“I am delighted to have arrived in the Philippines and honoured to be appointed as Ireland’s second resident Ambassador to the Philippines and the first woman to assume the role.”
So said Her Excellency Ambassador Emma Hickey, Ambassador of Ireland to the Philippines, weeks before making her first visit to the PREDA Foundation ‘s children’s home founded by Irish Columban Missionary Father Shay Cullen. There are 19,846 Filipinos living in Ireland as of 2022.
Preda Foundation is an organization that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year 2024. It is dedicated to protecting human rights especially those of children, the marginalized sector, victims of abuse, and the indigenous community. The visit provided an important opportunity for Ambassador Emma Hickey to meet the Preda Foundation President Mr. Francis Bermido Jr. and Father Shay Cullen, founder of Preda, at the children’s home in Subic, Zambales last 18 the December 2024.
They had a lively, engaging discussion with the Ambassador being a Lawyer by profession and a human rights defender and sharing common interests and goals, further strengthening the partnership between the Embassy and Preda Foundation.
During the visit, Ambassador Emma Hickey toured the home for children observing the on-going program and educational activities. The Ambassador interacted with the children at PREDA’s Childhood for Children Home and was given a tour of the facilities set in an octagon-shaped building surrounded by forested hills. Senior social worker Jedi Dianne Angeles showed the Ambassador various aspects of the program of empowerment and healing at the Preda home.
In a discussion with Francisco Bermido Jr and Father Shay Cullen, the Ambassador expressed strong support for the organization’s mission and highlighted the importance of collaboration between NGOs, governments, and local communities in addressing human trafficking and child sexual abuse and on-line abuse of children.
The visit reinforced the Embassy’s commitment to supporting the work of the Preda Foundation and invited the Preda team to apply for financial support in 2025 for the Embassy’s Human Rights Fund.
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