Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU) Exposure Trip : Philippines 香港大學學生會 藍帽子 周游列國 : 「尋找菲律賓的故事」

Fee: HK$2,500 (including fare, departure tax, insurance and accommodation) (see HKUSU email and briefing)

Exchange Rate: HK$1 = Peso5

Accommodation:
Titus Brandsma Center (just say Titus Center)
24 Acacia Street, New Manila
Quezon City, Metro-Manila
Philippines
Under the professional care of Fr. Bernard Roosendaal O.Carm. of Netherlands (just call him Fr. Bernard)
Secretary of the Center is Siony (office hours Monday thro Saturday 8am to 5pm)
Tel/Fax: (632) 721 8677
Email: [email protected]
NB: New Manila is a high-class residential area, with a big church and 24-hour convenient store. There is single room, with clean bed-sheets, table, chair, toilet-paper, and fan (no air-conditioning), for each person. 2 separate sets of clean bathrooms and toilets at the middle of the floor, with canteen, living room, conference rooms, garden etc (see the photo below in Day 1). Bring your own toiletries, slippers etc.
The Center "carries the name and ideals of the Dutch Carmelite, Blessed Titus Brandsma who was martyred in his resistance against Nazism. He is remembered for his defense of Human Rights - freedom of the press, the right to education and a just society for all. He was a militant personage deeply rooted in Christian mystical traditions and a man of broad ecumenical spirit." One of its Programs is "Media Concerns". One of its Events is PCCNET TSAT - a monthly gathering of media personnel ... (brochure provided by Siony). The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has its posters inside the Titus Center.

Contact in Manila:
League of Filipino Students (LFS), Philippines
1838 Dapo Street
Pandacan, Manila
Philippines
(Dapo St. is south of Zamora St, which is in between President Quirino Ave near Malacanang Palace)
Tel: nil (at the moment)
Email: [email protected]

Objectives: Broaden your visions 擴闊視野 by examining the cause(s) of the problems (e.g. pollution, poverty) and proposing action plans for discussion and follow-up, under the theme of Note the Contrast, Look for Solution
May be able to visit the picketlines, where Filipino students involve themselves in rallies against corruption etc. by prayers, speeches, songs, dances etc., mingled with food-vendors in a fiesta manner (before the police uses water cannon and bastion to disperse). As a practice, police around the world (except in Mainland China) will announce a specific time for dispersion; hence quite safe for students to watch/participate in the picketlines. The Filipino students have organised themselves into groups, some with their own volunteer lawyers, and most with direct/indirect support from the churches.

(NB If the dates are underlined in blue, click the links to see all the photos (with caption and full-size) and Discussion/Assessment/Recommendation at the end of the webpage)

During the Reading Week 閱讀週, the itinerary of Trip001 is as follows:

Saturday 11 March 2000 4:30pm Pre-Trip Briefing at HKUSU Office: showed this website, handed out a booklet, and various background materials. Apple Daily reported on 2 March 2000 that the World Bank considered that Hong Kong's gap between the rich and poor was even greater than the Philippines, China, India etc. The Kini Ratios are as follows:

Day 1 - Monday 13 March 2000

1:30pm SHARP - assemble at the Chek Lap Kok Airport Departure Lobby Air France Counter. Book LEFT-window seats to see Clark Aribase and the volcano Mt. Pinatubo in Central Luzon. Bring passport, HKID card, air-tickets etc.

3:25pm - Flight AF186 takeoff. Flight time about one and a half hours.

5:30pm - Arrive in Manila (Philippine Air Line (PAL) uses the new Centennial Terminal II; all others use the existing old terminal on the western side of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Our Air France uses the old terminal**), then by Jeepney to Titus Center for dinner.

