Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (FH GPA)

Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad, Cebu

In 2019, The Center for Philippine Studies obtained a grant from the Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (FH GPA). This program, titled “Mapping Language and Culture in the Philippine South” (also called Project Magsayod, the Bisayan word for “to learn”) was finally implemented in summer 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It trained 10 American K-12 teachers, faculty and students on the basics of the Cebuano language and area studies focusing on the southern Philippines (Cebu and “Muslim Mindanao”). Project Magsayod ran for four weeks of language training and immersion in collaboration with the University of San Carlos in Cebu City. Originally, 12 participants were originally selected, but two dropped out for some reasons, the pandemic being one of them.

While in Cebu, the 10 participants were immersed in conversational Cebuano (Sinugbo in the local lingo) in the classroom, and practiced speaking with locals in the afternoon under the tutorship of Ms. Lilia Ibo and Mr. Clyde Chan. USC’s Director of Cebuano Studies, Dr. Hope Sabanpan Yu, served as the project coordinator and supervisor.  Apart from acquiring conversational competence in the Cebuano language, the participants also had field trips to several heritage sites in Bohol and Cebu, such as Boljoon Church, and Basilica Sto Nino, observed nature while hiking at Mt. Apo, Negros Oriental, and swam with the docile butanding (whale shark) in Oslob, Cebu, The Project Director and grant writer of Magsayod was Dr. Federico V. Magdalena, while the Co-Director was Dr. Pia Arboleda, who was also the Center’s Director.

Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad, Cavite

The following year (2023), the Center again obtained and implemented a second Fulbright-Hays GPA, “Filipino Language and Indigenous Cultural Heritage” (locally titled “Project Dunong at Kalinangan“). This time, the training site and host was De La Salle University in Dasmarinas, Cavite. The number of participants doubled to 19 American teachers and students from Hawaii and California, who underwent four weeks of training during the summer 2023. They trained under the supervision of the DLSU Coordinator, Dr. Christian George Francisco.

Project Dunong at Kalinangan ran from June 8 to July 6, 2023, shortly after the pre-departure orientation on June 5-6, 2023. Nineteen teacher participants from Hawaii, California and Arizona have been selected to undertake this month-long immersion program on Filipino language and cultural heritage in the Philippines.

In Cavite, they learned basic Filipino (Tagalog-based language in the country) and cultural heritage focusing on Mindanao and Luzon regions for the purpose of integrating their knowledge in their respective curriculum at home. Like its Magsayod predecessor, Project Dunong was successfully completed. The project director (also the grant writer) is Dr. Magdalena, affiliate faculty at the Asian Studies Department, and Deputy Director of the Center. The project Co-Project Director is Dr. Pia Arboleda, the Center Director, with Dr. Jayson Parba as Program Administrator. The duo are language professors at the UH Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, which is concurrently chaired by Dr. Arboleda.

The CPS project, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (aka Project: Dunong at Kalinangan), was successfully completed, the participants enjoying their language training and exposure to historic Cavite. It’s the second FH project implemented by UHM Center for Philippine Studies.

Reports of project have been submitted to Fulbright-Hays GPA management and are available on file.