2015 NEXTGEN Fellows visiting the site where US General MacArthur ‘returned’ with US liberating forces on October 20, 1944.
Last July 2015, I traveled with the 2015 Bayanihan Foundation’s NEXTGEN Fellows and participants of Kaluluwa Kolectivo. Many of these young Filipino Americans were traveling to the Philippines for the first time. We traveled to many historic sites including the site where US General MacArthur ‘returned’ with US liberating forces during World War II in Tacloban, Leyte and Magellan’s Cross in Cebu.
2015 NEXTGEN Fellows visiting Ferdinand Magellan’s Cross in Cebu City. The crucifix contains remnants from Magellan’s cross planted on Cebu in 1521.
The Church Bells of Balangiga now in Ft. Russell, WY
We even visited the Balangiga Church near Giporlos, Eastern Samar. In 1901, the townsfolk of Balangiga launched one of the few successful surprise attack against the Americans, claiming more than 40 US soldiers. In reprisal, the US Army murdered every male over the age of 10 years in town during which the church bells were taken to the US (For Whom The Balangiga Bells Toll, Huffington Post, April 2015). Despite seeing many historical sites, I think that the young Filipino Americans I traveled with felt rushed. They did not grasp the complete historical and analytical context of these major incidents in Philippine history. One of the major objectives of the Bayanihan Foundation’s NEXTGEN Fellowship program is for them to learn more about their homeland and eventually become more involved in philanthropic efforts to help back in the Philippines.
Andres Bonfiacio, one of the Philippines’ revolutionary leaders when the country sought independence from Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century
In partnership with the Committee on Pilipino Issues (CPI), a Chicago based community based organization, the Bayanihan Foundation will launch a series of “Filipinx X-Plore Our History Workshops” to get access to Filipino culture and promote NEXTGEN Travel to the Philippines in June 2017. The history workshops will consist of six Thursday evenings, 6:30 PM till 9 PM at DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus, 2315 N. Kenmore Ave. Room 101 Chicago, IL. The six Thursday evening workshops are scheduled for:
- September 8, 2016;
- September 29, 2016;
- October 6, 2016;
- October 20, 2016;
- November 3, 2016; and
- November 17, 2016
The curriculum for the history workshops were put together by the following volunteers: Cecily Hensler of University of Illinois at Chicago; Maria Ferrera of DePaul University; Dale Asis & Jeselle Santiago of Loyola University Chicago; and Eugene Asidao of Committee on Pilipino Issues (CPI).
2015 NEXTGEN Fellow Jeselle Santiago joining a workshop at Adamson University in Manila (July 2015)
Light dinner, refreshments and all materials will be provided. A donation of $119 is requested. A $100 credit could be used towards NEXTGEN 2017 Philippine Travel. The Bayanihan Foundation is also planning online versions of these workshops in the Spring 2017; so stay tuned! You can register online for these workshops by clicking HERE. You can also find out additional info with the Committee on Pilipino Issues (847) 987-1782 or on Facebook-CPI Pinoy.
