When the Land of the Rising Sun and the Pearl of the Orient Seas meet each other in an open friendship...

Shotoku Gakuin Visits Manresa

 

            As part of their peace and cultural study tour to the Philippines, Shotoku Gakuin visited Manresa School on January 13, 2010, Wednesday. The Shotoku delegates, numbering 32 in all (students and educators), arrived at around 8:30am in the campus grounds of Manresa School via its Main Gate, where they were promptly received by the school’s welcoming committee, composed of Sr. Emelinda C. Falsis, F.I., the RCA (Directress) – Principal of Manresa, members from the High School student council, escorts [for each of the delegates], and teachers and students working as the documenting committee. After an exchange of pleasantries, the delegates were escorted to the conference room at the ground floor of the school’s Main Building, where they changed their clothing and took their snacks. At 9:00am, the delegates, with their corresponding escorts, proceeded to the Auditorium for the program. The High School students were already gathered in the auditorium beforehand; they greeted the delegates warmly as the latter entered the vicinity.

Erwin Alquizalas says the Opening Prayer:

Heavenly Father, We praise and thank You for this wonderful day that You have given to us. We thank you for the many blessings that You continue to shower upon us. On this very special day, we would like to thank You for giving us the time and opportunity to meet and interact with our brothers and sisters from Shotoku. We pray that we may each learn from our diverse cultures and that this experience will unite us into one family, sharing the vision and mission of Mother Candida with us. All of these we ask, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Opening Remarks was given by Kevin Cosme:
Sisters, teachers, staff, and fellow students, let us start this program by giving our esteemed guests from Shotoku Gakuin, the world-renowned Filipino hospitality, as an expression of our friendly greeting – let us give them a warm round of applause…. Exchanging pleasantries is a good way to start the day.

Ohayou Gozaimasu! A pleasant morning to all!

This is truly a red-letter day for all of us. It is one of those rare moments where we get to break the monotony of our daily schedules. We are given this wonderful opportunity to share our cultures with each other in a most direct manner. Today is the day when the Land of the Rising Sun and the Pearl of the Orient meet each other in open friendship.

The Filipino and Japanese peoples have plenty in common. Both have high respects and regards towards their elders, family members, and guests. Both, too, are known to be resilient and hard working races. On another note, the two live in beautiful lands encompassed with a variety of lush greeneries and wildlife. Such is the commonality between our peoples.

As part of our Asian heritage, we are deeply religious communities. We recognize a greater power than our own, who, for us Christians, we lovingly call our Heavenly Father. He is the one who created us all equally as brothers and sisters and citizens of the world. Hence, no form of racism must be found among us, His children.

Our deer guests, you may not be aware of it, but many of us Filipinos, especially the youth, take interest and are intrigued by your culture. A lot of us enjoy your delicacies as well. Today, however, it will be your turn to sample the Philippines, so to speak. We hope that you will enjoy your short stay with us, and that you may learn more about us Filipinos. Sure the occasional culture shock may not be avoided, but that is part of the fun of learning about other each other.

Please make yourselves at home.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Japan! Thank you very much for listening and have a wonderful day.

This was the Closing Prayer of Daniel Encinares.
Almighty Father, we give glory and praise to Your most holy name. We thank you for gathering and bridging us with our fellow brothers and sisters from Shotoku. You have made us believe once more that in Your eyes we are all equal and created in Your own image and likeness. Neither distance nor difference in race can be a barrier in bringing forth your children to the light of Your presence and love. May You touch our pure hearts with Your compassion and enlighten us to do as You will.
With all the crises and misfortunes our world is facing right now, may this be a way to heal all wounds and see the coming day with a stronger and unwavering faith. Hand in hand with Your guidance, may we work together as one in bringing peace, unity, justice and love back to our land. All this we pray to Your most holy name, where all good things come. Amen. 

The Greetings from each group were given by Sr. Emelinda C. Falsis, F.I. and Ms. Miyuki Mochida; the Opening Remarks by Ms. Kotoko Yada; and the Closing Remarks by Mr. Akira Aoyama.

            It was a simple yet very profound program. It ended at around 10:20am, after which the Shotoku delegates were toured around the campus of Manresa School. The route of the tour was as follows:
-           1st Floor Main Building
-           2nd Floor Main Building
-           3rd Floor Main Building
-           3rd Floor Bridge
-           3rd Floor Mo. Candida Ma. De Jesus Bldg: HS Laboratories (General Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics)
-           2nd Floor Mo. Candida Ma. De Jesus Bldg: HS Library, HS Instructional Media Center (IMC) and Mini Theater
-           1st Floor Mo. Candida Ma. De Jesus Bldg: Canteen
-           Gymnasium
-           2nd Floor Holy Name of Jesus Building: Preschool Library
-           2nd Floor Sofia Garcia Building
-           2nd Floor Annex Building: Elementary Library
-           2nd Floor Antonia Bandres Building: Elementary Laboratory
-           Chapel
-           Conference Room

            The tour gave the escorts an opportunity to talk with the escorted about a student’s life in Manresa. Also, it was an occasion to engage in casual conversations with each other, thus furthering the intercultural experience and fostering friendship and familiarity. The tour finished at around 11:30am. The Shotoku delegates, as well as their escorts, took their lunch in separate venues – the former ate at the conference room, while the latter ate at the canteen. By this time, both were granted the freedom to roam the school.
            Come 12:30pm, the delegates and their escorts had already finished eating. They planned to enjoy the last few moments together by having friendly competitions of basketball and volleyball with each other in the gym. These drew crowds of High School students who watched the “competitions.”
            At 12:55pm, the games ended and the delegates went back to the conference room to prepare themselves to leave the campus of Manresa School. A few minutes past 1:00pm, the delegates were escorted to their bus, which was waiting outside the schools gate nearest its chapel. As cordially as they were welcomed, the delegates were waved adieu by their escorts with warmth and fondness. It was truly an unforgettable and enriching experience for the students of both schools.

Here are some memorable photos of the visit...

The Welcome at the Airport

 

the Welcoming smiles from the Manresans

 

Sr. Lynn accompanied the group to some special places in Manila

 

Sr. Lorena poses with some Shotoku ladies

 

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