4 February 2014 - As part of the Embassy’s support to the ongoing efforts of the Office of Personnel and Administrative Services (OPAS) to promote awareness on Gender and Development (GAD) among officers and staff of Philippine Foreign Service Posts, a refresher seminar was conducted by OPAS Executive Director Alfonso Ferdinand A. Ver on January 27 at the Embassy’s consular premises. 

Executive Director Ver presented lectures on the importance of gender and development in foreign policy, delivery of assistance-to-nationals (ATN) services, Violence Against Women (VAW), guidelines in interviewing VAW victims, administrative guidelines on sexual harassment and the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI). 

Embassy personnel including local hires and officers and staff of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) participated in the said seminar. 

DFA Special Assistant for the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Renato Pedro O. Villa and Executive Director for Middle East and African Affairs Nathaniel G. Imperial were also present in the GAD seminar. These officials together with Mr. Ver were in Oman as part of a management audit team. END