Manila, Jan. 5 -- Second-generation Filipino-Australians trace their roots beyond textbooks and family stories as they embark on an 11-day immersion in the Philippines through the 2026 Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) program of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).

In a news release Monday, CFO Chairperson Secretary Dante Ang said the program aims to transform second-generation Filipinos born or raised abroad on how they relate to the Philippines, as it engages them to ensure that the global Filipino community remains an active partner in the country's progress.

The program, which runs from Jan. 3 to 13, is a primary vehicle for the CFO to fulfill its national mandate and permanently link the Filipino diaspora with the Phi...