Junten Junior High School / Senior High School

On Thursday, July 14^th, 1^st and 2^nd Year High School SGH students who were chosen to go to the Philippines gathered to attend an SGH Fieldwork Guidance workshop. The workshop was led by Mr. Ishii from the NPO, CFF Japan. The 3^rd Year High School SGH students who went to the Philippines last year joined the workshop and shared their experiences with the younger students. Students will visit the same locations as last year, including Manila, Capas, Dagupan, Lingayen, and Sual. They are also scheduled to visit Bataan to see the Death March memorial, CFF’s Children Home, local high schools and a rubbish dump site.

At the beginning of the lecture, students introduced themselves and shared what they are looking forward to doing in the Philippines. Most students are excited to meet local people, especially children, and to eat a lot of local food, such as the famous ice cream treat, Haluhalo.

The students who went to the Philippines last year researched topics such as, public hygiene and the handwashing habits of local communities, migrant workers, fair trade products, local transportation, and environmental issues. Each student had a different interest and they spent a significant amount of time researching for their fieldwork. This great effort was reflected in their successful presentations at the SGH Symposium in February 2016.

The research themes that SGH students have chosen this year are especially interesting. Topics include the Moringa (Malunggay) plant, gender studies, fair trade products, and multinational corporations. Currently, students are working on their research plans and they will have opportunities to talk with college professors and Mr. Ishii to receive advice about their research methods.

The last year’s SGH students shared their experiences and gave useful advice. First, they all said, “The fieldtrip was filled with fun and we, as a group, developed strong group cohesiveness”. One of the students had a good tip, “The fieldtrip is a wonderful and rare opportunity, so take a lot of pictures and make sure to take notes on what you see and think in great detail.” One student focused on the preparation stage and said, “Before going on the trip, we were too busy to get together and share our research processes, which was one thing I felt like we should have done more often. So I encourage you to exchange your information and your progress with each other. “

CFF’s Mr. Ishii told the students, “I have extensive experience working with Filipinos in the Philippines, so I know a lot about the country and its culture, yet I don’t have a satisfactory solution to the problems the Philippines are facing. So, let’s study and work together!”

Leading up to the fieldwork, the students will regularly meet with Mr. Ishii and Dr. Uchio from Reitaku University to get advice on their research projects.