The AFT and its New Directions for 2014-2015
(as approved by the Board of Directors)
The statement “the history of AFT is the story of charity for the Philippines” quite accurately sums up the essence of the Association of Filipinos in Thailand (AFT) or Samahan ng mga Pilipino sa Thailand (SPT). Its new directions are not about rewriting its history rather they seek to redefine that story of char
ity from being Philippines oriented into being Filipino oriented and extend that goodwill towards the Thai people who have generously aided the Philippines in so many ways and in so many times. In the end, what we do for the Thai people, we do for the Filipino people. The New Directions put into proper perspective SPT’s role in light of the reality that there are now many thousands of Filipinos staying or working in Thailand when there were just a few thousands several decades ago. Most of them are Filipinos landing teaching jobs in Bangkok or in provinces. Thousands more are expected to travel in Thailand with the formalisation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015. This ever-rising Filipino exodus to Thailand, mainly by teachers and degree holders converting into teaching jobs, has the unneeded by-product of highlighting the differences in the cultures and priorities of the two peoples; in the past, the commonalities were highlighted, and the differences were largely ignored. AFT’s new directions comprise four integrated approaches: Building goodwill between the Thais and Filipinos, mainly teachers; assisting Filipinos in Thailand and in the Philippines, disseminating information to increase the awareness of the Thai people on the positive contributions of Filipinos in Thailand, and persevering in working out projects in cooperation with Thai, Filipino and foreign organisations. In short, the new AFT is convinced that the cause of Filipinos and Filipino teachers here can only be won by winning the hearts and minds of the Thai people rather than alienating them and by doing things in close cooperation rather than in isolation with allied and potentially allied Thai organisations.
