I find myself reflecting on my experience in Mindanao and how everything we’ve learned about governance, development and peace are applicable in the classes that I am taking now. I find that I am using the interviewing, listening and critical thinking skills that I developed as a researcher in my classes too.
It is important to ask questions and continue to dig beneath the surface in order to get the answers I need. I find that in many cases my classes are simply touching the surfaces of many topics; furthermore, there are reasons and incentives as to why only one topic or another is selected for conversation while others may be overlooked. It is important to always be thinking critically and to analyze everything, whether I am reading a text or listening to a lecture.
The conflict in Mindanao is still very much present. Following our arrival in California, my attention was drawn to several news articles reflecting on a recent massacre that had occurred at a location that we had visited to. We are privileged to have been able to travel to Mindanao, learn about the conflict and the lives that are directly affected by it, and then to be able to return to our home university and continue our education in whichever way we decide.
Many of my friends ask me about my trip and I try to explain to them what we had learned and experienced. My Filipino friends and family had taken the most interest and what I had to say especially because of one moved from Manila to California when he was a child. His eyes lit up when we discussed the Philippines. He loves the Philippines, it’s his home. It’s my responsibility to represent this project, my knowledge and experiences of this country well. I look forward to continuing this project through this semester.
