PH Embassy, MWO Enhance Engagement with Filipinos through Outreach and Gender Training
Lisbon, 22 March 2026 - In continuation of the National Women’s Month celebrations, the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, in collaboration with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Madrid, conducted a joint outreach mission on 22 March 2026 at the Chancery.
The outreach mission was organized into two segments: a Gender Sensitivity Training (GST) in the morning, followed by a comprehensive service session in the afternoon.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Paul Raymund P. Cortes highlighted the evolving understanding of gender sensitivity, noting how social norms and interactions have changed, citing that certain compliments that were once considered acceptable may now be inappropriate. He emphasized the importance of adapting to these changes to foster a respectful and inclusive environment for all.
Labor Attaché Atty. Angela Librado-Trinidad, OWWA Officer-in-Charge Verusckha Ardel G. Maling, MWO Administrative Staff Percival A. Labasan, and Jennifer A. Monastrial facilitated the Gender Sensitivity Training (GST), which covered topics such as identity and socialization, basic gender concepts, gender power relations, and gender-based violence.
The program concluded with a collective pledge from the participants, affirming their commitment to actively promote a safe, respectful, and inclusive community.
In the latter part of the outreach, over 100 Filipinos residing in Portugal participated in accessing essential services provided by the MWO and OWWA, including contract verification, OEC issuance and OWWA membership registration and renewal, as well as the Embassy’s consular services and overseas voting registration.
Filipinos also availed themselves of key consular services, including dual citizenship processing, passport applications, and on-site voter registration, bringing essential government services closer to the community during the Sunday outreach.
The outreach concluded with the Embassy assuring the Filipino community that they may bring their concerns directly to the Embassy, which will coordinate closely with the MWO to ensure their needs are appropriately addressed. END
