It has often been said that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step” and this aptly describes our longstanding cooperation with the Philippines as it aims to propel the country in “laying a strong foundation for inclusive growth, a high-trust and resilient society, and a globally competitive knowledge economy” (PDP 2017-2022).
As we celebrate this milestone in the Foundation’s international cooperation program in this part of the world, it is a fitting occasion to give recognition to the programs and projects that redound to the benefit of the people, as well as to its partners and stakeholders that gave life and meaning towards their fruition.
In commemoration of this momentous occasion, HSF will host a special gathering for its partners and stakeholders as well as friends and colleagues at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City on August 8, 2019. We are honored that the Foundation’s chairwoman, Prof. Ursula Männle, will be present during the occasion to recognize and express her appreciation for the successful development cooperation of HSF in the Philippines together with its partner organizations.
The development work of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) in the Philippines can be gleaned in key periods of the country’s history from 1979 to the present and contributing in three (3) major programs—poverty reduction, good governance, and international cooperation and exchange.
With the objective of helping reduce poverty incidence especially in the countryside, HSF supported several joint undertakings in the area of technical skills development and strengthening of the co-operative system. In view of the important contributions of these projects in nation-building, HSF in cooperation with its partners and critical stakeholders helped paved the way for these pioneering initiatives to be institutionalized with the enactment into law of the Dual Training System Act of 1994 (R.A. No. 7686) and the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 (Republic Act No. 9520).
As part of its commitment to sustain the gains in helping improve the quality of life of majority of Filipinos, further support has been extended towards enhancing good governance, specifically in terms of reinforcement of the rule of law, access to justice, and peace and order, as well as recognition of the right to human dignity.
The clarion call to advance peace and development particularly in Mindanao opened greater opportunities for engagement with both Christian and Muslim communities in pursuit of their collective desire to address their civil rights and legal concerns.
Towards this end, HSF together with its partners, supports a number of projects that promote dialogue and information exchange to arrive at common solutions to national and regional concerns.
The “Congressional Medal of Achievement” bestowed on the Hanns Seidel Foundation in 2004 on its silver anniversary is a testament of our dedicated work in the Philippines and successful partnership.
Looking back and to the future, HSF, in cooperation with its partners, takes pride in our collective achievements and hopes to build on the success of its development cooperation in the Philippines in the last four decades as the bilateral relations between Germany and the Philippines become even stronger.
Vielen Dank! Mabuhay!
