This lesson stands out in BSM’s curriculum, particularly because the students go out and progressively immerse themselves in marginalized communities each year. Last January, the school held their second annual Make a Difference (MAD) Week, an on-ground trip where BSM students engage with different social sectors to holistically understand their stories and build lasting relationships.

Opening young eyes to intersectionality

The program is designed to progress for four years, so students can find the causes they resonate with and work with their chosen community long-term.

“We kind of flipped the model in school,” said Michael Guinness, BSM’s senior Service and Sustainability curriculum coordinator. “I think too often we make assumptions about communities and about people who are underprivileged, or even an ecosystem that’s underprivileged, and we don’t give them the space to tell us what’s going on.”

Instead of a one-and-done activity, the school focused on facilitating more authentic and collaborative experiences for both students and partner communities. This way, the students get a broader picture, seeing how larger factors like the environment or economy are entangled with these sectors’ narratives.

“It builds that long-term ability to truly understand these communities that we’re working with, and make sure that we’re working alongside them, not ‘to’ them or ‘at’ them. The heart of doing that is knowing that the people in these communities are the experts in their own problems.”

Shifting perspectives begins with language

The students began to embody this perspective with something as simple as language. As the program went on, the students learned to talk about the activities in the context of listening instead of “serving.”

Dalisaï Costa, a Year 10 student, spent her MAD Week with the Dumagat tribe in Mount Purro Nature Reserve. There, she learned about the community’s deep-rooted challenges on cultural identity after facing displacement and marginalization since the Spanish colonial time. The ripples of that problem are felt up until now, as the elders are hard-pressed to get the youth to pick up their traditions and culture.

These stories struck a chord with Dalisaï and her personal experiences as a French-Filipino individual. “They have, I guess, an identity loss. I’ve faced, of course to a much lesser extent, the feeling sometimes that I do not fit certain prospects of being a French or Filipino individual. Trying to imagine what it feels like being part of a community which is so discriminated against in Filipino and Spanish culture; it’s just a striking thing.”

Another Year 10 student, Maximillian Holden, had his first encounter with the farming ecosystem during his Costales Nature Reserve visit. The experience allowed him to widen his viewpoint beyond just planting crops.

“The people at the farm, it’s a very low population. They’re only 30 to 50 people there, and they farm every day. They support loads of businesses and restaurants here in Manila. They do all of this every day and work 12 hours, which is very impressive. Nobody really sees it,” said Max.

The visit let him come face to face with the socioeconomic effects of climate change. “They are a farm, and they need a specific temperature for their plants to grow. With climate change increasing the temperature, lots of their plans had to be [changed] and they had to invest in new seeds and plants. They had to start from the beginning again.”

Climate change was a central theme during the week, but the students learned to see it with a lens of hope as they work with partner communities, instead of social-media-fueled gloom and doom. Here, they can take real steps to help make things better.

“I feel like a lot of problems institutions face with incorporating sustainability in their curriculum is that it tends to be seen as very hopeless and tedious,” said Dalisaï, who is a senior Service and Sustainability student representative herself. “[We’re] seeing sustainability in a much more positive light, in the theme of this year’s MAD Week, which is Hope. It’s much less dreary, and that engages students.”

Deeper partnerships for lasting change

The long-term program is an exercise on openness for the students, who were encouraged to dive into their partner communities’ worlds. They communicated with help from translators, participated in local activities, gathered scientific data, and culminated their education with documentaries.

“Being able to uplift the community and highlight their strengths, that’s what MAD Week’s about. It’s not about trying to change the community, but it’s trying to empower them to be independent,” said Dalisaï. 

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This has always been the program’s DNA, which was borne of an extensive collaboration between BSM and social enterprise group MAD Travel. “The current education system tends to take [topics] apart and keep them separate, but we all know that our environment is connected to the economy. It’s integrated,” said Rafael Dionisio, a co-founder of MAD Travel.

“We can’t separate them from one another, and so dissolving those separations is important. So we’re super happy about [the BSM collaboration]. They’re setting an example for other schools that, hey, it can be done.”

The program’s current run has two years to go, but the budding growth is already palpable in both students and their partner communities. The goal of MAD Week is for students to internalize these lessons beyond graduation, and as long as they do, the country has more sparks of hope that can lead the charge to change in the future. – Rappler.com

That’s a common question we’ve been getting since we started this podcast. We found this question to be interesting and very valid. After all, shifting careers or pivoting away from the stability of a regular paycheck isn’t a privilege everyone can afford. And eight episodes into creating this podcast, we thought, what if we can find someone who can lay down a guide for those who don’t know how to pursue their passions?

We invited to the studio Wealth Arki founder and registered financial planner Fitz Villafuerte to help us. In talking with Fitz, we realized that we needed to change the idea for the episode. Fitz, after all, says it’s healthier and more responsible to nurture passions instead.

Nurturing your passion, he says, is a more forgiving approach because the word “pursue” feels too intimidating and urgent. To nurture, however, is to approach it with compassion and care.

