Philippines Service Trip

Philippines Service Learning (PSL) Club is a student-led organization that strives to support the basic educational and nutritional needs of students in the Philippines. More specifically, the initiatives are focused on the municipality of Labo, situated in the coastal province of Camarines Norte. Each year, the Chadwick members of PSL travel to Labo to connect with our three partner schools: Aniceta De Lara Pi Mentel High School, Labo Science and Technology High School, and Moreno Integrated School. There, we collaborate with the Filipino PSL members, engaging in various cultural activities and building on our past, current, and future projects.

Throughout the past, the main initiative has been the “Nutrition Program,” a project that provides student beneficiaries across the three schools with adequate meals. Currently, we are working with over 150 beneficiaries, distributing packets of food each week to make sure all of the students are getting the nutrition they need. Therefore, from April 13th to 20th, the Philippines Service Learning (PSL) Club visited Labo, Camarines Norte, to work on expanding their initiatives with their partner schools: Labo Science and Technology High School (LSTHS), Aniceta de Lara Primental High School (ALPHS), and Moreno Integrated School (MIS). PSL has been building a longstanding relationship with these schools and has been supporting them through the nutrition and feeding program.

Alyssa Han, as one of the leaders, led the trip with 14 students. The trip’s ultimate goal was to forge new connections and partnerships with the students of LSTHS, ALPHS, and MIS, and execute the feeding program - a PSL initiative that aims to provide lunch for the schools’ student beneficiaries with the support of the CI Annual Fund. Alyssa and the PSL members also engaged in various cultural exchange activities and met to discuss future projects for the upcoming school year. During the trip’s initial Student Leaders Meeting, the PSL team planned three different initiatives that would aid students in their daily lives. Ultimately, one of these ideas (the rice subsidy program) was chosen by PSL supervisors and Alyssa, with other representatives in the Philippines proposing to Vice Governor Joseph Ascutia and the board members of the legislative government of Camarines Norte in their weekly board meeting.

Throughout this trip, Alyssa was able to learn and experience different things, especially about service. Here are some key takeaways from Alyssa:
As a returning student who went to the Philippines last year, this year was such a memorable and valuable experience visiting the partnered schools once again, and building initiatives helped me to further develop my perspectives, expand our current projects in the PSL Club, as well as build cultural exchange with different activities. Furthermore, presenting at the legislative government about the Rice Subsidy Program as one of the leaders and representatives of Chadwick International PSL was such an honor, and grateful for the opportunity. This year, I believe that PSL was definitely extended on a larger scale and spread awareness further globally. As I wait for the results of the proposal, I hope to expand the other two initiatives as an individual and as a club, as well as bring more opportunities in the future.