
OF-LIFE/ALSE
Working to Empower Overseas Filipinos and their Families
Who We Are
ALSE OF-LIFE Migration and Development Consortium Members
Ateneo School of Government (ASoG)
Overseas Filipinos Society for the Promotion of Economic Security (OFSPES)
Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI)
Ugnayan at Tulong para sa Maralitang Pamilya Foundation, Inc (UGAT Foundation)

The ALSE OF-LIFE program is a collaboration of partners wanting to reach out to empower overseas Filipinos world-wide. Collectively, this partnership of institutions running the ALSE OF-LIFE is referred to as the “ALSE OF-LIFE Migration and Development Consortium" (MDC).
The Ateneo de Manila University, a Jesuit institution, provides the academic and institutional home for the ALSE OF-LIFE through the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG)'s executive education activities. Civil society involvement is through members of the Overseas Filipinos Society for the Promotion of Economic Security (OFSPES), Inc. Private sector partnership is through the Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI), a leading micro-finance industry capability-builder. The UGAT Foundation is a Jesuit institution based at the Ateneo University that works primarily with migrants and their families on socio-psycho-emotional counseling.

Our Partners
1. CSO Partners in the Country:
- UAE - DAGAZ Company, FZ LLC
- Philippines - National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO)
- Singapore - SEDPI Sg
- Seoul - The Filipino Korean Spouses Association (FKSA)
2. Alumni Associations
- Barcelona
- Hong Kong
- Macau
- Madrid
- Rome / Naples / Florence
- Singapore
- UAE (Dubai / Abu Dhabi)


