Dearest Gentle Reader,

Last month, I had the privilege of meeting Jose Manual Romualdez, the Philippine Ambassador to the United States! It was an honor to spend time with the wise diplomat and ask him questions, as well as receive his support and advice as young Filipinos.

How did this happen?

During my YSEALI Academic Fellowship cohort’s stop in Washington D.C., where one of our fellows Brin Isaac reached out to the Embassy for a courtesy call. After some correspondence, the Ambassador carved out an hour in his busy schedule to meet us.

After ending the day’s activities with our UNR Cohort, the four of us (John, Phoebe, Pat, & I) made our way to the embassy. The room was filled with Filipinos from the YSEALI Academic Fellows, as well as the Professional Fellows!

For most of us, this was the first time we’ve been in a room together since our pre-departure orientation in the Philippines a whole month before.

The program began with a few randomly selected fellows sharing their insights from the previous 5 weeks of the program. One fellow from each theme shared:

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Natural Resources
• Civic Engagement
• Society & Governance

From volunteering in soup kitchens to leading their small group projects and witnessing the American ways of life and work, each fellow shared their most powerful realizations from the trip.

After the sharing, the Ambassador gave an inspiring speech addressing all the Fellows in the room. He tackled the role of international exchange as a powerful tool for community development, as well as the importance of steadfast promotion of our advocacies no matter how different they are.”

“As long as you love the Philippines, even just 15%, that is enough to drive change!”

What did I ask the Ambassador?

My question to the Ambassador was, “If you were in your 20s again and did not have the connections you have now, what activities would you focus on to gain support for your advocacies?”

His reply was about how we should not look down on our youth because we are the future, and that he wished he was in his twenties again. He also added that we should “make friends and keep on innovating, like Elon Musk.”

Throughout the event, the Fellows asked him various questions: from how to raise funds for NGOs to what the Embassy’s stance is on various issues. It was clear that curious and great minds were in the room.

Group photos!

Innovation & Entrepreneurship (YSEALI AFP 2025)

Thank you so much to the Embassy of the Philippines at Washington D.C. for having us!