Junten Junior High School / Senior High School

From Wednesday September 21st to Wednesday 28th, eleven 2nd Year SGH students and two 1st Year SGH students went to the Philippines for SGH Fieldwork.  Activities from September 21st to 24th are recorded in Fieldwork Report 1.

Sunday September 25th

On the morning of the 5th day, Junten students and some high school students from the village made activities for the local children. They came up with songs, games and stories translated into Filipino (Tagalog.)  The children at CFF remembered the washing-hands song from Junten’s last fieldwork trip. We need to explore more to see if the hand-washing has been habitualized or not, but during the visit this time, Junten students made sure that the children at CFF washed their hands before eating sandwiches.

The Junten students stayed in the same room at the Children’s Home at CFF and they had a get-together with the children and the local residents.

＜Gurgling together＞

＜The View from CFF Children’s Home＞

Monday September 26th

The group traveled back to Dagupan and went to two local schools to meet the students. Firs, Junten students went to Magardan High School, which has 7,000 pupils. The local students do not usually have an opportunity to meet Japanese people, so everywhere the Junten students went, local people welcomed them. Junten students joined the Japanese class too. They were surprised to observe the different style of the Japanese class, but they interviewed the students who are studying Japanese in the class and enjoyed interacting with them.

In the afternoon, the group visited La Salette School, which is a private school. We met with only one classroom of students, so it is a cozy and friendly school. At La Salette School, Junten students and the local students discussed about “peace.” In the evening, Junten students moved to the La Salette School’s students’ houses and did a homestay. Junten students saw a different living environment by staying with families in the village.

＜Magaldan High School＞

＜La Salette School＞

Tuesday September 27th

Today, the group came back to Manila to visit the remains of the Smoky Mountain. The area used to be a garbage dump, but it was closed. After the closure, the people who used to reside there and pick up garbage moved, but many of them remained unemployed. So this area has turned into another slum, where people build houses using garbage.

Leaving Smokey Mountain, the group went to the river near the Smoky Mountain. A boy was collecting plastic bottles on the other side of the river. The area is near the trading port. At the port, students talked to local people who told them, “As Japan grows wealthier and wealthier, the trading port grows bigger and bigger and our living space will be invaded. The only difference is that these people happened to be born there.” Students contemplated this over and over throughout the fieldwork.

After this, students went to the nearby mall to shop and have dinner. After dinner, students gave feedback and shared their thoughts for two hours. Students listened to each other and discussed their concerns.

　＜A boy collecting plastic bottles at the river side＞＜Smokey Mountain＞

＜Enjoying Buffet Dinner ＞

Wednesday September 28th

Students met the staff from ICAN who work on different projects in the Philippines. They explained to the students about how fairtrade works and how to sell fairtrade goods. ICAN was started by women in the Philippines to support their families. They showed the students the products that they are selling in Japan.

This time, Junten’s ALT teacher Ms.Shieba Magno accompanied Junten on their fieldwork. Ms.Magno asked the students what they thought about her country and what they can do for the country. Ms.Magno told the students that we can’t go back to the past, so we can only look at the future and move forward. This message was very powerful for all of the students.

＜ICAN’s staff showing their products＞

The eighth day fieldwork was inspirational for all of us. Students shared how their minds were opened up and how they want to share what they have seen with a lot of people. Students departed Haneda Airport feeling very content.