Local group visits Philippines for volunteer project

Joseph Sy-Chango (left, front row)

A group of students and professionals recently participated in a two-week Outreach Program in the Philippines, which allowed participants to take an active involvement in the country’s society.

This program is run by the Hon Lam Education and Research Association, which aims to strengthen society by encouraging cross-cultural promotion, value cultivation and education.

This year, a total of 22 participants, seven of whom were from Macau, visited underprivileged areas in the Philippines as part of the Summer Work Camp, including a medical center, a squat and a technical school.

Held from August 3 to 17 and for the sixth time, Joseph Sy-Chango, organizer of the camp, said that the visits expose local youth to the realities of life and the importance of helping those less fortunate than themselves.

The team, which consisted of volunteers from Macau, Japan, Hong Kong and Kenya, handed out school supplies and food supplies to people in need, particularly at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, which accommodates patients with heart and neurological diseases, as well as cancer patients.

“Many young people are trapped with a materialistic view of life. This outreach program awakened in them what true happiness is and life’s meaning,” said Sy-Chango, who is also a professor at the University of Macau.

“They saw that amidst suffering, […] sickness and material scarcity, one can still manage to be joyful. It also made them appreciate the gifts they have and learn the importance of using them well. These and more are the learnings that the volunteers gained from this project,” he added.

They also visited a place called “Bahay Aruga,” which translates to “home care,” a halfway house for children suffering from cancer, and visited a technical school that offers vocational courses catering to the needs of the poor.

Volunteers during a field visit

“In Manila, we also visited informal settlers where we gathered 50 kids and gave them school supplies. After that we went to Palawan, where we stayed for around nine days to do some carpentry work,” said Sy-Changco.

In Palawan, an archipelagic province in the Philippines, the team helped to rebuild a classroom at a public school, and gave classes to high school students.

“This is how we can be of service to others, particularly to those who are needy. There is a new world, especially for the students from Macau,” said the organizer.

“They realized that they are the ones who learned a lot and [the camp] gave them a different perspective [on] life,” Sy-Chango added.

According to Sy-Chango, the camp acquires different funding through individual residents, entities and corporate donors, including Galaxy Entertainment Group.

“The students only pay MOP3,300 for two weeks and everything is included. It’s highly subsidized, and this includes the gifts that we hand to them,” he said.

Meanwhile, the organizer said that the group would reach out to the government for funding support this year before their next trip, which will be in December.

The Work Camp has been held twice a year since 2015.