My Mindanao Experience

It has been a lot of fun working at the AFS Office but it gets even better!!!!!! Sending Team was assigned to conduct Parents' Orientation for those who have a son/daughter coming back from the Youth and Exchange Study Program from the US and those who have a son/daughter leaving for the same program this coming August. I wondered why the Sending Team from the National Office has to do this when in fact; they can delegate OICs from the local chapters. Ms. Dannette, Sending Team Support said that they have been trying to pass on the task to the local chapter officers but it seems like parents and/or students are more willing to attend if they know they will be meeting people from the main office. The Sending Team is still working on how to localize the task to save money and energy. The good thing about it, though, is that parents get to see the people they communicate with here in Manila. Also, the Sending Team enjoy to personally meet the parents of the students they are handling and always more than willing to answer questions. Ms. Sha was the main speaker. She talked about the stages that the students will undergo once they are in the program. We highly encouraged parents to always be supportive of their son/daughter especially while they are on the program and away from them. We are also preparing parents especially those who have a son/daughter that will be coming back soon from the US program that there will be a lot of changes with their kids. There are changes that might look too much for them but we try to let them understand that most of these changes are stepping stones for them to become leaders in the future.

So here it is. First stop was in Cagayan de Oro. That's where we checked in because it’s near the airport but the place of orientation will be in Iligan City which is two hours away from Cagayan de Oro. We arrived in Iligan City around 2:30 in the afternoon. Everything was all set up by volunteers in Iligan City. There were also volunteers coming from Marawi City and a Canadian volunteer from the Mindanao State University's Peace Organization. There was a short introduction, more of a refresher, on what AFS is all about and discussed a little more about the Kennedy-Lugar Youth and Exchange Study (YES) Program which is the program the students are participants of. Most of the talk was all about the stages that a student will undergo before, during, and after the program. We highlighted how this program has helped students before to become better Filipino citizens and even more, leaders. At the end of the talk was the Q&A portion. Parents got the chance to ask questions. I, as an intern, helped in facilitating Q&A. Also, as an alumna of this program, I was also able to share my own experiences and assured the parents that AFS will be doing its best to ensure safety of their children while in the US. AFS Philippines has done this for years now and they know exactly what they are doing.

Let me share some photos of my experience in Iligan City.

After the orientation, I got the chance to chat and bond with the local volunteers and shared their experiences. AFS also host foreign students in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. These volunteers also look for new families that would want to open up their home to a foreign student for a year. This is an opportunity to share and experience other cultures. Due to security reasons in Iligan City, it has been a challenge to work with LGU and Bureau of Immigration to ensure safety of foreign students. It felt good by the end of the day. I made new friends and learned more about the operations of the organization I worked for even for a short period of time. 

The fun doesn't end here!

Next stop... Zamboanga!!

Though it was very early in the morning, I'm so energized and excited for Zamboanga! 

And here we come...

We arrived in Zamboanga around 10:00 in the morning. We had a little time to prepare ourselves for the orientation. Together with a volunteer, we have tried one of the best foods in Zamboanga – CURACHA WITH ALAVAR SAUCE! I really have to share this just in case you happen to visit Zamboanga. Its a must-try food!

Our tummies satisfied with the Zamboanga's best foods, we now head off to our venue - Ateneo de Zamboanga University. We are so happy how the volunteers exert their time and effort to prepare the venue and even the program for the parents' orientation. When we arrived at the venue, everything was set up. We pretty much did the same thing but this time, we are working with different set of volunteers and parents. There are more active volunteers here in Zamboanga. It is always fun for them to see their old friends through AFS activities. This is also their time to catch up with each other. It was really fun working with these awesome people. Most of the volunteers are alumni of AFS programs. AFS Philippines is proud of them. Most of them have made their part in helping their own communities. 

After the orientation proper, we got more chance to bond with the volunteers over dinner in their famous Paseo located along the shore. We had shared their experiences as local volunteers as well as being a scholar in another country. I found out that the volunteers in Zamboanga conduct a lot of activities for volunteers to make them more connected. 

