Four more schools in the Philippines will be granting scholarships to select Rohingya youth as part of a landmark national programme providing a durable solution to Rohingya refugees in the region.
San Beda University (SBU) in Manila, St. Louis University (SLU) in Baguio City, Tarlac State University (TSU), and the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod have committed to joining the Complementary Pathways (CPath) programme which provides Rohingya refugees with access to protection services and a safe and regulated admission and stay in the country while developing their skills and self-reliance capacities and leading them towards a durable solution to their displacement.
“UNHCR Philippines thanks San Beda University, St. Louis University, Tarlac State University, and the University of St. La Salle for standing in solidarity with Rohingya refugees. With their help, another batch of Rohingya youth will soon be able to receive protection and education services in the country,” said UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo.
Just last week, SBU and TSU inked their agreements with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Philippines to be part of the programme. TSU is the first state university to join the CPath programme.
UNHCR and DOJ-RSPPU welcome San Beda University as one of the latest partner schools to accept Rohingya scholars under the CPath programme. ©UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
Officials, faculty, staff and students of Tarlac State University join UNHCR and DOJ-RSPPU for a learning session aimed at preparing the state university to accept Rohingya scholars. ©UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
UNHCR and DOJ-RSPPU provided a capacity building session for Saint Louis University in Baguio City which has recently committed to join the CPath programme. ©UNHCR
UNHCR and DOJ-RSPPU also conducted a briefing for officials of the University of St. La Salle as an incoming partner of the CPath programme. ©UNHCR
“The encyclical letter of Pope Francis Fratelli Tutti calls for a more just, more humane, and more fraternal world based on love and mutual enrichment. It speaks directly to the joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties of migrants, refugees and indeed, all displaced and marginalized people. Thus, we are invited to care for human ecology by embracing migrants, refugees, displaced and marginalized brothers and sisters as his Holiness Pope Francis articulated in his message for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2022,” said Rector-President Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. A. Maranan OSB.
“San Beda University is glad that we will accommodate Rohingya refugee scholars who will become Bedan students this coming academic year. This has been possible through the collaboration with UNHCR and DOJ,” he added.
Likewise, TSU President Arnold Velasco also enjoined the state university’s officials, faculty, staff, and students to work together in ensuring a smooth transition for the incoming Rohingya scholars.
“I have proven many times in my life that the readiness to help others will always have a significant, even life changing, impact on the lives of those who receive it. And TSU is more than willing and ready to extend help to the Rohingya refugees as part of the Complementary Pathways programme,” he said.
The Philippine government previously expressed its willingness to accept and protect Rohingya who have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar, and the CPath programme is in line with the country’s open-door policy, humanitarian tradition and international commitments, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Global Compact on Refugees, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“A little over a year ago, or on May 27, 2022, the framework of the Inter-Agency Committee on Complementary Pathways Programme that institutionalized the commitment and contributions of various government agencies under the leadership of the Department of Justice – Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit was signed,” shared Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan, who leads the DOJ – Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (DOJ-RSPPU).
“This framework will help support members of the private sector and civil society as they contribute to the CPath programme. This whole of government approach will create an engaging and enabling environment for the whole of society approach to be institutionalized, helping ensure the sustainability of the programme and the success of the refugees for and with whom the programme is developed,” he added.
It was under the CPath programme that the Philippines welcomed its first batch of young Rohingya beneficiaries in 2022 who have since adjusted well in their new communities and schools. As scholars under the CPath programme, they are recognized as refugees by the Philippine government and provided legal status and protection services for the duration of their enrollment.
Tarlac State University is the first state university in the Philippines to open its doors to Rohingya refugees under the Complementary Pathways (CPath) programme. ©UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan, UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, and San Beda University Vice President for Linkages and International Affairs Dr. Tita Evasco-Branzuela sign the Memorandum of Agreement opening the doors of San Beda University to young select Rohingya scholars. ©UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
UNHCR Philippines Head of National Office Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo emphasized that the acceptance of more scholars under the CPath programme, with the help of more partner schools, can inspire more Rohingya refugees to pursue education in the Philippines as a pathway to transform their lives for the better. © UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan shared his optimism that the participation of San Beda University to the CPath programme will serve as an inspiration in creating a more empowering environment for refugees in the country. ©UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
Atty. Paulito de Jesus, Assistant Head of the Department of Justice Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit, emphasized that CPath partner schools in the country are instrumental in helping "the most if not persecuted of all persecuted people in the world," as they prepare to open their doors to Rohingya scholars. © UNHCR/Karen Cepeda
“This Complementary Pathways is a dream. You are helping the most if not persecuted of all persecuted people in the world. The Rohingya refugees are not only refugees but they are also stateless. Imagine, you don’t have a state, you don’t have a country, and at the same time you are a refugee suffering from persecution,” said Atty. Paulito de Jesus, Assistant Head of the DOJ-RSPPU.
Likewise, Valdeavilla-Gallardo emphasized, “We are all capable of ensuring that no one gets left behind. These agreements are just the beginning of what we hope would be a greater opportunity for Philippine educational institutions and the Filipino people to come together in aid of refugees.”
“We hope that more countries will soon join the Philippines in implementing the CPath programme which provides Rohingya refugees with life-saving education and support,” she added.
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ABOUT UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality by States. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.
In the Philippines, UNHCR has maintained a presence for over 40 years, working on three pillars: providing durable solutions to refugees, ending and reducing statelessness, and empowering displaced families.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Karen Cepeda
External Relations Associate
[email protected]
(02) 88172398
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