February 12, 2026 | Manila City โ The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), in collaboration with the Lyceum University of the PhilippinesโCollege of International Tourism and Hospitality Management (LPU-CITHM), conducted the Student Globalization Conference themed โEducation Beyond Bordersโ at the LPUโManila Mini Theater.
With a total of 118 attendees, the program opened with welcome remarks from Ms. Ann Mizer A. Hernandez, Department Chair of CITHMโPracticum and Internship. In her message, she emphasized the significance of ensuring that students are properly guided, protected, and equipped as they prepare to depart for their international internships.
Project Management Division (PMD) Chief Ms. Marita del Rosario-Apattad discussed the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP), outlining its categories, obligations, conditions, and requirements. She underscored the importance of returning home upon completion of the program to fulfill the EVPโs objective of fostering educational and cultural exchange. She also clarified that the J-1 visa is not a working visa, stressing that participants must strictly engage only in the activities indicated in their DS-2019 and avoid unauthorized employment. Furthermore, she explained the processes for registration, the pre-departure orientation seminar, and the issuance of the CFO digital certificate.
Delving into the challenges and opportunities students may encounter during international internships, Chief Education Program Specialist from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Ms. Rita Sescar highlighted the relevance of such programs in higher education globalization. She noted that international internships foster both professional and personal growth through diverse cultural exposure and help enhance studentsโ global competencies. She also discussed opportunities such as improved employability, workforce readiness, knowledge exchange, and cultural engagement. On the other hand, she presented the realities and challenges of interning abroad, including concerns related to safety and security, cultural adjustment, administrative complexity, and language barriers.
The final session of the conference focused on migration issues and human trafficking, led by Ms. Janet Ramos of the Migration Integration and Education Division (MIED). She began by discussing the perceived benefits and disadvantages of migration, noting the importance of self-assessment in facing unforeseen circumstances when deciding to migrate. Ms. Ramos then shifted her discussion to human trafficking, outlining its definition, elements, and channels, as well as distinguishing it from illegal recruitment and human smuggling. She also informed students about the 1343 hotline for reporting suspected human trafficking cases. To conclude, she shared real-life trafficking cases to provide students with insights into the various situations and forms that human trafficking may take.
After the discussions, students were given the opportunity to raise questions and seek clarifications from the resource speakers. Most of the queries involved seeking help in cases participants run into problems when already overseas. Ms. Apattad said that they should not be afraid to seek help when faced with problems, especially from the Philippine government. The CFO is constantly in touch with various agencies to ensure that concerns will be attended to whether participants are in the US or in the Philippines.
