Educational travel and volunteer experiences in the Philippines
Hi! We’re glad to know that you’re considering Pushpin Movement for your AIESEC Global Citizen Program in the Philippines. Pushpin believes in the life-changing power of meaningful and impact-driven experiences. As more people travel for a purpose, immersing themselves in the local culture and volunteering for a good cause, their experiences inspire and drive them to do something for the benefit of others, potentially changing the world in the process. Having heard of countless life-changing stories from our peers, we also want to inspire others create their own stories. We partnered with a community in Antequera, Bohol to develop meaningful experiences from cultural and educational travel.
Founders: Miday, Ann Marie, Nina, Louise, and Cheenee
Our Team is composed of five Australian Development Awards alumnae who specialise in different fields. Coming from the same scholarship batch and living together in Melbourne, we decided to combine our skills to bring about positive change in the Philippines through educational travel. Your internship at a start-up like Pushpin would surely help us in achieving our goals and making sure that we provide meaningful experiences to our participants. We hope you join us in our journey!
Ann Marie, Cheenee, Louise, Miday, and Nina
Ann Marie and Miday with Governor Edgar Chatto (second from left) met in 2015 to plan the collaboration
The Pushpin Internship Experience In your internship with Pushpin Movement, expect both non-traditional learning and adventure. You will be immersing with our rural and urban Filipino community partners to learn about their culture and to assist them in finding solutions to the current challenges that they face. You will also have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the great outdoors that our country has to offer!
Learn about Filipino Culture We’re not afraid and shy to show you the rural Filipino life. In fact, we would like you to fully immerse yourselves in our culture because we know what a meaningful and enlightening experience this can be as we have gone through it ourselves. Cultural understanding begins with simple conversations and a willingness to “be with.” We invite you to live with our homestay partner families in a rural area in Antequerra, Bohol, and get to know their lifestyle, especially their farming life. We invite you to dine with us and eat - or even cook - Filipino food!
Connect with Nature Nature is a gift from the Universe. Rural communities are even more aware of this connection with nature since their main source of livelihood is strongly tied to the environment. We invite you to walk with us in Bohol. Walk. Walk. Walk some more. Breathe the clean and fresh air of the province. Be mesmerised with the hundreds of fireflies and millions of stars at night. You will not run out of other outdoor activities in Bohol such as hiking in the lush forest or swimming and kayaking in the river.
Volunteer in Community Projects “Bayanihan” is a core Filipino value. Everyone helps out each other, especially during difficult times. Our bayanihan spirit has helped us go through the various disasters that have ravaged our country. Bohol was also a victim of a terrible earthquake in 2013 that damaged a number of cultural structures and affecting the tourism industry negatively. We invite you to help out in the Antequera’s existing projects in ecotourism, environmental conservation, education, and nutrition.
The Pushpin Internship Experience Job Description
• Improve the ecotourism projects of the Abatan River Community by providing consulting services on product development, marketing, and operations. • Develop marketing and promotional materials for the Abatan River Community and Pushpin Movement. • Provide business consulting services on Pushpin Movement’s overall strategy and its different areas (i.e. Administration, Finance Management, Human Resource Development, Program Development, Marketing and Communications) . • Create content (i.e. images, videos, articles, text post) for Pushpin Movement’s online communication channels including the website and its social media sites. • Assist in writing the Operations Manual of Pushpin Movement. • Propose a concept and recommend strategies for one of Pushpin Movement’s planned events.
Our Partners: Abatan River Community The province of Bohol has been slowly recovering from the impact of the 2013 earthquake that damaged several of its most popular heritage sites. The tourism industry suffered as a result of the earthquake. As one of Bohol’s economic drivers, tourism is being revived by the local government by developing ecotourism sites to launch new success stories. The Abatan River Community is a story of five riverside communities working together to develop an eco-tourism industry that will hopefully bring back tourists and economic activity to their region. The main river cruise is the Abatan River Life Tour, which introduces the guests to the environment and culture of the people. Other experiences include mangrove tours and firefly tours. Based in Barangay Sto. Rosario, Antequera, in the Province of Bohol, the community members work together to offer ecotours, meals, and accommodation for the various guests. There are at least 138 families in the barangay and most of them farm for a living. Pushpin Movement works with the current projects and endeavours of the community to assist them in improving their livelihoods and increasing their income opportunities.
