Seventeen (17) Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) attended a series of lectures covering 12 topics on Philippine Society and Culture on 26-30 September and 10 October 2016 at the FSI training room, DFA Building. The lectures aim to raise awareness and understanding of Philippine culture and socio-economic conditions and sharpen skills in cultural diplomacy. They likewise underwent an intensive Arts Management Training covering 16 key areas of Philippine arts on 03-07 October at the FSI training room and at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Lecture on Philippine Society and Culture featured resource persons from the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University. Topics included Philippine ethno-linguistic groups, Philippine family values system, Philippine government and politics, science and technology in the Philippines and Philippine textiles. The first week was capped by competitions in indigenous games held at the Bulwagang Apolinario Mabini, DFA Building.

The Arts Management Training was organized and administered by the CCP. This included classroom discussions and appreciation activities of art forms that Filipinos are internationally recognized for like ethnic and contemporary dances, music and theater, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, ethnic musical instruments, printmaking, visual arts, and Philippine cinema, among others.

The cadets drew insights from discussions on marketing and promoting the creative product, market research and audience segmentation, and stage and production management in designing arts project proposals which they defended before a panel of experts. The arts project proposal presentation and critiquing served as the culminating activity of the course which was observed by a delegation of diplomats from Myanmar.