The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) successfully conducted the Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) Program with five Filipino-American participants from the Philippine Students Association of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (PSA-UIUC). The program ran from May 23 to May 29, with activities in Bulacan, Batangas, and Manila.
WELCOME DINNER
The week-long activities opened with a hearty Filipino dinner on May 23. CFO Undersecretary Valery Joy Brion, Head Executive Assistant Atty. Alma Alli, Project Management Division Director Marita Del Rosario-Apattad and other officers welcomed the YouLeaD participants at The Aristocrat Restaurant in Remedios, Manila. Ms. Clara Reyes-Lapus, the owner of the said restaurant and Mama Sita, also graced the event and gave an account of the roots of Mama Sita and handed Mama Sita gift bags to the participants.
The participants were then able to share their origins in the Philippines, differences in their native and acquired cultures, their organization’s mission, and future endeavors. Usec. Brion expressed her hopes that the participants would become YouLeaD ambassadors after the trip and promote the program to the Filipino community in their school and US Midwest, suggesting that PSA-UIUC could always reach out to CFO to implement the program annually for its members.
GUIDED TOUR AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
On the morning of May 24, Mr. Romelito Garcia of the National Museum of the Philippines toured the YouLeaD participants at the National Museum of Anthropology, acquainting them with the Philippines’ cultural diversity and rich historical background.
Among the tour highlights is the INDIO-GENIUS: 500 Taon ng Labanang Kultural (1521-2021) exhibit that displays Kidlat Tahimik’s art installations, ethnological and archaeological exhibits that show recovered Filipino crafts.
BASIC CONVERSATIONAL FILIPINO WORKSHOP
On the afternoon of May 24, the YouLeaD participants learned basic conversational Filipino from Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) Language Specialist Mr. Jomar Canega. Greetings, counting numbers, body parts, and other introductory words and phrases were taught to the participants. The participants also actively engaged in an exchange of scripted dialogues to practice their delivery of basic greetings in Filipino.
Besides the lecture on the Filipino language, Mr. Canega, who is currently the Chief Language Researcher of the Education and Networking Division of KWF, also shed light on critical matters on Philippine history, culture, traditions, and values.
After the workshop, the participants had a brief meeting with CFO Secretary Leo V. Arugay, who wished the participants to enjoy their stay in the Philippines and the remaining days of their YouLeaD activities.
GAWAD KALINGA ENCHANTED FARM TOUR WITH KESONG PUTI & PEANUT BRITTLE WORKSHOP DEMOS
PSA-UIUC YouLeaD participants spent the second day of their YouLeaD course in Angat, Bulacan as they visited the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm (GKEF), which is about two hours away from the city of Manila. The participants were welcomed by GK volunteers, given a tour of the farm, and were introduced to various plants and animals that are taking shelter in the vicinity.
Upon the conclusion of the farm tour, YouLeaD participants were taught the basics of creating Kesong Puti and Peanut Brittle by the community members of Barangay Encanto, the community that is located in the GK EK Farm. The raw materials needed in making the kesong puti and peanut brittle are harvested from within the farm; the end-products are then marketed across the country, both of which play a vital role in boosting the livelihood of the residents of Bgy. Encanto.
SNORKELING IN MALABRIGO BEACH, LOBO, BATANGAS
After a three-hour ride from Manila to Lobo, Batangas, the participants enjoyed the coral reef-riched Malabrigo beach despite the rainy weather. The group was brought from the coast to the snorkeling site aboard a small boat by local guides. The area is popular among divers and snorkelers because of its marine life and coral formations, making it ideal for underwater exploration.
DAY TOUR AT LAGADLARIN MANGROVE PARK
The main highlight of the whole program is the participants’ tour in Lagadlarin Mangrove Park, in coordination with Making a Difference Travel (MAD Travel). The popular eco-tourism destination was founded by local volunteers who were passionate about taking care of the environment and protecting the mangroves. Walking along the elevated bamboo walkway built by volunteers themselves, the participants toured the coastal sanctuary and learned about the importance of mangroves to the community.
The visitors were engaged in a variety of activities after the tour. They were taught how to properly gather propagules from a mangrove tree, plant them in little plastic pots, put together puzzle fruit and eat a hearty lunch on a balsa.
A Bantay Dagat (Coast Guard) volunteer shared his story of catching illegal loggers of mangroves and illegal fishermen in Lobo, and why he is helping protect the environment even without income. It was important for him to leave his legacy to his children so they can continue to protect their environment and their community as he did.
CONGRESS TOUR
On the last day of the program, the participants were toured by Protocol Officer Mr. Dane Paolo Aquino around the House of Representatives. The tour features a walk around the complex’s lobby that hosts portraits of house members who have served as speakers, which Mr. Aquino supplemented with background information about each. Afterward, participants were guided and given a tour of the Plenary Hall, where committee hearings are held. In response to the participants’ interest, Mr. Aquino shared vital historical information and insights about the House and described the committee hearing processes.
CLOSING CEREMONIES
A closing ceremony was held at the Harbor View Restaurant to formally wrap up the event and celebrate the participants’ successful completion of the program.
The participants were asked to share their experiences, realizations, and takeaways acquired from the program, as well as their next steps as Filipino-American student leaders when they return to the United States. One participant talked about discovering a more profound sense of Filipino identity as she got a taste of what it feels like to live in the Philippines. Another also talked about sharing their experiences with the members of their organization as a means to promote the program, and also meeting up with the Philippine Consulate in Chicago for future collaborations for YouLeaD.
As a revert to the heartfelt sharings of participants, Usec. Brion expressed her hope that the participants would become YouLeaD ambassadors after the program and promote YouLeaD in their student organization and the Filipino community in Chicago. Sec. Arugay extended his thanks to the participants for having the initiative to learn about their Filipino heritage and for partnering with CFO for their immersion. Sec. Arugay and Usec. Brion then presented the certificates of participation to each of the five participants for completing the YouLeaD program.
YouLeaD is a cultural immersion program in the Philippines intended for Filipino youth who were born abroad or have migrated at an early age and found themselves unfamiliar with the Philippine culture and detached from their Filipino roots. The PSA, a registered student organization at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is the largest Filipino-interest organization and one of the largest Asian-interest organizations on the University campus since its founding in 1919. It has been celebrating Filipino culture and identity and promoting cultural awareness for Filipinos and the broader Asian and Pacific Islander community. The PSA-UIUC partnered with the CFO to conduct this YouLeaD for their five members as the pilot batch for the resumption of face-to-face conducts of the YouLeaD program.