“Ventures” Outside the Comfortable and Copacetic Confines of the Classroom

A month ago, two teachers, one co-principal, seven students, and the SISP Team from The Harbour School stood on the precipice of a two-and-a-half-week service trip to the Philippines from Hong Kong. After seven months of planning, the urgency of our goals, objectives, and intentions set in, leaving us with a sobering question: how well do we really know the Philippines?

The Philippines is only a 1.5-hour flight from Hong Kong, and among our Southeast Asian neighbors, no other country has found its history intimately interwoven with Hong Kong since the late 1970s. With a land mass 3% the size of the United States, but a population of 110 million, it makes sense to consider that, alongside its world-renowned pristine beaches, the Filipino people are often regarded as the country’s greatest natural resource. Known for their trademark warmth, generosity of spirit, and cheerful resilience, most Filipinos also speak English proficiently, making them ideal "Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW)," particularly in healthcare in North America, food services in Europe, and caregiving in Asia, most specifically Hong Kong.

The reality of the latter has restructured generations of children and families for many Hong Kongers, with kids of all nationalities developing a taste for adobo or lumpia after being raised by their affectionately termed "Aunties," who have become part of their precious memories and formative experiences.

Not to get too far ahead of ourselves in telling the story of our trip, but it is worth noting that a poignant moment of reflection was watching the film Still Human with the San Martin’s community, a heartwarming story about a caregiver and an elderly disabled employer filmed in Hong Kong. Its star, Crisel Consunji, won an HK actor’s award for her nuanced portrayal of one experience in this diaspora, and we were fortunate to have her on hand for a post-screening Q&A.  We highly recommend the movie, and we aren’t the only ones; it got a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  

One less publicized, but equally foundational role in Hong Kong’s economy is the role of Filipinos, in education, particularly in the international school landscape where many lead the way, including our own Christine Greenberg, who won Principal of the Year in Hong Kong in 22Y23. There are some estimates of over 10,000 Filipinos supporting the education sector. 15% of the teaching faculty at THS identifies as Filipino.

Notwithstanding this interdependence, many Hong Kongers remain uninformed about the dimensions of the Philippines, which was the predisposition of the majority of our team of students and teachers.

Upon officially commencing this trip, we were immediately tested by a whirlwind tour through the remote areas of Quezon and Batangas. Four days later, we faced a hard reality check upon arriving at Bahay Yaman San Martin (BYSMPI), our social enterprise partner. After months of meticulous work designing a sustainable product, developing a socially-minded business model, and raising funds, there were high hopes for a flawless product launch (by the way, the product is a fashionable bag made from off-cuts of garments in clothing production).

Anyone at The Harbour School’s high school will tell you that Block D, Room 1, is a hive of activity, with a division of labor organized under our "Queen Bee," Tallie. This class stands out for its student-driven learning and is a pedagogical model worth highlighting for its rigor. At a recent parent night event, Tallie poignantly remarked during the panel discussion, “I am taking two AP classes, but my hardest class is GPD.”

Stepping into the world of the San Martin community meant crossing a threshold—leaving the hive and operating outside the comfortable and copacetic confines of the classroom. Our well-intended and organized plan soon revealed preconceived notions contrary to how entrepreneurship, and more specifically sustainable entrepreneurship, works in another country. The kids were learning the ropes of life—lessons that most of us didn’t grasp until adulthood, often in a dismayed, post-facto fashion.

As the challenges and triumphs unfolded, it was powerful to observe the real-time processing of these experiences into global competencies. At times, you could see the transformation happening by watching the expressions on their faces: wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and lips starting to purse as they were about to protest the discomfort that comes with trying new things. But then, the tension eased, the muscles relaxed, and it was almost as if their faces said, "Let’s let go and just get on with it."

The feeling of triumph over a challenge wasn’t always immediate. A “learning to lose” mantra fostered new growth by helping us redefine our success metrics when the goalposts shifted unexpectedly. We all grappled with letting go of ideological attachments, but eventually, ego yielded to collectivism in favor of the greater good, pledging to reconcile mistakes, misunderstandings, and unintended consequences.

Our bag’s namesake, Woven Hope, originally represented a collectivist approach to supporting skill development to expand entrepreneurial prospects for the orphans at San Martin. Only now, at the conclusion of this trip, can we see a second story revealing the strands of culture, language, religion, privilege, and more, all magnificently coalescing between the kids of Hong Kong and the Philippines. We invite you to hear the voices of our team begin to weave this tapestry in the mini-documentary that was released just before the trip.  

Circling back to the question we started with, and after this deeply immersive experience, we can say that this was an awakening to our understanding of the people and culture of the Philippines, offered by the Filipinos who invited us into their lives to build fellowship and community and exchange ideas. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but we are grateful for the openness and efforts of Father Boyette, Principal Allen, our family members away from home—Caroline, Roy, and Christy—Teachers Monica and Mar, Rafi Cristobal, Christine Greenberg, Van Tengga, Jaime Benedicto, and of course, all the kids at BYSMPI and Casa Bantu, with whom the bonds of friendship are cherished.

To wrap it all up, we are sharing the log of daily updates sent to families. Enjoy this raw vicarious experience! And… before we officially sign off, we leave you with the product of our process: the San Martins Apparel website. We invite you to buy a bag and support community service learning!

