The Philippine Delegation

From L-R: KC Derequito, Ana Kristina Hipolito, Jesus Guinto,
Raymond Fajardo and Marisse Galera.

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KC, Student Leader

"Being a student of International Relations, it is amazing how the theories and learnings I had in the four walls of classroom were manifested in this event. I realized that experiencing the different cultures is enough to make me grateful and most importantly, I realized how much these cultures contribute to the uniqueness of the ASEAN collectively."

About KC:

KC DEREQUITO, 21 is currently a student of De La Salle University taking up Bachelor of Arts in International Studies major in American Studies and is down to her last academic term. Presently, she is an intern at the American Chamber of Commerce-Arangkada. She is involved in various advocacies, specifically on women and youth empowerment and HIV/AIDS. She was born and raised in Iloilo where she also served as Sangguniang Kabataan Municipal Federation of the Municipality of Dumangas for calendar year 2010-2013. In 2015, she spent an academic term of seven (7) months at the Université Catholique de Lille, France and backpacked her way around Europe. Up to now the small town girl remained a backpacker by heart, traversing her dream of travelling and experiencing the world one country at a time and her dream of travelling around the African continent is still yet to be realized. Packed with dreams, aspirations, and a little bit of pixie dust, she hopes to pursue a career in the foreign service. She believes that, as the Great Madiba Nelson Mandela said, everything seems impossible until it is done.

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Tina, Public Servant

"Perhaps that's the best thing about being on exchange: not simply seeing a new world, but also seeing yourself with new eyes as well."

There was a part in the start of the Youth Day ceremony where the Malaysian national anthem was sung. And I was surprised to hear everyone around me singing loudly, proudly. It made me think of how people in the Philippines sang our national anthem: often under their breath, trying to expend the least amount of effort, if they were singing at all.

Malaysians love their country, and it shows in the little things-- how they put their whole being into the singing of their anthem, how clean their streets are, how happy they are to talk about their country's diversity. It makes me reflect on why this isn't the case in my country, and what we can do to change it.

I think it starts with seeing the good in each of us, that in spite of our faults and difficulties, there is always something to be proud of if only we'd care to look. I went back to the Philippines wishing that some things were different (traffic, transportation systems, democratic maturity), but being thankful for some things that make us who we are today (resiliency, warm-heartedness, hospitality). Perhaps that's the best thing about being on exchange: not simply seeing a new world, but also seeing yourself with new eyes as well.

About Tina:

MARIA KRISTINA HIPOLITO, 25, a quarter life millennial with an interest in public service. A graduate of the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Tina started her career with Bloomberg's educational division, which aimed to provide equal opportunities for youth around the world. In 2014, she was part of British Council's prestigious social enterprise boot camp for young leaders. This eventually inspired one of her passion projects called "The Field Trip Project", which aims to fund field trips for underprivileged children. All of these support her vision of an empowered and participatory Filipino youth.

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Jesse, Theater Actor

"As I got connected with individuals of varied cultures and built good relationships with them, I realized that learning English as an international language is not enough. We therefore need to learn how to live with other people and communicate with our hearts to show that we care and ready to listen."

I can really see the value of lifting cultural barriers through exchange programs of the Philippine government and ASEAN as a whole. It strikes me that a cultural exchange between nations is not only worthwhile, it is also, woefully underutilized. As I got connected with individuals of varied cultures and built good and healthy relationships with them, I realized that learning how to speak English as an international language is not enough; we therefore need to learn how to live with other people as well; that we have to communicate with our hearts to show that we care and ready to listen.

I believe that youth has the most powerful source of vigor in effecting positive social change in the community. Through this program, I realized that we must encourage the young to learn more about other nations and its people and explore different cultures and traditions while not forgetting their own. MIYE for instance, is one of the great avenues that carry the purpose of transcending cultural barriers. This trip has proved that in a very personal way.

As I return from an extraordinary weekend in Malaysia, I return a recharged person. I was able to renew my enthusiasm to lead various significant youth development projects in the community where I belong. I temporarily left, to get to learn about the culture of other ASEAN member countries. It was a great opportunity to introduce my country to the delegates from other countries in South East Asia.