What is the Ateneo Overseas Filipinos’ Leadership,Innovation, Financial Literacy and Social Entrepreneurship (formerly known as Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (ALSE) Program)?
The OF-LIFE/ALSE is an empowerment program targeting overseas Filipinos (OFs), mostly working in ‘3 D’ types of jobs: (difficult, demeaning, de-skilling or dangerous.) The program aims to transform their mindsets particularly for the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families and provide them with basic skills on Leadership, Social Innovation, Financial Literacy, and Social Entrepreneurship.
The program is a certificate course as part of the Executive Education Program of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) and all graduates are recognized as alumni of the Ateneo de Manila University. It is a 12 session (10 face-to face and two online sessions) program over six months with three modules as described below.
The OF-LIFE/ALSE has been offered in Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands in Europe; in the Middle East in Doha, Qatar and in the UAE ( Abu Dhabi and Dubai). In Asia, it has been offered in Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines as well as in Hong Kong and Macau and in Japan. Over 3,000 Overseas Filipinos are alumni of this program in its decade of existence.
MODULE 1: LEADERSHIP
Session 1: Overview of the Program, Migration and Development, Personhood: Introduction to the Ateneo LSE Program: To understand the vision, objectives, mechanics, approaches and requirements of the ALSE Program, especially the values. Migration and Development and Implications for OFs and Their Families and to obtain a framework for understanding migration, its history and its implications for development (particularly in the Philippines). Introduction to increased awareness of self as a holistic/integral person.
Session 2: Relating With Others : Appreciative Inquiry: Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Framework and Principles and Tools of AI: workshops, group dynamics, dyads, small group discussion.
Session 3: Living in Community: Introduction to Living in Community, to increase awareness of the dynamics of human relationships; Communication and Community to enhance the understanding of communication and its role in building harmonious relationships and to use positive communication strategies; Conflicts in Community; Person in Community – Synthesis.
Session 4: Servant Leadership and Good Governance: Servant Leadership and transformational leadership; understanding of the qualities of servant leaders; building skills towards developing effective social leaders; Good Governance, social accountability and participatory decision-making.
MODULE 2: FINANCIAL LITERACY
Session 1: Introduction to Personal Financial Management To learn key areas and concepts of personal financial management that are essential for financial security and independence :Stages of the Migration Process, Importance of Personal Finance, Setting Financial Goals, Managing Expenditure; Crafting a Savings Plan, Debt Management, Insurance, Tips on How to Succeed Financially.
Session 2 (Online): Self-Assessment and Financial Goals •To undertake exercises on setting financial goals and develop realistic ways to achieve these goals while living and working abroad. to know how to fill up income, asset and liability statements to understand income and wealth situation. Stages of migration process and personal finance; Balance Sheet and Income Statement; Financial Goals (Retirement / Reintegration Plan).
Session 3 (Online): Budgeting, Savings, Debt Management To undertake (online) exercises on how to budget and manage expenses, pay off debts and come up with realistic savings plan; Budgeting and Managing Expenditure, Savings Plan, Debt Management.
Session 4: Impact Investments: possible investment instruments which migrants can use to invest their savings including the case for cooperatives; To know how to sustain these savings and investments in the long-term for their return and reintegration; Opportunity Recognition; Investment Vehicles (Types and How To’s); Traditional vs Social Investments; Sustaining Your Personal Financial Gains .
MODULE 3: SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Session 1: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship. Concept of Social Entrepreneurship, examples of SE: global, regional, Philippines; Motivation and Characteristics of Social Entrepreneurs, Identification and Understanding of Social Issues; Opportunity Recognition and Creative Thinking; Challenge and Opportunity.
Session 2: Ten Elements of a Social Enterprise Business Plan: To learn the ten basic elements and in turn use these learnings in preparing a business plan, focusing on the identification of the problem and opportunity, theory of change, mission, business strategy and human resources.
Session 3: Elaboration on the nine elements of the Business Model Canvas: analysis of the value proposition and understand the elements of the social enterprise with discussion on the revenue and costs of the plan.
Session 4: Financial Planning and Integration: 10 steps in financial planning as well as the key learnings from the various modules/sessions to prepare for the BP presentation.
Our Vision
Filipino migrants and their families united towards supporting each other in becoming empowered and highly respected members of society, consciously contributing to nation building.
Objectives of the ALSE OF-LIFE:
- To provide leadership skills training that empowers each OFW to view him/herself as an agent of positive change and transformation;
- To provide financial literacy that they can use to improve their economic security, particularly for their retirement and/or reintegration into the Philippines;
- To teach entrepreneurship skills, focused on social entrepreneurship, so that OFWs can explore their potentials for changing their livelihood options, either in the host country or back in the Philippines.
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
---|---|---|
![]() |
OF-LIFE/ALSE Alumni and Their Associations
Alumni roles include continuing interaction, information sharing, ongoing learning; acting as a community of practitioners sharing best (or better) practices; serving as examples to family, other OFs, participating in nation-building at a level where we can make a difference, e.g. barangay/town economic development, etc.
Part of this giving back and paying forward to communities and contributing to nation-building has been in the outreach activities where graduates particularly from Hong Kong and Singapore have volunteered with such groups as Pinoywise, Enrich, CARD for financial literacy training of other migrants and their families. In Dubai, the alumni have also initiated financial literacy and leadership reaching out to nannies who can hopefully become future OF-LIFE/ALSE students. Likewise in Rome, the alumni continue to be actively engaged in various ministries of the Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy and act as resource persons on financial literacy for church groups. In the cities of Macau, Milan, Turin, Cuneo, Dubai, and The Hague, the Philippine embassies/consulates as with the POLO/OWWA partner with the OF-LIFE/ALSE graduates to promote and assist in their various programs and events and consular outreach.
Out of the 20 cities where the OF-LIFE/ALSE has been conducted, about 14 cities have periodically run more training programs. Hence it is important to build an institutional capability to establish long-term alumni networks and partnerships on the ground. In Europe, these cities are Rome, Milan and Turin in Italy; Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Paris in France and The Hague in the Netherlands. In Asia, these cities are Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Tokyo. In the Middle East, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are viable.
Companions in the Journey
Initially, informal gatherings are encouraged for the earlier batches to be introduced to the new graduates. In some instances given space and resource possibilities, graduates are also invited to the graduation ceremony of the new batch. In many places, at least an annual social gathering such as a Christmas or New Year party is held. At all times, the Facebook groups are used for a variety of announcements and information. In some locations, meetings are called more frequently. A good example is the annual alumni homecoming held in Hong Kong normally in October of each year to welcome the new graduates.
One major gathering of alumni in Italy was organized in 2013. About 110 alumni from Rome, Naples, Turin and Milan gathered in Florence, with the graduates of Batch 6-Florence playing host for a whole day of sharing of stories, singing, eating and a formal meeting for updating among the graduates.
Another area of alumni activity has been in relation with the OF-LIFE/ALSE-NATCCO Program to promote solidarity with select cooperatives to develop the local economy.
The following is a Ten-Point continuing agenda for formal and informal alumni associations:
1. Update basic info/database/registry of alumni
2. Articulate the identity and be faithful to the vision of OF-LIFE/ALSE
3. Organize regular social events for alumni e.g. Christmas/New Year Party, and/or before/after Philippine Independence Day etc.
4. Facilitate programs/project coordination (if applicable) for specific activities
5. Organize fund-raising for specific causes, including the OF-LIFE/ALSE basic course.
6. Organize internal and external events with OF-LIFE/ALSE resource persons, etc.
7. Participate in other events organized by the Embassy/Consulate/ POLO/OWWA/DTI
8. Relate with other OF-LIFE/ALSE alumni organizations e.g. inter-city or continental or global
9. Be a channel for alumni renewal e.g. retreats, talks, roundtables, etc
10.Recognize periodically OF-LIFE/ALSE alumni who have put up a business or made investments, or other innovative projects, etc.
Upcoming Events
- Sat, Sep 21Alexandria
- Fri, Sep 20Cairo
OF-LIFE/ALSE Local Secretariats:
Cooperatives:
NATCCO - National Confederation of Cooperatives - natccoofw@natcco.coop or natccoofw@gmail.com
Asia:
Bangkok – alsebangkok@gmail.com
FB Community page – ALSE Bangkok
Hong Kong - ateneolseoflifehk@gmail.com
Macau – alseoflifemacausecretariat@gmail.com
FB Community page – ALSE Of-Life Macau
Seoul – fksa062001@yahoo.com
Singapore - lsesgsecretariat@gmail.com
FB Community page – Ateneo’s Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program in Singapore
+65 9182 3504
Tokyo - SEELS.ta@gmail.com
Middle East:
Abu Dhabi - lseabudhabisecretariat@gmail.com
FB Community page – Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship UAE-Ateneo LSE UAE
Dubai – lsedubaisecretariat@gmail.com
FB Community page – Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship UAE-Ateneo LSE UAE
Doha – alsedoha.secretariat@yahoo.com
+974 55592920
Egypt – alseegyptsecretariat@gmail.com
Europe:
Barcelona – 45587hdp@comb.cat
+34 640576597
Madrid – lsemadrid2016@gmail.com
FB Community page - Ateneo LSE OF- LIFE Madrid
Milan - aaalse.milan@gmail.com
+39 3275330068
Paris - LSEParis.Secretariat@gmail.com
+33 6 59 21 99 81
Rome - Alsenrf2018@gmail.com
FB Community page - AAALSE ROME NAPLES AND FLORENCE
+39 3273738080, +393282093572, +393282056139
The Hague - lsenetherlands@gmail.com
FB Community page – Ateneo LSE Netherlands
+ 31 634962383