Itinerary
Although we have set this itinerary to guide us, our actual schedule on the field will be very flexible, depending on the circumstances that we will be faced with every day. What is more important for us is that we all learn together along the way and achieve the goals by the end of the program.
Week 1: Orientation and Payatas Immersion - Briefing and Orientation about Pushpin and Community Partners - Cultural Exposure at Manila - Immersion at Payatas (Quezon City) for 3 days
Week 2: Bohol Integration - Explore Bohol (Nature Trips) - Learn about the community’s ecotourism livelihood
Week 3: Volunteer for the Environment - Learn about our community’s farming practices and help them at the community farm - Plant mangroves and trees
Week 4: Volunteer at the School - Volunteer as Teaching Assistant at the local school, prepare native delicacies
Week 5: Research - Work on your writing and research deliverables
Week 6: Presentation and Debriefing - Present outputs to management - Closing program
Facilities
There are existing facilities in the area such as shopping malls, chemists, and restaurants, which are at least 30 minutes away. However, for the duration of your immersion program, we highly encourage that you stay within the community premises and have all the things that you need, packed before your trip. This is for you to focus more on engaging with the community and simplicity of the village life. Your immersion experience is a good opportunity to unplug from the modern comforts of society and experience simplicity and to experience a different way of life with our partner communities. The Program Directors and Local Coordinators will accompany you throughout the duration of the internship project. We also have local partners and contacts who will be there for you should you need any help. We have prepared a list of important facilities in Bohol necessary in the event of emergency.
Tagbilaran City Police Station Old City Hall, JS Torralba Street, Tagbiliran City, Bohol Phone: (038) 235 3110
Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital M. Parras St., Tagbilaran City
Major Commercial Establishments Bohol Quality Mall C. P. Garcia Avenue Plaza Marcela Brgy. Cogon, Tagbilaran Island City Mall Dao, Tagbilaran City
The Filipino Culture
Despite both being Filipino communities, the urban communities in Manila and the rural communities in Bohol still have differences in their cultures. We’ll try to tell you more about their culture but we believe that the best and most unforgettable way to learn this is by being there yourself!
Sharing Meals In general, Filipinos are very hospitable people and you will always be invited to share meals with us. If you feel that you are comfortable with local food, feel free to accept this invitation. However, if your stomach is sensitive and easily gets affected with exotic food, be careful with what you eat. You can politely decline the invitation by explaining your situation.
Showing Respect The Filipinos always have high regard for their elders and community leaders. In approaching tasks and commands, talking to the community leader or a community elder also ensures the support of those under them. Be respectful to elders when you meet them and you can do so through the mano, a gesture wherein you put the back of the hand of an elder to your forehead. Slippers or shoes are often removed before entering the houses of the people to avoid bringing in dust, soil, or mud into the houses.
Building Friendships As both are small communities, you will easily be recognised as guests of the community and people will know about you quickly. Feel free to befriend the people in the community by chatting with them or playing games with them.
The Filipino Culture
The people of Abatan River Bohol are very friendly and are also very musical. Expect a lot of singing and dancing everywhere you go. You will also be invited in Karaoke singing sessions when there are celebrations nearby. Don’t worry! You don’t need to have the perfect pitch to sing Karaoke. Everyone will still sing (and dance) with you! Trust us on this one. ;-)
Resting The communities in Abatan River, Bohol is a laidback community with mostly fisherfolk and farmers living in the area. They start their day early to work on their fields or start fishing. From noon until approximately 2:00 PM, they take their break to rest and to avoid the direct heat of the sun. This noon break is also known as siesta. Don’t be surprised if you won’t find any “serious” work in the afternoon as most people use this time to rest.