About Jesse:

JESUS GUINTO, 26, is a youth leader, a public servant, a human rights advocate, and a musical theater actor. When he was on his 3rd year in college, Jesse was chosen as one of the student ambassadors to Japan under the Japan East-Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme by the National Youth Commission. He is currently working at the Social Security System under the Quality Management Department. In 2006, he pursued his interest in the Performing Arts by joining a community theater group in his hometown San Jose del Monte, Bulacan which then led him to attend various acting workshops, such as Basic Acting for Theater and Creative Musical Theater I in the Philippine Educational Theatre Association (PETA) in 2014. Jesse is a cum laude graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) - Manila of a Bachelor in Communication Research degree. After acquiring his degree, he juggled his responsibilities as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the Metrobank and later on as Communication Assistant in the Department of Budget and Management - Office of the Secretary, with his graduate studies on Master in Public Administration in PUP-Open University System. He is known as Jesse to his friends.

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Raymond, Entrepreneur

"Immersing oneself towards this experience, made me realize that no one can be the center of the universe, and made me take out the notion that not everything revolves around you, and being with people from different countries and having different cultures can have unity, despite what ever language barrier or different beliefs we have, as long as we listen to one another and are selfless."

In my 4-day stay during the MIYE I was able to learn more about the culture of the nation, learn more about the community that they stay in, have a better understanding on the diverse languages food and people. I have observed that women are mostly conservative, most of them pray 5 times a day, and less meat all throughout my 4day journey. Mostly I reflected on how we may be totally different but the same at the same time, different mostly on the physical appearance on the food on how it is prepared, and on the languages we speak, but the same on our strong belief that there is a supreme being above all of us.

About Raymond:

RAYMOND BAYANI FAJARDO, 29 is an Entrepreneur and a Graduate of Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communications at St. Paul University in Iloilo City. Raymond is currently working in the Office of the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Tupas of the National Youth Commission (NYC) under the Office of the President as the Chief of Staff. Prior to this, he was the head of the Media Department and Barangay Affairs Unit for 9 Years under the Office of then 3-term number 1 Iloilo City Councilor Lex Tupas. Raymond's motto in life is that - "I meant what I said and said what I meant I am very faithful 100 percent." Raymond is happily married for 2 years now with one child. He believes that, being a father changes a man forever, and that you will never know how to be a father until you become one.

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Marisse, Youth Leader

"The greatest thing I learned in the program is how we had unity in diversity. Our weaves, instruments, and customs were distinct from each other yet similar with one another. Truly we have one ASEAN. Even when faced with these similarities, however, we see how our culture still is distinct, and we appreciate also the uniqueness of each culture, especially our very own Filipino culture."

One of the things that weirded the other delegates out the most was how we added bananas to our meat (such as in pochero and bulalo) and how we had bananas for a ketchup! These are things I eat every day and cannot really live without. To them, even the mere idea of it was preposterous. For me, what I find unusual was how they all seemed very conservative and, of course, why they could not eat pork. This made me realize that the usual for me may be unusual for another and the usual for the other may be unusual for me. Despite the differences in us, we the delegates from different countries still found friendship and goodwill with each other. Truly, we are different but all the same in that we are unique.

The greatest thing I learned in the program is how we had unity in diversity. Our weaves, instruments, and customs were distinct from each other yet similar with one another. Truly we have one ASEAN. Even when faced with these similarities, however, we see how our culture still is distinct, and we appreciate also the uniqueness of each culture, especially our very own Filipino culture.

About Marisse:

MARISSE GALERA, 21, is a senior student in Ateneo de Manila University where she is taking AB Psychology and AB Development Studies. She loves going out to do fieldwork and talking to people, especially locals and sees this as getting to know her nation in the best way possible: through the eyes of its citizens. Learning about their stories gives her a push that keeps the hope and faith in her alive. She has worked with various organizations such as the Ateneo Innovation Center, Ateneo School of Government, Lingap Pangkabataan, Inc., Philippine Development for Human Resources in the Rural Areas, and Benita and Catalino Yap Foundation. She works heavily with local communities, especially indigenous groups and the urban poor.

MIYE Highlights of Activities