And yes, we mainly work with Muslim communities here in Mindanao so I haven't eaten pork when I was there. This experience has made me appreciate the beauty of real Islam.The Muslim people I met there were not so much different from the people here in the big city. They are friendly, caring, and fun to be with. They may look different from the outside because of their tradition but they are very hospitable - the undeniably famous Filipino trait!

Three cities in two days! Tiring? Yes! But wait, there's more!!!!!!!

Our next stop... General Santos City! Since there is no direct flight from Zamboanga to General Santos, we had to go back to NAIA and take a connecting flight to General Santos. We arrived in General Santos late in the afternoon. We met with the General Santos Chapter President Ma'am Jang and the General Santos Hosting Coordinator Sir Jopao to have dinner. We have tried the weird delicacies in General Santos while Ma'am Jang and Sir Jopao shared the challenges the local chapter experience with hosting foreign students. They have shared funny and wonderful stories that was made by the effort of hosted foreign students and volunteers in their community. Ma'am Jang is a person of dedication and passion. She spent her time to make sure the foreign students in GenSan are safe and having fun. Even her two daughters got involved with AFS as volunteers because of her. 

The next day was the parents' orientation. The venue was near the hotel where we stayed at so we just had to take a tricycle. Their tricycle is really a big sign for me that I am so not in Manila anymore. 

Our partner school in GenSan, Stratford International School has given us a venue to conduct the parent's orientation. Again, we were welcomed by student-volunteers who prepared everything for us. 

AFS GenSan, together with the celebration of Global Youth Service Day back in April of this year, launched a Barangay Day Care Center for those children who can't afford to go to school. German volunteers working with AFS are the ones in charge to facilitate the program. I got the chance to visit them and meet the German Volunteers.

Sorry for the blurred pictures but the kids couldn't stop themselves from jumping whenever they see cameras. 

With me on these pictures are the kids aging from four to eight years old and Maria, one of the volunteers from Germany. They teach children simple verbal and written English. German volunteers also play with them so they won't get bored. The Palengke Day Center usually starts at 9:00 and ends at around 11:30 noon every Mondays to Fridays. After some teaching and playing, German volunteers bring them to a nearby "carinderia" to eat lunch which is normally "Pastil" (rice with tuna or chicken) which only costs 5.00 per serving. It is wrapped in banana leaves  and ready to eat. After eating lunch, German volunteers accompany the children to brush their teeth. This ends their day. They kiss the cheeks of the volunteers to say goodbye. 

On the next picture is me and Maxie. Maxie is a volunteer from Germany. She came to the Philippines August of last year and will be leaving in July to go back to Germany. She was a fun person and loves kids. She will be taking up Social Work once she goes back to school in Germany.

The lady in pink is Nambra, she is one of the volunteers in GenSan chapter. She is the one who communicates with the local barangay where the Day Care is located. Also, if he German volunteers have problems, she is the go-to person. Maxie is living with a Filipino family in GenSan for her to experience how it is like to be in a Filipino community. She shared with me her difficulties and happy moments during the past nine months. She learned some conversational Filipino and goes around the city through the means of public transportation like tricycles and jeepney cabs. When I was with her in the market, a lot of people would still stare at her. She thought that by going to the market everyday to teach children, people would get used to her but apparently they did not. So far, most of her experiences in GenSan were good. She really loves kids and she loves what she does for them. She is really sad that she has to leave the kids soon. I've seen that the kids really love the German volunteers. They would hug and kiss them. German volunteers receive allowance from the program they are in and a little bit from the local government. They use their money for personal needs but some of it goes to the kids' school supplies and food. I am amazed that even though those kids are really hyperactive and most of the time, not really neat and kind of stink, the German volunteers never hesitate to play with them, hug them, hold their hand, and kiss them on the cheek.They even go to the extent of buying them little presents, bringing them to free medical/dental check-up, bringing them to the mall, and nearby amusement parks. 

Since Maxie is leaving soon, she is training Maria on the everyday routine in the Day Care Center so she would know what to do. I believe there are more volunteers coming from Germany and Sweden this coming months to help her out. 

It was indeed an intercultural experience for me, though I wasn't brought out of the country it was nice to have explored the Southern part of the Philippines. Thank you AFS for giving me this opportunity!