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| Written by Darlyne Bautista | |||||
| Wednesday, 16 September 2009 00:26 | |||||
In the last publication of Pilipino Express, Kevin Lamoureux’s article U of W Seeks closer ties with Philippines welcomed feedback regarding Philippine studies. Mr. Lamoureux was kind enough to mention “the ANAK group” in his thought piece. However, despite this small mention, we feel it is only fitting that we at ANAK share in this discussion. As Filipino-Canadian students, youth, and members of the community, we wish to underline that Philippine studies has been the thrust of our mandate since 2006. It is through our young lifetime as being “othered” in academia through a history that does not recognize our history; and of living in a society that knows us more through labels and stereotypes that we must respond. The development of Philippine Studies in Winnipeg will be the culmination of our identity, as we need to conceptualize it. It is not something that we feel should be simplified as an “academic option” or an “immigration stream” as Mr. Lamoureux so gently tries to sell it as. It really is something that should come with the voice of the community truly in mind. The formation of Philippine Studies in Winnipeg is the reality of how future generations of Filipino-Canadians will come to understand who they are. In 2006, ANAK personally delivered a proposal for Philippine Studies to Mr. Lloyd Axworthy. This proposal was written in consultation with prolific Philippine Studies scholars including Dr. Teresita V. Ramos (Professor of Filipino and Philippine Literature from the University of Hawaii at Manoa – the only Philippine Studies program in existence outside of the Philippines), Ambeth R. Ocampo (then Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in the Philippines and current Chairman of the National Historical Institute of the Philippines), and Dr. Michael Cullinane (Associate Director of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) among others. Although we understand that some time has passed since we first submitted this deeply researched work, we are astonished to learn that today Mr. Lamoureux has instead become a greater expert. If this is so, Mr. Lamoureux, we ask that you expand your discussion to include: 1) What will be the scope of the Philippine connection? How will programs be delivered? Mr. Lamoureux your article proposes to connect the UW and the Philippines in several ways: joint academic exchange programs, Philippine Studies, Philippine immigration to Canada via the International Student Immigration Stream. We admire the breadth of this connection and we wish to learn more on how it will be implemented. Your article does not make clear whether you aspire towards creating a degree program in Philippine Studies or simply providing a Philippine alternative to other conferrable degrees. Will the Canadian-born students you mention as an example receive much needed orientation and support if they choose to study in the Philippines? What courses will they study and how will these credits carry over when they return? Many exchange programs already in existence at the University (eg. Perpignan, France exchange) are offered through in-depth language and cultural programs. A Philippine exchange program should be no different and should be conscious of the needs of each student upon arrival. Simply being Filipino by heritage does not automatically equate to an easy transition once abroad. Moreover with regards to Philippine Studies, would this program be inter-disciplinary in nature? If so, in which department will it be housed and what will be its focus? Will Filipino-Canadian studies also be an option or will it be limited to the study of the Philippines? Or, for Filipino students wishing to study in Canada, what can be done to help ease the exorbitant costs all international students must pay in tuition? Would a reciprocity agreement be in the works? 2) How will you share the relevance of Philippine Studies with others outside of the community? One of the challenges we face in promoting Philippine Studies is the reality of its perception as a dead-end study or degree. Although many agree that understanding the Philippines is important, many more question its compatibility with today’s extremely competitive labour market. In the end many parents wish to know if their son or daughter will be economically stable with a degree in this program. So, if a Philippine Studies program were established, can you assure that proper networks will be in place among academics, business, and public institutions that will assure such expertise will be utilised and recognized fully? 3) What will be done about the current limited number of Philippine Academic Resources in Canada? Another important question to consider is who will be the purveyors of such knowledge? As any student with an interest in the Philippines would know, there is a frustrating few (if any) scholarly works available to Canadian students in Winnipeg. ANAK has worked tirelessly to develop contacts to attain these serious works and continues to do so with limited funds shared between its scholarships, mentorship and educational programs. We believe understanding the Philippines and its diaspora should come with much healthy discussion and debate. It is not enough for students to be told what to learn – they must also take the initiative to know what discussions already exist. It is imperative that we not deny any student this simply because of limited resources. The urgency for resources is now. Please tell us what will be done about this. We appreciate that you mention “the ANAK group” in your article. What you may not know is that each of our members are intimately acquainted with the current education systems in both Canada and the Philippines. Moreover, there are a few of us who have been forced outside of Canada and into the United States and the Philippines to complete our graduate studies on this topic as there are no comparable programs available in this country. None of these decisions were made as a matter of convenience but as a matter of commitment to our community and to future generations. We clearly care deeply about this cause. In August 2010, ANAK will be hosting a second Philippine Studies Summer Institute sponsored by the University of Winnipeg Global College with guest lecturer Dr. Antonio Tujan, Jr. of the IBON Research Foundation in Manila, Philippines. We are honoured to welcome yet another renowned scholar to our cause. Together with our community, we hope we can be more than words but aksyon - as your anak we promise we will. Darlyne Bautista is a founding member of ANAK. She is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg where she also completed a one-year practicum in the Philippines. In 2008, she completed her MA in Southeast Asian Studies (Philippine Studies concentration) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Contact the author at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Have a comment on this article? Send us your feedback
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