Published: 3:41 pm December 5, 2023 | Updated: 5:48 pm December 7, 2023

Students get deeply involved in CEES’s flagship program for marginalized sectors

Project AKBAY, flagship program of FEU High School’s Academic Affairs Office – Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand in coordination with the Community Engagement and Extension Services (CEES) with partners Gawad Kalinga and Barangay 128 in Tondo, Manila, recently had an immersive experience that aims to deeply understand the various pressing societal issues by exposing students in actual life situations of marginalized communities last November 27 to December 1, 2023.  

Different batches of Grade 12 HUMSS strand students were assigned to select foster families to assist them with their day-to-day household tasks and responsibilities while they share their living and situation. This helped deepen their classroom learning and values through this one-day community immersion. After the activity, students and their foster families conveyed their sentiments and reflections and showed their gratitude and appreciation by giving tokens to their foster families. 

“Malaking tulong ang naigawad nito. Hindi lamang nito hinubog ang aking pagkatao, kundi binigyan ako nito ng inspirasyon at motibasyon na ipagpatuloy ang aking mga ipinaglalaban dahil maaaring maging isa ako sa maging instrumento upang maitayo sila sa dagok na kanilang kasalukuyang hinaharap (This greatly shaped not only my character, but also served as an inspiration and motivation to continue to push for my advocacies as I may be one of the instruments to eventually help them ease their situation),” one student expressed.

Part of the HUMSS strand curriculum is the Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences (DIASS), a subject course that introduces three applied social sciences namely Counseling, Social Work and Communication, and highlight the interconnection of these different disciplines and theories to everyday life occurrences.  

Through CEES’s initiative, this sparked more pragmatic perspectives and discourses of HUMSS students such as poverty, politics, technology and social media along with their desire to further positively contribute towards nation building. This activity also served as an opportunity for students to cultivate a sense of simplicity and genuine respect and admiration for families under these circumstances.  

“It is very different from how social media presents the place. In social media, we can see how different ordinary people treat them when we are all the same. It was also very shocking because you never believe how bad these living conditions are unless you see it in real life,” another student shared. 

Project AKBAY under Program Ahon, CEES’s umbrella program focused on improving the lives of its partner marginalized communities, aims to thoroughly grasp the current situation and needs of the community and address these by proposing sustainable and economical livelihood.  

With this, HUMSS students will propose and implement suitable programs that their foster families and the whole community of Paradise Heights can adapt to that will somehow boost their living conditions. 

“We hope that this program continues to not only enlighten our students of the real situation of our communities but also drive them to bring their advocacies in their professions, transforming them into catalysts for positive change,” HUMSS Cluster Head Ms. Audrey Basa said. 

For more information, please visit feuhighschool.edu.ph