Initial meeting with PE Tripoli regarding the Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO) in Libya
January 12, 2026 – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas held a fruitful online meeting with Mr. Roderico Atienza, Charge d’ Affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli, Libya.
CDA Atienza thanked the CFO for initiating the meeting to discuss Philippine Schools Overseas in Libya. During the meeting, he discussed the current peace and order situation in the country and the status of the DFA Alert Level in Libya, which affects the deployment of Filipinos in the country. He also requested that the CFO brief him on the status of operations of the Philippine schools in Libya, as he only posted to the Embassy in July 2025.
Ms. Marita del Rosario-Apattad, Chief Emigrant Services Officer of the Project Management Division, gave an overview of the establishment, management, and operations of the Philippine schools overseas in general. Ms. del Rosario-Apattad specifically mentioned that in Libya alone, only 3 PSOs have been in the roster of PSOs; however, some of these schools have not been active whenever the Secretariat requires them to submit the documentary requirements, or in some activities that needed their participation.
CDA Atienza further mentioned that, based on their records, since the civil unrest in 2011, 2014, and 2019, respectively, there are 2,000-2300 documented Filipinos who have been reported in Libya, while the undocumented have gone up to 4,000 due to the ongoing deployment ban.
In addition, CDA Atienza also inquired about the CFO’s plans for the Philippine schools in Libya. According to him, he was able to meet with some of the owners and administrators of these schools. He is very positive that an assessment team can be deployed in Libya to enable assessment of these schools, if this warrants the continuity of its operation, or perhaps could look into another option. He likewise assured the CFO that the Embassy would be more than willing to assist us once we decided to go there to conduct an assessment or ocular inspection of the schools. He also said that the Libyan government is very lenient with OFs because they have a high regard and respect for our Filipino professionals.
In closing, Ms. del Rosario-Apattad stated that the matters discussed during the online meeting will be tabled as one of the agenda items for the next regular Inter-Agency Committee on Philippine Schools Overseas meeting scheduled in the 1st quarter of 2026.
The online meeting was also joined by Ms. Valerie Faye Danganan, Cultural and Educational Diplomacy focal person of PE Tripoli, and Ms. Rowena V. Jubinal of the Project Management Division of CFO.