Night - Briefing and Orientation by LFS President Noel Colina, and officials Anet, Tony etc. at Titus Center. Then a walk to the nearby Immaculate Conception Church (Lantana St) and 24-hour convenient store Kopi At Keyk (New York St)

Day 2 - Tuesday 14 March 2000

am - Visit Kamiyan, member of Migrante International, which is a federation of NGOs for the welfare of the 7 million Filipinos working abroad. Kamiyan Chairman Dax Salgado then often accompanied us

pm - Visit Payatas, a refuse dumping ground where the surrounding poor sort out the left-over as scavengers. N.B. Neither the Metro-Manila Development Authority (MMDA) nor the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has any program to clean up Payatas (but they programs to clean up Pasig River).

Night - Visit the very large supermarket (till 9pm) at ShoeMart SM City, West Avenue, Quezon City

Day 3 - Wednesday 15 March 2000

am - Visit the non-government-funded Trinity College, and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

pm - Visit Trade Union's picketline at Mendiola (the avenue leading to the Presidential Malacanang Palace) and at Manila Hotel (left the scene at 6pm when police began to disperse the picketers)

Day 4 - Thursday 16 March 2000

am - Visit Peasants in San Mateo, in the suburb province of Bulacan, north of Manila N.B. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has 5 projects relating to Agriculture and Natural Resources.

pm - Visit and participate in the picketline at the Grand Hotel

Night - Cultural Night of songs, dances, and games at the University of the Philippines Student Union at Diliman, Quezon City, and then at the Kamuning Bar

Day 5 - Friday 17 March 2000

am - Free : One Goup visited the Civil Service Commission and/or Government Department in Quezon City, then went south via EDAS Ave to visit Asian Development Bank (ADB), then the nearby ShoeMart MegaMall in Mandaluyong City. Another group visited the Spanish tourist site of Intramuros in Manila City, did some shopping.

pm - Both groups return to Titus Center and perform an Assessment of the visit: examine the problem(s) and propose action plan(s)

Before 6:00pm - arrive at the Manila Airport (Philippine Air Line (PAL) uses the new Centennial Terminal II; all others use the existing old terminal on the western side of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Our Air France uses the old terminal**). Because the 2nd group returned to Titus Center late, the whole Delegation left Titus only at 6:55pm and arrived NAIA at 7:00pm. Thanks to the staff of the Air France for escorting the Delegation all the way from the check-in counter to the plane

8:00pm Flight AF185 takeoff. Departure Tax is Peso 550 or US$14 per head. Book LEFT-window seats to see Clark Aribase and the volcano Mt. Pinatubo.

10:30pm - arrives back in HK. Members please write something for this website and publication.

Thursday 30 March 2000

pm Post-Trip Assessment in the HKUSU Office (to be confirmed)

Delegation Members' Biographies and Post-Trip Views/Stories (click the names):

1. Delegation Leader: Miss YUEN Hoi Yan 袁凱欣, HKUSU Vice-President (External), BSS (General) Year3 Politics.

2. Miss Charriol CHING 程倩雯, HKUSU University Affairs Secretary, BSS Year1 (Govt & Laws), HKU.

3. Miss Eleanor YIP 葉肖賢, Surveying, HKU.

4. Miss Tempo TANG 鄧寶儀, BSc (Speech & Hearing), HKU.

5. Miss Connie WONG 黃淑玲, Surveying, HKU.

6. Mr Koen KWAN 關智權, MSc Computer Science, HKU.

7. Mr. Anthony C.H. CHUA 蔡誌慶, Constitutional Law PhD Student, HKU, designer of this website, Tel: 2325 5629 Secretarial-Pager: 7728 8867 Email: [email protected]

Sources: See HKUSU email and briefing.

This website is the 3rd draft designed and written for the HKUSU by Anthony C.H. CHUA 蔡誌慶, PhD Student in Law, HKU, and member of Trip001, on 10 March 2000 (then 26 March 2000, 8 Mar 2001) pending formal approvals from the Trip members and from HKUSU, and pending linkage/transfer to the HKUSU website (please see acknowledgement section in FrontPage)