The Finale

This quarter I spent studying abroad in the Philippines. WOW I wouldn’t have believed it if you told my younger self, but in the future I will be able to say it was the best decision I made during my years at UW.

Before coming on this trip, I had some previous knowledge of the history of Philippines and the prevalence of political corruptness. After seeing the people here and how much the US has infected almost every aspect of life, it adds a whole new dimension to the information I knew before.

Education was one of the biggest topics that we discussed this summer. One question that I became aware of was if the PI was a colony of the US and still holds much military sway in the country why isn’t there more information on the relationship between the two countries in both my US textbook and the local schoolbooks of the PI? One of my favorite parts of this trip was sitting in on Dr. Jose’s class. After reading articles like Constantino’s The Miseducation of the Filipino, it was really encouraging to sit in on one of his classes where the history is taught as it happened, without the Pro-American/Anti-Filipino slant. The same goes for Anakbayan's Education Discussion. Even after 12hours, it was encouraging to see young people still so excited and motivated to bring facts to the Filipino people about their country.

Burning an effigy of the President at the State of the Nation

Another aspect of education that we discussed was if the children of the country were even getting a proper education if they are out on the streets all day begging for money. And what exactly constitutes a proper education? This really inspired me to start a scholarship within FASA to help students get into and stay in the classroom through the CFO. I was also really proud Seattlite when I walked into Starbucks in Boracay and found out that Starbucks and UNICEF teamed up to launch SparkHope which sponsors over 20 schools and day care centers in 9 barangays across the country. 

Other new areas of learning:

Gender roles in the Philippines

• Outward perception of Filipino women in domestic roles only
• Dependency on white males
• I wish we had gotten to spend more time Gabriela

Colonial Mentality is the States

• Being able to identify it as a tangible problem in individuals here and as a nation back in the PI
• English as the main language
• Seeing it everywhere back in the states
• The airport, my parents, FASA
• Asia - White is beautiful, US - Fake Tan is beautiful
• My Family - PHP5,000 every time just to interview with the US embassy to get a visa
• I am Filipino.

As a final collaboration blog, we all decided to answer a series of questions about the PI study abroad program to encourage UW students to participate in the future. One of my favorite questions from this set was “How was the group dynamic?” This was the first study abroad trip for most of us and I honestly could not imagine this experience without a single one of them.

6 out of 9 of the students were Filipino and choose this program to ask questions, bring closure, and discover something that was missing from their identity – a true pilgrimage to the motherland. For myself, being part of this group, it really helped me to have others there to talk and for the other three, I think it really gave them some context to the things we were learning about (and even inspired them to learn more about their heritage.)

As with most conflicts in group situations, they were caused by miscommunication. The weekly meetings really helped but there were a few times when issues that needed to be addressed right away and were not. I think in the end, everyone was close enough and respected each other that whatever issues there may have been were resolved. After so many times in the Hot Seat, night swimming, losing my phone, and group slumber parties, the group has seen me at some of the highest and lowest points of my life. I can honestly say that I made 12 lifetime friends and I can't image the trip without every single one of them.

Hahaha there could not have been better timing with Aerosmith coming on my shuffle…

I used to be afraid to sing in public... then I went to the Philippines.

I wonder how different my life would have been if I had known more about the Philippines and the history of my family growing up. I remember after high school, my mom always said she would take me to the Philippines but I don't think it would have been able to get as much of it as I did, waiting til I was a little older and experiencing it as a student ready to learn and listen rather than as a vacation with family only.

My mother is from Makati. My father is from Missouri. Before this trip I have always been somewhere in-between, lost in the gray and not sure of myself-especially as the incoming President of FASA... on the other side of the trip, I know I am Filipino. The things I've seen really have transformed my life and I have this inner responsibility to do good for the motherland and help others to realize their inner Filipino consciousness here at home. I knew this trip would be life changing and I think thats why I was so terrified to come, but I don't regret it for a second.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip... and I tried to find a silly picture of everyone.. :)