PHL 'rediscovered' in Swiss university conference

The Philippines was rediscovered from various perspectives following a conference at the University of Berne with the theme "Philippines in Perspectives." Some 50 Filipino, Swiss and Swiss-Filipino students, professionals and researchers attended the conference on May 14, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. "As noted by Chargé d'Affaires Margarita Ibayan in her welcome address to the participants, the conference will certainly deepen understanding and relations between the peoples of the Philippines and Switzerland," the DFA said in a news release posted Friday on its website. Presenting the different perspectives on the Philippines were Labor Attaché Manuel Imson of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva; Irina Wenk of the Institute of Social Anthropology of the University of Zurich; and Professor Iwar Werlen, the head of the Linguistics Institute at Berne University. Imson talked on "Aspects of Philippine Migration". He presented the history of Philippine migration, its socio-economic impact on Philippine society, and the Philippine government's support mechanisms that protect the welfare of Filipino migrants all over the world. Wenk's "From Prejudice and Displacement Towards A Self-Determined Future" talk elaborated on indigenous land rights and the impact of the 1997 Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA) of the Philippines on the rights and cultural identity of indigenous peoples. For his part, Werlen discussed "The Philippine Languages and the Notion of a National Language Filipino," where he gave an overview on the evolution of Philippine languages and dialects, and how these shaped the Filipinos' multi-lingual and multi-cultural identity. Organizing the event was organized by the Network of Integrated Pinoys or Noi-P, a network of young Filipino-Swiss professionals based in Switzerland, with the support of the Embassy. - VVP, GMA News