Day 1: Arrival and Tour

"After smoothly navigating immigration, our first stop was the Gardenia Bread Factory. The students were enthusiastic and engaged, eager to learn about local industry."

Day 2: Farm Visit & Accommodations Update

“We spent a lovely day at a community farm, Localroots, in Laguna where young Leo Casaclang shared traditional and modern practices farming on family land passed down 3 generations.  However, later that evening we encountered a challenge with our hotel accommodations due to pest issues. Rest assured, we promptly addressed this and moved to the Microhotel in Laguna, where the students felt more comfortable.”

Day 3: Community Connections

“After the pivot last night, we had an easy morning and then carried out the original plan to connect with community officials and local conservationists. It was a great conversation and visit to the Marine Protected Area. We are settled for the night in the Batangas. Kids will enjoy the beach tomorrow morning before we head up to the orphanage in Bulacan.”

Day 4: San Martin de Porres Orphanage

“After a big travel days we have arrived at San Martin de Porres Orphanage in Bustos and united with our partnering organization. Our students made first contact with the San Martin’s kids and participated in some team-building activities.”  

Day 5: Workshops and Cultural Exchange

“Today we had a workshop on cultural competence, made big decisions on bag production and got decked out for the movie screening of HK Film, 'Still Human”. Main character, Crisel Consunji was in attendance and gave a Q&A. The story of a Filipina domestic helper in Hong Kong resonated strongly with everyone in the audience. Our group asked her some great questions! They also screened their trailer for the documentary on GPD this year. It was a busy busy day!”

Day 6: Team Building and Product Development

“We had our first work session with the kids here at St Martins, “Martinians” as they call themselves. It was an afternoon of team building. They led us in a satin rose making activity (believe these will be bag charms for the highly anticipated product). We reciprocated with some fun Mr G games — THS favorites! Later in the day the kids played some basketball together. The interactions have been fun so far and most of us have our Tagalog greetings down.

(Day 7) Reflection: Learning to Lose

"Learning to lose" has beautifully captured the essence of our journey these past two days. Our students have been losing themselves in their work, captivated by the genuine curiosity and enthusiasm of their BYSMPI counterparts. There's something profoundly moving about watching young minds connect through shared discovery. We've witnessed them "lose," or gently release, attachments to small comforts they once thought indispensable. These moments of letting go have revealed remarkable resilience and adaptability. And perhaps most heartening of all, our students have begun to lose themselves in laughter—rich, spontaneous, and abundant laughter that can only come from the heart. It has truly been "learning to lose" in all the right ways—losing inhibitions, losing preconceptions, and finding something far more valuable in their place. More updates to follow as our adventure continues!

(Day 8-10) Work, Work and Play

“Hi all, we have had a few busy days that have ended in sports with the Martinians and some hilarious sessions playing cards. The kids have hit their stride and have been working super hard to prepare for our product launch party on Sunday. We have had a lot of RSVPs and are expecting up to 80 people! I am going to share a few shots of the bags that I took today, but please do not share these as we are trying to keep them under wraps until launch.”

(Day 11) Countdown to Launch

“Hi everyone, the big day is nearly upon us! These entrepreneurs left it all on the floor today. They certainly have a lot to be proud of. They enjoyed a rejuvenating swim at the resort next door (we do relax just a little), before we came back and put the finishing touches on things. Looking forward to showing off all their hard work coming to fruition with you tomorrow!”

(Day 12) The Big Day

“Launch Day! This was a grand affair complete with a famous Filipino troubadour. The students participated in all aspects and played host to 75+ attendees alongside fellow Martinians. An estimated 30 bags were pre-ordered! Tomorrow we visit the Bustos municipality and meet with local government officials to learn about the local issues. Oh yeah, we also went to a beautiful Sunday mass this morning as a group. Catholicism is such a community pillar in the Philippines.”

(Day 13) Goodbye Martinians

“Today we said most of our goodbyes, which was not easy after working so closely with the people here! Among all the goodbyes, we did manage to get out and tour the Bustos area a little and practice making some local delicacies. After that, Mr King lead everyone is some Capoeira back at BYSMPI!”

(Day 14) Hello Manila and Casa Bantu

“These kids (if they can hardly be called that anymore) really worked up to the last second at BYSMPI as they pitched St Martins to a Peace Corps volunteer. Hopefully they've got him on board to fill a key position needed over here in the Philippines! A short ride later we made it to Metro Manila where we joined the Bantu project in doing some Capoeira with underprivileged youth. Big applause to the work they do there- it was a great experience!”

(Day 15) Natural Dye Workshop and Capoeira Ceremony

“As a way to reciprocate the sharing of Capoeira with us, we taught the members of the Bantu project how to use natural Indigo dye to tie-dye t-shirts. There were very interesting conversations taking place about socio-economic situations in their neighborhood and recent developments in national politics. The activity was well received by all, and everyone walked away with a creation of their own making. As a closing to the two days spent with the Bantu project, we had a final Copoeira performance on the streets with the San Andreas Bukid community.”

(Day 16) Good Bye Philippines

“We are leaving the Philippines excited to see family and friends and at the same time we leave with a strong emotional attachment to the Philippines.”