As a spillover effect of the grassroots technical cooperation project "Nanjo City / Victorias City Independent Development Enhancement Project", "Project Inspection in Philippines" accompanied by two famous Sakura University students to the dispatch of experts to Victorias City in February It will be carried out. During the dispatch period, university students participated in the Victorias City Tourism Planning Workshop (WS), challenged to make a model tour with the people of Victorias City, and were able to announce the contents in English. A university student who visited the site of international cooperation for the first time said, "I was shocked to see the difference in system and culture from Japan. This visit was a good opportunity for me to raise my interest in international cooperation. It was also an opportunity to thank me again for my environment. "" Through this 4 nights and 5 days training in the Philippines, I learned a lot, different from Japan, and my future goals. I was able to think about it. I was disappointed that I couldn't understand it, but I was able to realize my ignorance and the difficulty of sightseeing. Don't forget what I learned this time, and I will be myself in the future. I want to be able to connect to the future of Japan! ”, And I evaluate that it was a meaningful visit for university students.
Below, I will post the impressions created by the students.
-Philippines inspection impressions-
Meio University International Studies 1st Year / Female
On the first day, I visited Victorias City, Philippines, visited the municipal market, visited the candidate sites for Victorias City selection, and participated in a CDAQ meeting. The most memorable visit was the Victorias City Market. This is the first time I have visited an overseas market, and I was shocked to see the difference in system and culture from Japan. This market visit was a good opportunity for me to raise my interest in international cooperation. It was also an opportunity to thank me again for my environment. At the meeting, I felt the need for a place where it was easy to exchange opinions by seeing everyone expressing their opinions in a meeting that was rougher than I expected, with snack time and free remarks. It was. After the meeting, Mr. Samejima told me that "communication with local people is very important because even if you try to use the Japanese system as it is in the Philippines because of the different culture, it will not work well", how about at the meeting? I was able to learn what was important.
On the second day, I visited La sall Vocational School and CPS University in the Philippines! So I got ginger cookies and pickles made by the students! After that, I returned to OM and had a workshop with farmers to establish a cooperative! I felt that Mr. Ishihara's story was useful for the Filipinos and us. I felt that it seems that it is being carried out as a matter of course, but that it is an important point that it is possible to achieve efficiency and accomplish well even if it is difficult to do alone.
To be honest, I wasn't good at English, so there were many things I couldn't keep up with, but I was happy that everyone was trying to communicate, and I had a great time even if I didn't understand everything. !! I really feel that there are many people in the Philippines who are very good at hospitality and warm 🥺 Tomorrow will be the last day, so I feel a little lonely! I will try to communicate with various people so that I will not waste even one minute.
On the third day, we held a workshop to create a sightseeing plan after meeting the mayor! Among them, we asked the Filipino people to join us in creating a tourism plan. It was difficult and easy to make because of my first experience, but when I listened to everyone's presentations, there were many things I should learn from the fact that it was made with great detail! In addition, snack time was included in most plans, and I was impressed by the hospitality of the Filipinos! I want you to continue working hard so that the plan announced this time will be realized. I'm very happy that everyone speaks well even if I don't understand the language, and I'm very impressed that even if I'm not fluent in English, they treat me so closely! If you make a face that you don't understand, they will look up the meaning on your mobile phone, talk using simple words, and try to communicate, so hesitate to speak English that was in the beginning. The most memorable thing in the Philippines is that I naturally lost the feeling of getting lost and enjoyed eating very much! !! !! 🐷🥥🐓💖
Meio University International Studies 1st Year / Female
After spending a whole day moving from Japan, the training finally started today. Today, I participated in the Victorias City Market Tour, CDAQ Meeting, and Victorias City Selection Tour. The atmosphere of the municipal market is similar to that of Makishi Public Market in Okinawa, and I found it very interesting because it also sells chillaga (pig face). The CDAQ meeting was held in a very relaxed atmosphere while eating Japanese sweets. Obviously, I communicated in English, and I felt that English was an indispensable language for doing international business. Also, in order to liven up Victorias City with agri-ecotourism, I was thinking from various aspects such as a model farmer's contest and how to raise public awareness, which was a great learning experience. During the Victorias City Selection Tour, we visited a canning factory and a wine farmer. Organic products that do not use chemical seasonings are kind to both the environment and people, and I think they are a very necessary cooking method for the world in the future.
In the morning of the second day, I went to La Salle College and CPS University. At La Salle College, I received an organic ginger cookie. The sweet taste of cocoa and the stimulation of ginger matched the good feeling, and it was very delicious. Organic products that do not use extra substances such as chemical seasonings are good for the body and taste good, so I thought that this ginger cookie would become popular in Japan as well. Next, at CPS University, I received pickles using vegetables from the university. The cooking students actually made pickles in front of me. Among the pickled vegetables, there were bitter gourd and papaya that are also cultivated in Okinawa, so it was a very familiar taste. In the afternoon, I attended a cooperative workshop. At the workshop, Mr. Ishihara of Corp Okinawa learned about the importance and efficiency of accomplishing something as a group rather than doing it individually, with the content of establishing a cooperative. Also, I learned a lot about the establishment of a cooperative by discussing the issues of Victorias City with the farmers of Victorias City and thinking about ways to improve them.
On the third day, we participated in a courtesy call to the mayor and a sightseeing plan making workshop. In courtesy of the mayor, I went to the City Hall of Victorias City. The atmosphere was different from that of the Japanese city hall, and the difference was also interesting. Next, at the tourism plan making workshop, it was a great opportunity to learn a lot about tourism types such as 6th industrialization and agri-ecotourism, and tourism. In addition, we university students also participated in the corner where we actually think about sightseeing plans as a group, and created a sightseeing plan for Victorias City. However, we didn't know much about Victorias City, so we were very disappointed with the thin tourism plan. From this, I also learned that if you don't know the land well, you can't recommend it to others. And I want to know more about tourism! I want to learn! I was motivated.
[Future goals]
Through this 4 nights and 5 days training in the Philippines, I was able to think about a lot of learning, differences from Japan, and future goals. Among them, the regret at the sightseeing plan making workshop was the most regrettable, and I was able to realize my ignorance and the difficulty of sightseeing. Taking this opportunity, I felt that I had to learn more about tourism and think about it. In the second grade, I take multiple tourism classes, so I want to study hard there. Also, I was very happy to have such an experience in the first grade. In the second grade, I would like to put in my knowledge of tourism and revenge on creating a tourism plan again. I want to remember what I learned this time so that I can connect to my future. I am very grateful to the people of Lequio Wings for creating such an opportunity this time. I'm really thankful to you.