Internship Preparations Here are some tips to help you prepare for your internship in the Philippines. We tried our best to make this a comprehensive guide. However, if you still have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We’ll do our best to help you out. :-)
Communicating Volunteers will stay with selected homestay partners (foster families) in the communities. Homestay families may or may not be fluent in English, but we recommend that you try your best to communicate with them. If you know a bit of Tagalog, the foster family and the local community will appreciate your efforts and will help you learn more. You can approach the Community Director if you need special assistance in communicating with the foster family.
Homestays Some volunteers will have their own bed or bedroom, while others will share with another volunteer. Local delicacies such as the bibingka are served during snacks (merienda), which happens twice in the Philippines.
There are no hot showers. Be prepared to use a pail and a tabo (dipper) to take baths in simple, shared bathrooms.
Gadgets While there may be electricity, we advice you to minimize using your gadgets since electricity is often scarce for the community.
Transportation For the trips from Manila to the local project sites and within the project sites, volunteers will be accompanied by Pushpin team members during the entire duration of the project. However, for longer walks or commute from your homestay to the volunteer site, your foster family or a local contact shall accompany you if necessary.
Internship Preparations Water and Food
In some areas, tap water in the Philippines is potable. However, many households, especially in Manila, purchase distilled or mineral water to be safe from waterborne diseases. We recommend that you take only distilled or mineral water to be safe from stomach problems. Your foster family will prepare your breakfast, lunch and dinner. The usual Filipino diet will involve rice and a viand or two. Please do not expect to get toast, muesli, cereals, or even fresh milk as these items are considered a luxury for rural families. What you can expect though are fresh fruits, vegetables, and, if you’re lucky, coconuts! Instant coffee is also often available, but there won’t be coffeemakers in the rural area. You may bring your own teabags and boil hot water in your temporary home.
Security You are responsible for looking after your belongings. Do not leave valuables behind. If you notice any suspicious behavior, report it immediately to the Program Directors.
Since this is a cultural exchange, you can also teach the kids with games and songs that come from your own country.
Rules and Regulations Alcohol, Smoking, Drugs
Filipinos do have their share of alcohol and will gladly offer to guests as a form of hospitality. Although we cannot force you to reject these offers, we do advice you to drink moderately. You are responsible for your actions. Should you have a rowdy behavior, we have the right to remove you from the program. While interns are allowed to smoke, we request that you dispose of your cigarette butts appropriately to avoid garbage and fires. We do not allow interns to bring in, take any form of, or sell illegal drugs while they are in the program.
Compliance with Philippine Laws
The Philippines has strict laws against child abuse and exploitation, prostitution, violence against women and sexual harassment. Interns should avoid any conduct that would violate these laws. Full Text: https:// advocacine.wordpress.com/laws-on-children
Appropriate Attire
- Wear decent but comfortable clothes while you’re in the community (i.e. t-shirts, shorts, sweatpants). - Bring a jumper or a light jacket, in case it gets chilly in the area, especially at night. - Bring rubber shoes, flip flops, as various activities are lined up for you. - Remember that you will be staying in a quaint community so please dress up accordingly.
Religion
The partner communities are predominantly Roman Catholic. We request that you respect the religious practices of the community members and quietly observe these practices if they have to be performed in front of you.
What to Pack The activities involve several kinds of manual labour such as farming, painting, crafts, etc. Wear appropriate and comfortable clothing. We suggest wearing the following: • T-shirts • Shorts • Sweatpants • Socks • Old runners/ sneakers • Flip flops As it is quite warm in the Philippines, we also suggest that you bring the following on your various activities: • Face towels • Hat • Water bottle • Sunscreen It’s not easy to find hand-washing areas or fully equipped toilets, so we suggest that you bring the following: • Alcohol or hand sanitizer • Toilet paper • Paper napkins Other things to bring: • Mosquito repellant • Thongs/ flip flops • Towels • First aid kit • Toiletris • Shampoo • Soap • Deodorant Documents: • Passport and VISA • School ID
Thank you! info@pushpinmovement.com http://pushpinmovement.com http://fb.com/pushpinmovement