On 12 August 2024, UP Open University (UPOU) Project LAKBAY participants composed of members of the San Antonio Trolley Organization (SANTO), women representatives from Los Baños, and Filipino and Taiwanese youth made a courtesy visit to UP President Angelo A. Jimenez at the Quezon Hall. The visit was intended to share with the President how the project contributes to UP’s goal of increasing community engagement and impacting national progress.
Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies, with Dr. Eing Ming Wu, Senior Managing Advisor of EduConnect Southeast Asia Association, and Visiting Professor in UP NCPAG, and Dr. Yong-Chao Su, Executive Directors of Educonnect Southeast Asia and Associate Professor in Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU) gave the President a brief description about how Project LAKBAY, or Learning Actively through Knowledge-Based Appreciation for Youth, progressed from a youth-focused public service project, to cover the entire community as part of the International University Social Responsibility (IUSR) which targets to bring back sustainable projects to uplift the community from the exposure of a small group of community members. In this case, members of SANTO, with youth and women representatives, will visit Kaohsiung, Taiwan from 24 September to 01 October 2024 to immerse in the culture, learn ways to improve their craft and livelihood, be exposed to the livelihood and community practices of Taiwan, and bring home new knowledge and skills to benefit their community.
Dr. Wu explained how the collaboration between the Philippines and Taiwan, as neighbors facing the same set of challenges, would be beneficial to both countries. He calls this “bayanihan.” Dr. Su, on the other hand, shared that both the Philippines and Taiwan can learn from each other and help each other become better versions of their nations. He explained that the idea of IUSR is to eventually transfer the ownership of the solutions to the local community from the universities for sustainability. He likened the partnership of the university and the community to a pair of chopsticks that would function better when together. He also presented a pair of special chopsticks from Taiwan as a token of appreciation.
UP President Angelo Jimenez, learning about the purpose of the project and the tremendous impact the project will bring back to the community of San Antonio, Los Baños, Laguna, shared the same sentiments about the importance of the exposure of the members of the community to targeting the solution to their specific needs, as opposed to just the perspective of the researchers and scientists. He also shared that helping the community also helps the university which has even bigger value for those who are providing public service. “When you transform people, you are also actually transformed. When you help them, they are helping you as well because you will develop character and values that you can use later in life,” President Jimenez said.
Some of the Taiwanese youth shared their experience in the Philippines and confirmed that they learned so much from the Filipinos and the culture that they witnessed. Some trolley drivers also shared what they hope to learn from the 8-day trip to Taiwan and their excitement to bring back to their community whatever knowledge and skills that will help uplift their livelihood and community.
President Jimenez was joined by UP Executive Vice President Jose Fernando T. Alcantara, UP Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs for Internationalization and Office of International Linkages Director Imee Su Martinez, PhD., and Asst. Prof. Ranjit Singh Rye, Political Science Professor, UP Diliman. With Dean Serrano are Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez and Asst. Prof. Lianne Angelico Depante, faculty members of UPOU-FMDS.
Written by Anna Cañas-Llamas ♦ Edited by Dr. Myra C. Almodiel ♦ Photo by Anna Mhari Duria
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