𝐂𝐅𝐎 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐬

Pasay City – The CFO has engaged with constituents, particularly Presidential awardees, to discuss opportunities for national development. On January 30, 2026, CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II welcomed Dr. Jane Gerardo-Abaya, 2024 Pamana ng Pilipino Presidential Awardee, during her courtesy visit.

Dr. Abaya, an internationally recognized expert in applied geology and geothermal hydrology, shared her reflections on her recent vacation and trips to her hometown in Aklan, as well as other provinces and cities.

She was thrilled by the local festivities she and her husband, Dr. Efren Abaya, witnessed, such as the Ati-Atihan in Aklan, the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, and the Sinulog in Cebu. These celebrations showcase the revelry of the Philippine heritage, Dr. Abaya noted.

While traveling through the countryside on a public bus, she shared her observations about the traditional farming practices of Filipino farmers. Dr. Abaya noted that these strategies could be improved and made more efficient by incorporating the latest technology-driven equipment.

Mindful of Filipino children’s education, she reported on their scholarship program for deserving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) students in the Philippines, through the Philippine Austrian Cultural and Educational Society (PACES) that she leads. They organized a charity concert in Austria to raise funds. She was inspired by the feedback from scholars and their parents and hopes to collaborate with more Filipino groups and Austrians to advance this cause.

Secretary Klink mentioned the upcoming conference of the European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFiD), which Dr. Abaya might be interested in attending this October in Bern, Switzerland. This could be a great opportunity for her and her group in Austria to meet Filipino community leaders in Europe and explore potential collaborations.

Dr. Abaya expressed her interest in joining the conference, which they previously attended in Iceland as observers. She also reported on her recent collaboration with her fellow Presidential Awardees, Dr. Melvin Sanicas of Switzerland and Ms. Zita Cabais of France, and thanked the CFO for promoting their engagement last year.

In her quest to inspire others, she stressed that the best investment is in people, a sentiment echoed by Secretary Klink. As a token of appreciation, he presented Dr. Abaya with a printed copy of her feature in the inaugural CFO’s Diaspora Spotlight in collaboration with The Manila Times.