Cebu Educational Trip

After joining the cultural heritage tour of Negros, I was fortunate enough to join an educational trip in Cebu City. This time as a volunteer staff of the tour agent. The group was composed of 2nd year Computer Science students from Northern Mindanao. Places of interest visited were museums, call centers, newspaper printing office and processing plants among others.



I was reminded when I was at their age. I was adjusting to a new school in Bacolod City. We had no educational tours then. Only field trips in the same community. But now, every year level in school has a program for educational trips, whether within or outside of their community.



Now, back to the students. I think they had a lot of first time experiences. Coming from Northern Mindanao, it was their first time to ride a ferry, first time to visit Cebu and first time to sleep in an air conditioned hotel. However, there were times that some of the students would rather stay in the bus to sleep than go to the place of visit. Well, it would be understandable at their age that they are timid, complacent and passive. It is just such a pity that their parents or guardians must have spent a fortune for their trip and the students aren't getting their money's worth.




I hoped the students were enriched by their trip. Because I was. One should enjoy one's youth. Travel while you are still able. We are so busy working now to save money for our retirement. When we retire, we can't be certain if we are in good health to travel. Such is life's irony.

Don't be a stranger in your own land

Are you one of those people who haven't been around in your own town or city?

It is embarrassing but I have to admit that I am guilty of this. I've lived in Bacolod City for the past 31 years minus a few years when I worked in Manila. But there are places in Bacolod City where I haven't seen or been yet. And some of these places are tourist destinations.

I am glad to have been part of a group of who had the opportunity to visit the various museums in Bacolod and Negros recently. The Negros Museum in Bacolod City has a tale of its own. It says of the rich history of the Negrense as a people, their culture, their way of life, the illustrious families that lived in the times when sugar was the top product of the province. Thanks to our very articulate tour guide, Raymond Bayot. Being a tour guide is an exciting and exhausting job. But he did an excellent job in sharing with us the details of the history of our province.



I believe it is high time that we, residents of Bacolod City, encourage local tours to help boost economic activity. How can i sell these ideas when I haven't even experienced it? I believed that I, myself, have to see these places.



Think about it. So you won't be a stranger in your own land.