28 October 2005 – Consul General Maria Theresa P. Lazaro of the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, welcomed the opportunity for more visits to the Philippines of Australian students as she congratulated eleven Australian students who have just returned from the Philippines under the Exchange and Immersion Experience program.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Consul General Lazaro said the program was initiated by the Rector of St. Aloysius College in Sydney, Rev. Fr. Ross Jones, S. J., with Philippine schools supervised by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).     The visiting party of eleven Year-Eleven (4th Year high school) students participated in a number of educational activities  conducted in various areas in Luzon for four weeks.

According to Consul General Lazaro, the Australian students visited their counterpart schools Ateneo de Manila High School in Quezon City and St. Joseph’s High School in Kiangan, Ifugao.  The students also held sports and spiritual interaction with inmates of the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa, assisted in the building and painting of houses in the Gawad Kalinga project in Payatas, stayed with economically disadvantaged families in Muntinlupa and Payatas.

Consul General Lazaro visited the St. Aloysius College to congratulate the student-participants and Fr. Jones for the undertaking, saying “the example that has been set by Father Jones and St. Aloysius College is commendable as this encourages a healthy exhange of experiences, and enriches the inter-cultural dialogue and understanding between Filipinos and Australians.  It is our hope that this be continued and emulated by others.”  END