THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has sought to enhance the integration of Filipino migrants into their new home or host country as the Filipino diaspora in Germany continues to grow and diversify.
The commission said that newly arrived Filipinos in Germany would soon have access to specialized post-arrival integration activities to ease their transition into German society.
The CFO recently partnered with the Goethe-Institut, a nonprofit German cultural organization, to synchronize its pre-departure and post-arrival efforts for Filipinos migrating to Germany or for those who will live there to work or study.
There are about 45,000 Filipinos living and working in Germany.
“The demographics have shifted. Today, the population includes a robust number of information technology professionals, hospitality workers, students, and Filipinos married to German nationals,” the CFO said on Tuesday.
“Pre-departure and post-arrival mechanisms are considered vital for this demographic, which frequently grapples with language barriers and navigating complex social systems,” the CFO said in a statement.
Under the proposed framework, CFO would tap Germany-based Filipino alumni of Goethe-Institut courses to conduct localized orientation and social integration activities for fresh arrivals.
The agreement will soon be formalized through a memorandum of understanding, the CFO said.
Under the proposed mechanism, the CFO would promote the Goethe-Institut’s language and pre-integration courses during its mandatory pre-departure orientation seminars.
The Goethe-Institut would provide training to CFO orientation officers and counselors, embedding German cultural insights directly into the Philippine-based briefing seminars. Bernadette Tamayo
