Junten Junior High School / Senior High School

Monday September 28^th, the following day after the school’s Cultural Day, twelve SGH delegate students departed to the Philippines for the eight day field trip.

On the 1^st day, Junten students ran into a street child who was begging for money. SGH students were aware of the hard reality in the Philippines and they had spent time discussing whether to give cash to people who came up to them prior to the departure, however when it really happened, students couldn’t decide what to do.  Mr.Takeshi Ishii from CFF talked with the child who begged money and finally he gave him a banana.  Students were shocked to see the scene.  Mr.Ishii told the boy to go back to school and find a job that can support you.  Even after trying you had problems, come back again.

“Takeshi and the boy’s conversion was impressive.  I wanted to grow into an adult like Takeshi.  On my way back to my hotel, I saw a lot of mothers who were holding a little child and children begging, and seeing them like that was just shocking. I don’t know the solutions and I don’t know what we can do.”(SGH Delegate, T-san)

 Next day, the group visited Intramuros in Manila.  This area has a lot of traces of Spanish influence, as you can see in Manila Cathedral (left) and Saint Augustine Church (right.)

　People gather at Manila Cathedral. This is indicating that Christianity has deeply rooted in the country.   After leaving Manila, the group headed to Dagupan in Pangasinan.  On the way there, the group stopped at a historical spot with which Japan has strong connections.  In 1944, the first Kamikaze troop of the war departed from here.  The memorial monument was established to commemorate the soldiers by the local tourist bureau.

(This monument is also closely related with Junten. Please see the Principal’s blog.)

   Next place the group visited was the Bataan Death March monument.  Marion-san (left) from CFF was the tour guide, whose grand-father was physically abused by Japanese soldiers during the WWII.  The students were shocked and felt emotional hearing the story and learned there is a long and painful history about Japan in the Philippines.

The group visited Camp O’Donnell, where the Bataan Death Marth ended. The group standing in front of a freight car in which 150 soldiers were once confined.

In Dagupan the group had dinner and talked about their memories and experience in the trip.

“On the 2^nd day, we heard a lot about the war. In fact, there are a lot of stories that  I didn’t want to know.  Spain and the United States have left important steps in the Philippines, on the other hand, I felt very sad that Japan has not left anything important for the country. I learned that I need to fact the reality even though it is too hard to take.”(A SGH Delegate)