By Marta Gonzalez, Spanish Teacher Intern
When I decided to come to the Philippines, specifically to the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), I was seeking for an adventure and the opportunity to push myself both professionally and personally. However, I could not have imagined the amazing experiences awaiting us when we landed in Davao City with the whole committee welcoming us. These people, whom I can now proudly call friends, taught us our first lesson: Filipino hospitality. Never have I been welcomed the way I’ve been in this country, and I’m sure I won’t be again.
As I was beginning to learn more about the community, the first cultural shocks were not long to come: floods, earthquakes, endless photo documentation, being treated like celebrities… and durian, of course.
Shortly after, I was tasked with teaching at the University. Teaching undergraduate students, while it instantly became my greatest challenge with no prior experience in teaching higher education, taught me the greatest life and career lessons. The workshops, lectures, and our sharing with the students will remain some of the dearest memories of my stay in the Philippines. Because of USeP, my dream of teaching at a university was made possible; indeed, the University lives by its tagline: “We build dreams without limits.”
Meanwhile, I also spent some time teaching basic education at Heartworks Learning Center (a private school) and Kapitan Tomas Elementary School (a public school) and was immersed in special education programs such as the House of Hope for Cancer Patients and College Education Behind Bars for the People Deprived of Liberty. These allowed me to discover and learn more about the different facets of Philippine education.
Aside from my experiences in basic education and special education programs, I was also engaged with the external campuses of USeP: Tagum-Mabini and Mintal. In Tagum-Mabini campus, I was able to share the Spanish language and culture through lectures and attended the much-awaited Intramurals. Meanwhile, my engagement in Mintal campus also revealed the motivation for my coming to the Philippines: to learn more about the Indigenous Peoples. The sharing of our views and culture with the students and staff at the Pamulaan Center has been one of the richest and most inspiring experiences I have had so far.
The experiences throughout my engagement with USeP challenged me personally and professionally. Being able to get a bird’s-eye view of the Philippine education system shaped me as an academician and a learner who continuously seeks to improve my teaching capability.
The time I have spent in the Philippines will surely be engraved in my heart. I did not just experience working for Philippine education but was also able to discover its beauty, which deserves more recognition than it’s already receiving. The gleaming white sand beaches and beautiful corals of the Visayas to the lush mountains of Mindanao and the Philippines’ rich culture and warm people altogether, made me fall in love with the country.
This country has stolen a part of my heart. And I am definitely taking part of it with me.
