Twelve Asian participants of the Institute of Formation Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia) engaged in a whole-day lecture and workshop on migration, refugee movements, and human trafficking conducted by CBCP-ECMI Luzon on August 4, 2026, at IFFAsia in Quezon City. The session was held as part of IFFAsia’s Social-Pastoral Leadership Development Program, which aims to form young servant leaders committed to serving the Church and society throughout Asia. The participants, aged 21 to 30, came from Timor-Leste, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar.
Mr. Edmund H. Ruga, Luzon Regional Coordinator of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines–Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMI Luzon), served as the resource person for the session titled “Understanding Migration, Refugee Movements, and Trafficking in Persons.” The morning lecture focused on migration trends, refugee movements, and the realities of human trafficking in Asia. Ruga emphasized the Church’s pastoral mission of protecting human dignity, promoting safe and regular migration, and accompanying migrants, refugees, and victims of trafficking through pastoral care, advocacy, and multi-sectoral collaboration.
In the afternoon workshop, the participants were divided into two groups and assigned migration and human trafficking case scenarios. They analyzed the situations, identified appropriate pastoral and practical interventions, and presented their recommendations during the plenary session. The activity emphasized coordinated action, victim-centered approaches, referral mechanisms, and collaboration among the Church, government, and civil society.
A Shared Commitment to Continued Collaboration
Ms. Le Thi Tuyet An, Program Coordinator of IFFAsia’s Social-Pastoral Leadership Development Program, expressed appreciation for CBCP-ECMI Luzon’s contribution in enriching the formation of young Asian leaders through its expertise on migration and human trafficking.
The session concluded with a shared commitment between CBCP-ECMI Luzon and IFFAsia to further strengthen their collaboration in leadership formation on migration, refugee protection, and the prevention of human trafficking. Both institutions reaffirmed their resolve to continue equipping young leaders across Asia with the knowledge, values, and pastoral commitment needed to uphold the dignity, rights, and well-being of migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable people on the move.
Understanding Migration Through Human Dignity
The lecture and workshop form part of a curriculum module that helps participants understand the aspiration of people to migrate as an expression of the right to a more humane life. This context is examined in the light of international law and some ethical traditions.
Through a thorough examination of the situations and challenges faced by migrants, the module introduces the concept of justice in the Christian tradition as a foundation for a more humane approach to migration.