Fitz says that instead of deciding to change our lives in a single pivotal moment, let’s take our time to understand where we are right now and where we want to be. Then figure out a realistic and time-bound plan if we do want to make a living out of our interests.

And Fitz himself is living proof that this can work. In the podcast, he shares that his father didn’t believe there was good money in a writing career. So Fitz became a civil engineer and worked on a personal blog at the same time. His blog would eventually become a source of income, and it would also open up other opportunities for him, like becoming a certified registered financial planner and then eventually opening up his financial planning practice.

Fitz now runs Wealth Arki, writes, and makes TikToks on the side.

In this episode of Teach Me, Senpai, Fitz talks about what a “nurture your passion” plan could look like, what financial preparations need to be made, and the kind of mindset a person should have to enjoy his or her interests and eventually make a living out of it.

Catch the episode on Sunday, February 25, at 7 pm. – Rappler.com

Must Read

Marikina understands the impact of climate crisis. Here’s how students are taking action.

Breeze EcoProject started with Marikina in 2021. The year after, they added schools from Taguig and Pateros (TAPAT). This year, they added Quezon City into the mix. From 17 schools and 24,384 students in 2021, they have now involved a total of 59 schools and 133,356 students in total. They also partnered with the different school division offices of Marikina, Taguig-Pateros, and Quezon City.

They also packed in more activities for the year. Breeze EcoProject added several activities this year, including teachers training or training workshops for the teachers with speakers who mentored children through their environmental journey, and lessons about collecting and recycling plastic waste and even planting and tending to a garden.

They also launched the project in Quezon City during the Brigada Eskwela Opening Program of Rosa L. Susano – Novaliches Elementary School, in collaboration with Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. and the Schools Division Office of Quezon City.

The campaign started with training for teachers about environmental awareness so that they could guide students even beyond the campaign’s conclusion. Then an E-collect program took place where students can bring single-use and recyclable plastic waste that was sent to different recycling facilities. The school with the heaviest accumulated plastic waste was awarded a Knowledge TV.

Students were once again taught how to make eco planters and the student with the best planter will be awarded an Android tablet.

An Eco Garden competition was also in place, so students could apply what they learned from the classroom in a realistic setting. And the group with the most transformative and creative garden was also recognized.

Just in time for the holiday season too is the Eco Christmas Corner program where grade three students were taught how to use recyclable materials to decorate their Christmas Corners.

Now in its third year of the campaign, Breeze is living up to their promise of continued environmental education for young students. Not only have they sustained the program and replicated it in more schools, but they have also expanded it to include more activities and opportunities to learn.

Want to know more about Breeze’s third EcoProject campaign? Watch the video below.

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You can visit https://www.facebook.com/BreezePhilippines/ for more information. – Rappler.com

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A post shared by Raxenne Maniquiz (@raxenne)

Then, imagine going into a meeting and seeing representatives from Nike/Jordan use your illustrations in a pitch deck so that they can convince you to work with them for a campaign.

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This is what happened to illustrator and graphic designer Raxenne Maniquiz.

By then, Raxenne had already been working at one of Manila’s most prestigious design studios, Plus63 Design Co. She had experience handling clients both with the studio and as a freelancer as they were encouraged by their mentors and bosses to work on projects on the side as a way to keep learning.

During her stint with Plus63, she was able to create illustrations for brands like UNIQLO and Doc Martens. In 2020, before the lockdown, she was also invited as a speaker for Graphika Manila, where thousands of young creatives attended to learn from trailblazers in the industry.

Raxenne had also collaborated with renowned artist Stefan Sagmeister for an art installation in Bentonville, Arkansas. She was also a recipient of the Young Guns Award granted by One Club for Creativity, a nonprofit organization that recognizes talent in advertising and design.

Her illustrations of flora endemic to the Philippines have also garnered the attention of Filipino botanists and the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative.

If you haven’t seen the works of this badass designer and illustrator, a visit to her Instagram page would instantly convert you into a fan.

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A post shared by Raxenne Maniquiz (@raxenne)

In this episode of Teach Me, Senpai, we dive deep into Raxenne’s imaginative and flora-filled mind. We ask her about how she found her style, what continues to drive her to draw local Filipino plants in great detail, and how she handles client work while pursuing her passion projects.

We also break down campaigns she did in the past and get firsthand advice on what to do if you’re an aspiring illustrator and designer.

Catch the episode on Sunday, December 10, at 7 pm. Bookmark this page, check our Facebook and YouTube channels, or follow us on Spotify at bit.ly/RapplerTeachMeSenpai. – Rappler.com

It was then that she realized that the first step in changing her life was making the decision to pursue what she actually wanted. And Wiji, true to her Instagram handle “curiouswiji,” had a lot of curiosities she wanted to pursue.

Wiji is most known as a visual and tattoo artist and is popular for her watercolor and illustrative tattoo designs. Her work sometimes looks ethereal, sometimes cartoonish, and oftentimes filled with wonderfully blended colors that captivate the eyes.

