service Center Foundation (HSF-EITSC) project entitled "Establishment of Market-Driven and Technology-Based Courses and Further Training for the IT/BPO Sector in the National Capital Region (NCR) Through the Institutional Strengthening of the European IT Service Center Foundation" was formally introduced to the public in a press conference at the Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City.

Co-funded by the European Commission (EC) and the HSF, the endeavor is a five-year capacity-building and skills certification project which aims to enhance the employability of Filipino graduates and professionals in the IT field. Specifically, it seeks to address the gap between the competencies of IT graduates and professionals and the needs of the IT/BPO (business process outsourcing) companies through a dualized system of education and training.

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14 May 2005 - Under the sponsorship of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, a cooperative delegation consisting of 13 officers and board members from selected cooperatives from the Philippines, as well as representatives from government, financial institutions, and academe, concluded their successful information visit to Bavaria, Germany. Highlights of their visit included an orientation on the Cooperative System in Germany at the headquarters of the Bavarian Cooperative Federation and visits to the Bavarian Cooperative Academy and the Central German Cooperative Bank, as well as to various cooperatives throughout Bavaria.

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23 April 2005 - The Association of Hanns Seidel Foundation Scholars of the Philippines, Inc. (AHSFSPI) held their Nachkontakt Conference for 2005 at the Dusit Hotel, Makati City. Visiting during the occassion was Dr. Michael Czepalla, Head of the Scholarship Department for Foreign Scientists and Postgraduates at the Hanns Seidel Foundation Head Office in Munich. Guest speakers for the conference were Ms. April Al Raschid of Informatica Center who briefed the former scholars on the center's projects, and Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy Mr. Rolf Saligmann and Fr. Bacareza of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), who both spoke on the theme: "50 years of German–Philippine Diplomatic Relations."

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5 April 2005 - The Senior Advisory Council of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP), composed of past presidents of the AAPP who are currently in Manila for the 112th Interparliamentry Union (IPU), will be conducted back-to-back sessions with Mr. Eduard Lintner MdB, member of the German Parliament and the PACE, and the Interim Secretariat of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA). Guest speaker during the first session was Mr. René van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Discussions included the continuing steps for the establishment of the APA. To be modeled after the PACE, the APA is set to emerge from the AAPP to promote social, economic and political integration in Asia. The initiative is spearheaded by Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., and supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

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12 March 2005 - The Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and the Negros Oriental Development Center (NODC) successfully completed their cooperation in various joint programs, specifically in the cooperative and community development program for cooperative organizations in Central Visayas. The future continuation of activities was turned over to the NODC. During their fruitful partnership, NODC and HSF were able to assist around 150 multi-purpose cooperatives in the area.

The ceremonial turnover signifies NODC’s sustainability as an organization and was conducted to formally recognize the program’s achievements through the years, to assess the outcome and impact of the program cooperation, and to provide an opportunity for the partners to look ahead and prepare for the future. After the turnover, HSF plans to continue to support NODC through higher-level cooperation in the field of human resource development in the cooperative sector.

Mr. Efren dela Cruz, the first President of NODC-ACTION (Association of Cooperative Trainors in Oriental Negros), Mrs. Carmen Gloria, the current President of NODC, and Mr. Arturo Pacatang, Chairman of Siquijor Provincial Union of Cooperatives, Inc. (SPUCI), presented the achievements of the program--primarily strengthening and enhancing the capabilities of the cooperatives, and organizing and professionalizing the cooperative trainers.

Keynote address was delivered by Hon. George Arnaiz, Governor of the Province of Negros Oriental, opening message by Engr. Dominador Dumalag, City Administrator on behalf of Mayor Agustin R. Perdices of Dumaguete City, and welcome remarks by Dr. Noel de Jesus, NODC Vice President.

The turnover was held at the Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative (DCCO), Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

Speech of Mr. Paul G. Schäfer >>>

Project Memories and Milestones by Mrs. Carmen I. Gloria >>>

Negros Oriental Map >>>

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3 March 2005 - The Brussels office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation hosted a dinner-roundtable on the theme “New Strategies for Asian-European Cooperation.” Guest Speaker during the event, which was attended by officials of the European Parliament (EP) and the European Commission (EC) and representatives from the academe and the media, was Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr., Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives. The affair was organized in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).

Statement of Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. >>>

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In order to maximize the potentials for economic activities brought about by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) -Funded Seaweed Production Project in Magdaup, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, the women members of the Seaweed Project beneficiary group (German Cluster) presented a proposal to the HSF for the implementation of a Bakeshop Project in the community during the HSF visit to the project site. The project was approved by the HSF in partnership with the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foundation (BSAF) and the Livelihood Enhancement and Peace (LEAP) Program, and was implemented last November 2004.

Aside from the seaweed production activities, the bakeshop project is expected to trigger more economic activities within the community by way of providing livelihood for women, thus complementing the income of their husbands for whom fishing and seaweed farming are main sources of living.

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The Dualtech Center, Inc., a partner organization of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) since 1982, and two former HSF partners, the Punlaan School, and the Batangas State University (formerly the Pablo Borbon Memorial Institute of Technology), were installed into the Elite Circle of Dual Training System Trailblazers in the Philippines by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) last 15 December 2004.

According to TESDA Director General Augusto Boboy Syjuco, the three institutions above, along with Philippine Women's University and CS Garments and several other companies, are truly trailblazers in the implementation of the dual training system (DTS) in the Philippines as they have adopted the Dual Training System even before the formal introduction of this training delivery system in the country.

More information about HSF's Dual Training Program >>>

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The Hanns Seidel Foundation hosted a get-together between members of the Steering Committee of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum and representatives from government, the non-government sector and the business sector. The meeting was held last 9 December 2004 at the New World Renaissance Hotel in Makati City.

The Asia-Europe Environment Forum Steering Committee came to Manila on 9 December 2004 to discuss the forum’s 2005 event which will be the culmination of the various roundtables and conferences on sustainable development, climate change, renewables, and biotechnology held under the forum since September 2003.

Asia-Europe Environment Forum webpage >>>

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