The highlight of any Immersion program is a week-long stay in an ANCOP Canada village. From Days 8-14, the 23 members of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) will be hosted in this first class city in a province just north of Metro Manila.
This year’s host village is Baliuag, know
n for many things including buntal hat and bags, pandesal, ensaymada, Spanish bread and the pyrotechnics industry. In recent years, its also been known for its Lechon Manok and a booming bus franchise.
The dynamic public administration team of Baliuag led by its mayor, Ferdinand V. Estrella, welcomed the participants complete with pomp and pageantry!
It was a sight to see with children from the city dancing complete with props and costumes and a big banner to welcome the delegation.
The delegation was very happy with the welcome and the audience with the local government officials. It was a great start to their 1-week stay in Baliuag. After a week of visiting previous build sites across the Philippines and feeding kids at an orphanage, the team was looking forward to not just building relationships but building actual homes too!
Here’s the summary video for Day 8:
Visit Catholic Student Leadership for more pictures and videos about TCDSB’s service leadership program in the Philippines.
**********
Michael is the son of ANCOP Canada’s strong advocates from Greater Toronto Area, Bernie and Belen Consul. He has headed this immersion trip for the past 7 years.
Review the trip here:
Departure from Toronto
Day 1 – Arrival in Manila – Meet the Participants
Day 2 – Masaganang Bagong Taon
Day 3 – Our Lady of Banneaux
Day 4 – Tour of Manila
Day 5 – A Visit to a Tondo Orphanage
Day 6 – Visit to AKC Kalookan
Day 7 – Tagaytay City Exposure