Krantenartikel 2 2007 (in het Engels)

Dutch youth visits Cebu for cultural exchange

Thirty-three 33 youth from Netherlands are in Cebu for the Pinoy-Dutch Xplore program that aims to facilitate multi-cultural understanding and educational exchange about Filipino and Dutch culture.

The Pinoy-Dutch Xplore program, which started in 2006, is within the framework of the Sister City relationship between Cebu City and Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. This year’s second run from July 8-29, 2007, is a joint undertaking between Meerlanden Youth Cebu, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) - the overall project coordinator, Cebu City Government, and other Cebu-based organizations.

Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña, welcomed the participants during the opening program held at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center on July 9. To know more about the City, the participants were toured to various heritage and cultural sites like the Magellan’s Cross and Fort San Pedro. They also visited Mandaue City Hall where they met with Mayor Jonas Cortes and tasted Mandaue delicacies like the tagaktak and bibingka.

In the 3-week program, the Pinoy and Dutch youth will undergo adventure-based leadership training through RAFI’s Kool Adventure Camp (KAC). They will also be immersed to various institutions like the Batang Pinangga Center– an orphanage based in Carmen, Don Bosco Boys’ Town in Liloan, college farm of Cebu State College of Science and Technology (CSCST) in Barili, and the Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) fishing and dumpsite communities in Mactan.

“(We are here) looking for similarities. Differences don’t matter,” said Gijs Bruijnzeels, a Dutch representative, upon sharing his expectations in the program during the press briefing last July 9, 2007.

The delegates will also build 10 houses for the Gawad Kalinga site in Bogo, undergo environmental exposure in selected marine sanctuaries in Mactan and Olanggo islands, and plant trees at the watershed area in Pung-ol Sibugay, Cebu City.

Other organizations involved in the program are FORGE, Share-A-Child, KAPAI, St. Arnold Janssen Community Learning Center, SOS Childrens’ Village, SAPAK Foundation, Cebu Micro-Enterprise Development Foundation Inc. and the Cebu City Medical Center.

All these activities aim to provide opportunities for the youth to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competence, as well as shape their character, attitudes, and values towards becoming pro-active national and international citizens.

Joining the Dutch youth are counterparts from two RAFI programs, namely; the Young Minds Academy, a citizenship education and youth leadership development program, and Timawa Adventure Leadership Inc. – a post camp program for the KAC alumni.

“(To) exchange stories and build friendship, “ are what Bobby Nacorda of RAFI’s Young Minds Academy expects from Xplore. He wants to know the ropes of living from his fellow youth, especially the Dutch, in order to create and belong to a global community.