By Eric Martin
Fifteen days immersed in a different culture; working with the homeless and disadvantaged on the streets of Manilla; ministering on an island entirely dedicated as a refuge for the impoverished; visiting and supporting Catholic schools in remote regional areas – all of these are just some of the experiences on offer as part of the Philippines Justice Immersion tour planned for January 2020.
The 15-day trip from 5 to 19 of January 2020 is for those interested in exploring the work of Catholic ministries in the Philippines.
“This is really an opportunity for people to come and see where the money that they generously donate to such causes goes,” John Richards, the Director of Christian Service Learning at Aquinas College and organiser of the Justice Immersion experience, said.
“We’ve taken a group of boys from the College and they found it life changing, totally inspirational to see the work that the Church is doing over here and for our January trip, we want to keep it remaining open for parish members, university students and volunteers – as well as the students who want to come back and dig a little deeper into it.”
“The Philippines is predominantly Catholic (the Philippines has the third largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil and Mexico) at 83 per cent and as most people also speak English, it’s a really great fit.”
The Philippines is a country of stark contrasts: rich in natural resources and with a population of 104 million people, most would expect the island nation to be an economic powerhouse – yet it remains impoverished, with 21.6 per cent of the country’s population still living below the national poverty line.
Four out of 10 poor families in urban areas do not have decent living conditions and reside in squalid, overcrowded tenements in the slum areas of major cities like Manila, the Capital.
Rural areas in the Philippines are even worse off, with an average poverty rate of 36 percent and minimal access to health and education services: for example, at least two-thirds of poor families are led by a person who has not completed their primary school education.
“This is one field where the Church has really excelled, in breaking down the barriers by providing funding and resources, such as computer equipment, to Catholic schools in remote, regional areas,” Mr Richards explained.
“One of the first assignments we focused on was to collect and donate audio-visual equipment to the schools. This included data projectors, desktop computers, laptops and portable hard-drives and in five years, we have provided the Christian Brothers with approximately 100 laptops and six data projectors.
“We will spend 10 days with the staff and students of one such school, called the Immaculate Conception Academy High School in Dancalan, which used to be the poorest school in the region – we’ve been able to really lift that school up (through our work) and now it’s the second most attended school in the area,” he said.
As well as working at the school, participants will engage with street people and emergency shelters while living with local families on the island of Negros Occidental, the fourth largest island in the archipelago.
Mr Richards shared some of the experiences of the students from Aquinas who made the trip in September last year:
“In the village of Bocana, we arrived early to plant mangroves which are important to protect the village from storm surges and erosion. In the village of Enclaro, we were welcomed by the staff and children of Enclaro Elementary School and were taught how to weave nipa (river palm) which is used extensively for roofs and wall panels.
“At the hill village of Lunoy, we engaged in farming practices, including cutting rice and sugar cane as well as ploughing the land by using only a carabou (buffalo).
Mr Richards said that the program is highly suited to youth leaders, teachers, justice coordinators, pastors and religious orders and past immersion delegates and that each day of the immersion provides unique opportunities to serve others in a variety of urban and rural environments.
The total cost of the immersion is $2950 and includes international and domestic airfares, local transportation, meals and accommodation, program activities and tours.
The closing date for applications was September 25, 2019, but Mr Richards told the eRecord that he is happy to extend the date for one month until 25 November.
For more information, contact John Richards at livecompany10@gmail.com or call 0417 933 470.