(13 October 2022)– Officers from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) handling the BaLinkBayan Project conducted the BaLinkBayan Capacity-Building Activity for its newest partner, the Provincial Government of Bataan. The Memorandum of Agreement for the BaLinkBayan Project was signed by the Commission’s Officer-In-Charge (OIC) and Chairperson, Usec. Abdulgani Macatoman and Bataan Governor, Hon. Jose Enrique S. Garcia III last September 29, 2022.
The event brought together thirty four (34) delegates from various municipalities and local offices of the Bataan Local Government Unit (LGU). Representatives are officials from local tourism, social and employment offices. Mr. Ariel Masamoc of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO)- Bataan delivered the opening remarks reiterating the importance of partnership with the Commission. This is in line with the province’s vision of providing comprehensive and dependable government services to their constituents.
Mr. Ariel Masamoc, PESO officer from Bataan Capitol, delivers his opening remarks.
It also serves as the home of OFW’s 1Bataan One-Stop Service Center, better known as 1BOSSCO. 1BOSSCO acts as the one-stop physical service center connecting all local government and national agencies with services that meet the needs of overseas Filipinos, all in one place.
The Bunker: Bataan Capitol’s home for the 1BOSSCO.
Data Gathering Workshop and the Website Management Training
Ms. Christina Silvestre briefed participants on BaLinkBayan Project and its goals and visions. The BaLinkBayan project is an equivoque of the Filipino words Balikbayan (returning migrant)—balik (return), bayan (country)— and the English word “Link,” which refers to the World Wide Web. It is an E-government project that aims to provide Filipinos overseas with information on various interests such as donations and philanthropy, guides to starting their own business, and how to access information on various government services. After that, the group was divided into two (2) breakout sessions: the Data Gathering Workshop and the Website Management Training.
Ms. Christina Silvestre orients participants on the BaLinkBayan Project and its various features.
Ms. Princess Mayumi Kaye Peralta facilitated the Data Gathering Workshop with twenty one (21) participants. These are the information managers and local PESO representatives that are knowledgeable on the different services and opportunities available for overseas Filipinos on a local scale. She briefed the representatives on how they can utilize the localized BaLinkBayan website of Bataan as a tool to facilitate local migration and development programs. She also discussed the different roles and responsibilities of Bataan LGU like the continuous updating of information and contents of the localized webpage, the continuous promotion of the portal, and attendance and participation of key personnel to the different trainings and workshops that will be provided by the Commission to help them maximize the localized website. Further, she solicited information from the participants that will be incorporated and showcased on the localized BaLinkBayan website.
Ms. Peralta facilitated the Data Gathering Workshop with the information managers and local PESO
representatives.
Simultaneously, Ms. Alyssa Jeanne Gozo and Ms. Marjorie Aboga facilitated the Website Management Training. There were thirteen (13) participants for this training who are mostly information technology personnel and PESO officers handling their respective municipal websites. The officers briefed participants on how the localized BaLinkBayan website is managed and administered. They discussed the GWT-WORDPRESS (Government Website Template by igovPhil), GWT WordPress Module Map side by side with the actual BaLinkBayan Website Interface, Site Administration for WordPress, and the Content Management Training in WordPress. Participants also had the opportunity to apply what they have learned through hands-on activities on the localized website. They facilitated an interactive activity which would allow the participants to work together in forming and managing the localized website of Bataan.
Mss. Alyssa Gozo and Marjorie Aboga facilitated the Website Management Training wherein they discussed the manual of Operation for the localized website as well as conducted an interactive training that allowed participants to customize the localized website of Bataan.
After the training proper, the BaLinkBayan team turned over one computer unit to Bataan LGU. This unit shall be used for managing the content and website of the localized BaLinkBayan website of Bataan province. Ms. Maria Eva M. Basalo, PESO Manager, received the donation of the Commission.
The BaLinkBayan team together with the representatives of PESO-Bataan Province. Ms. Maria Eva Basalo (fourth from the right) received the donation of one computer unit on behalf of the province.
The BaLinkBayan team was represented by Ms. Princess Mayumi Kaye Peralta, Ms. Maria Christina Silvestre, and Ms. Marie Linda Santos from the Project Management Division (PMD) and Ms. Alyssa Jeanne Gozo and Ms. Marjorie Aboga from the Management Information Systems Division (MISD) of the Commission.
The BaLinkBayan team together with PESO-Bataan Province.
Very informative. Good job BaLinkBayan Team