SGH Philippines Fieldwork 2018

1. Date: August 2 to 11, 2018

2. Trip Members: 19 students and 3 accompanying teachers

3. Objectives:

The goals of this trip to the Philippines are to give students an opportunity to understand the current conditions in developing countries, allow them to experience local people’s daily lives, and form their own perspectives on their problems. Then, students were to use this experience in making a “BOP” business plan, as part of their research. In addition, the students should acquire hands-on knowledge of international aid and support by training at an international organization, and deepen their understanding by exchanging ideas through a joint program with overseas students from Enderun Colleges.

4. Comprehensive Report

Day 1 / Day 2

At Enderun Colleges, the students attended a training session on improving their English presentation skills. In those small classes, they were able to focus on learning. In addition, they had many chances to speak in English during their stay and were able to use what they learned, particularly communicating in English with confidence.

Day 3

The students went on a city tour in Manila. They were shocked by the huge economic and social gap between the rich and poor upon seeing street children and the slums.

Day 4

Students received lectures at the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Lectures:
Mr. kiyoshi Taniguchi, Senior Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation
Department.
Ms. Rie Matsubayashi, Financial Control Specialist, CTAC-FRA Comprehensive Report.
Mr. Yasuyuki Sawada, Chief Economist and Director General, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department.

The students were impressed not only by the lectures, but also by the detailed explanations during the Q&A session from ADB staff about their careers.

Students met their peers at Enderun Colleges for the first time. Two years ago, the college established its new Leadership Program, based on joint field work with Mikunigaoka HS. Twenty students enrolled in this curriculum were selected for the joint activities. At the end of May this year, students from Enderun Colleges visited Mikunigaoka High School. They readily become acquainted with each other.

Day 5

Students visited an NGO called Tahanang Walang Hagdanan. This facility allows people with disabilities to work, and about 100 people live or commute to it. Common kinds of work include packing pills, making toys, and assembling furniture. The students got an explanation of the facility, and experienced working with the people there.

Day 6 / Day 7

The students received training for one day and two nights, with students from Enderun Colleges at the “GK Farm” (GK).

Day 8

The students from Mikunigaoka made presentations, while the students from Enderun Colleges supported them in their Q&A session.

The presentation titles are as follows:
1. econ
2. Tata Café
3. SPODOG
4. Priority Train
5. AGEnSEE
6. Ocean

Each Mikunigaoka team made a business plan while still in Japan, and with input from Enderun Colleges students, they improved their business plans.

5. Summary

This is Mikunigaoka High School’s last year in the SGH program. Moving forward, we plan to continue the Leadership Program with Enderun Colleges. So, we stayed in the dormitory of Enderun Colleges for the first time to experience student life and went for a tour of downtown Manila area. Over the past five years, we have built a very strong relationship with ADB. We are grateful for the continued support from the Embassy of the Philippines and the Philippines Department of Tourism, and we would like to continue this training program in the Philippines.

6．Students’ Reflection

・We met different people in the Philippines. Most of them asked me what I wanted to do in the future. It was something I had never considered before, but I realized that students in the Philippines at my age take their future seriously. After I met them, I felt that I want to act toward some goal. When I visited the disabled facility and GK Farm, it reminded me of the volunteer work I did for the homeless at the end of last year. It made me realize that people tend to focus on development rather than dealing with poverty. Many Japanese people are just indifferent. I may not be fully able to understand their feelings, but I think that we can listen to their stories and extend a helping hand, rather than just giving financial donation. I hope that Japan will become a country where, instead of just focusing on what they want to do, we can be free while still enabling everyone else in the world to prosper and escape poverty.

・I had several crossroads in my life, but on this trip I encountered a significant turning point. On the day we visited ADB, Mr. Taniguchi gave me a whole new perspective about humanitarian aid. It is insufficient to simply 'do good' by providing humanitarian aid for free. When Mr. Taniguchi told us that he changed jobs from the United Nations to ADB, I was initially perplexed as to why he would leave the world's central institution after only 4 years. Something he said got me thinking: there was a limit to how much you can achieve by giving away aid. In the future, the movements of global finance and of Financial institutions like ADB are going to have the most impact, and should be the focus in fostering economic growth in developing countries. I began to realize that there are other options, apart from working in the United Nations. By the end of the lecture, I felt that I wanted to work and see the world through such an institution. It gave me another idea for my future plan, and I realized that I must exert more effort in my studies.