The Philippine Embassy in Jakarta is set to launch a Filipino Language Program aimed at helping third-generation Filipino-Indonesian children learn the Filipino language and reconnect with their cultural heritage, according to a January 26 news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Ambassador Christopher B. Montero presented the plan during a meeting with leaders of INDOFIL (Rukun Indonesia-Filipina), an association of Filipino-Indonesian families.
The initiative seeks to equip young members of the community with basic Filipino language proficiency while strengthening their ties to the Philippines.
INDOFIL, led by President Jarvis Tambis, welcomed the project and expressed readiness to support its rollout this year.
The group represents a growing community of Filipino-Indonesian families, many of whom trace their roots back decades.
Although originally formed in 1987, the association has undergone several revivals, most recently in 2019, and now counts around 100 families within and outside Jakarta, with expectations of further growth.
Beyond the language program, Montero encouraged INDOFIL to collaborate with the Embassy on economic diplomacy initiatives and in providing briefings to newly arrived overseas Filipinos on the practical realities of living in Indonesia.
Philippine government estimates place the number of Filipinos in Indonesia at about 7,400 as of 2022. Of these, roughly 3,000 are overseas Filipino workers, with the rest composed of dependents, professionals on various visas, students, and long-term residents, primarily based in Jakarta and smaller communities in Surabaya and other major cities.