27 December 2022 -   The Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona held an information session for solo-parent members of the Filipino community on 27 December 2022 at the Consulate premises. Over twenty participants were on hand to listen to and interact with experts from the community, led by Ms. Vicky Arzaga, a Filipino volunteer for Associacio Families Mono-parentals, a Spanish organization sanctioned by the local city government to assist families led by single parents. 

Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance for single parents to know of all available resources offered by the local government and non-profit organizations. She also took the opportunity to inform the community of similar seminars to be organized by the Consulate in the future, aimed to address the various needs of the community.

Ms. Arzaga introduced participants to the services offered by the Associacio Families Mono-parentals, and encouraged them to avail of these. “Filipinos are proud people, which might be why those in the community prefer not to take advantage of the resources provided by the local government. However, this shouldn’t be the case, as these services are free of charge and would do much toward helping single parents get a respite from the challenges they face,” she said. 

Filipino community leaders were also on hand to share their experiences and give tips to the participants in order for them to be able to tap into various government resources with ease. Information on how to apply for a single-parent identification card, make use of university degrees earned from the Philippines, language lessons, free daycare services for their children, were some of those shared to participants. 

The session was moderated by Consul Raisa Mabayo, who also serves as Post’s Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point Officer, assisted by GAD Focal Point Officer-Alternate Miguel Belen. She underscored the need for community members to strengthen their support systems through building networks and learning from the experiences of other Filipinos.

The Philippine Consulate General continually provides information sessions for the community, especially those that deal with gender issues, as part of its commitment to advance the GAD agenda.