She has worked with some of the most known tattoo studios in the Philippines, including Crimson River Tattoo and Tattoo Nebula. She’s also been selected as a recipient of the 2020 Adobe Creative Residency Fund and of the 2021 Adobe Stock Development Fund.

Curiously enough, she is also the person behind Manila Peninsula’s current signature scent, is a reiki healer, and from time to time dabbles in tarot card reading and astrology.

In this episode of Teach Me, Senpai, we ask Wiji about her journey in exploring ways to appeal to and trigger people’s visceral senses through visuals, scents, and healing. We ask her what it takes to gain so many people’s trust and confidence in allowing her art to be part of their bodies, and how she comes up with her designs. We also talk about burnout and how to deal with it, and her plans for the future too.

Catch the episode on Sunday, November 26, at 7 pm. Bookmark this page, check our Facebook and YouTube channels, or follow us on Spotify at bit.ly/RapplerTeachMeSenpai. – Rappler.com

And the rise – or resurgence – of vintage is thanks in no small part to purveyors of the style like Season Pass.

Season Pass is a vintage clothing store tucked into a corner of Maginhawa Street. Its walls are lined with shirts and jackets, and shelves are stocked with shoes and other collectibles – some limited edition designs, some from eras way back when, and others referencing popular shows or artists from the past.

The shop opened in 2018 as a streetwear clothing store specializing in brands and pieces you normally wouldn’t get in the Philippines. But after a few patrons brought in secondhand vintage pieces to trade, the brains behind the shop saw an opportunity to focus on this instead.

From there, they built on ways to acquire secondhand vintage pieces, authenticate them, and price them based on interest and demand. Five years down the road, they have now gathered a community of people who love thrifting and vintage clothing. 

The physical shop may seem small, but don’t be fooled by the storefront’s size. Its influence in the world of vintage fashion in the Philippines goes far beyond the confines of its walls.

They did this by maintaining a strong online presence while hosting offline events, including community flea markets, where other vintage clothing vendors (as well as other kinds of merchants) could sell their wares. They also recently concluded the third iteration of their annual fair, The Good Old Days, where they rent a larger venue and bring in even more merchants and artists to showcase their products.

In this episode of Teach Me, Senpai, Season Pass co-owners Lean Torres and Red Madiaga talk about thrifting and vintage clothing. They talk about how they were able to pull off Season Pass’s current success. They also touch on the costs of selling secondhand items that people don’t normally see, like renting a space, cleaning and repairs, and authentication.

Catch the episode on Sunday, November 12, at 7 pm. Bookmark this page, check our Facebook and YouTube channels, or follow us on Spotify at bit.ly/RapplerTeachMeSenpai – Rappler.com

How does she do it especially when raising a toddler like Amelia? Andi shares that one of the ways is by speaking to her positively.

“I try to be careful with my words especially when I’m angry,” said Andi. “At home, I try to make it a safe space for her to learn and to explore and to even be open about how she feels. I have an open communication with her and also [let her know that it’s okay] to make mistakes.”

Another important thing that Andi makes sure Amelia experiences is less screen time and more time outdoors. She would sometimes bring them to a nearby farm so they could run around and breathe fresh air. They also have a small garden in their home where Andi’s kids get to take part in planting and harvesting vegetables.

“You can’t take away screen time but it’s also important to bring them out,” said Andi. “It’s nice to let them explore and see nature. We need to see them go out and explore. It can be as simple as going to the park.”

Now that Amelia has been going out more Andi makes sure that her holistic development is nourished so she can explore the world around her. To help give that holistic advantage, Andi trusts NANKID® INFINIPRO® HA.

“NANKID® INFINIPRO® HA covers all the things I’m looking for which are immunity, aid in digestion, brain development and growth. She also has allergies and NANKID® is hypoallergenic so it really helps especially since it’s allergy season,” said Andi.

According to Andi, she found NANKID® after careful research that included consulting with fellow mom friends and her pediatrician.

What’s in NANKID® INFINIPRO® HA?

NANKID® INFINIPRO® HA, Nestle’s latest scientific breakthrough with the unique five HMO (Human Milk Oligosaccharides)^* complex, a first in the world. This makes the latest formulation of NANKID® their most advanced blend yet.

“This five HMO^* complex helps support the different areas of a child’s development,” said Roan Esguerra, NANKID® brand manager. “Apart from the five HMO^* complex, there are also other exclusive nutrients that are found in NANKID® – B. Lactis probiotic and Partially Hydrolyzed Whey protein.” B. Lactis probiotic supports immunity and digestion while partially hydrolyzed whey protein helps reduce the risk for allergies. These exclusive nutrients, including the five HMO^* complex, support the five areas of a child’s development: immunity, brain development, growth, digestion, and allergy prevention.

That’s why Andi encourages other parents to look into the benefits of NANKID® INFINIPRO® HA for their children.

“You can do your research. Ask around, ask your [pediatrician]. You would know what’s best for your child,” said Andi. “NANKID® has also been in the industry for such a long time. It’s such a credible brand. And I’ve known parents who took NANKID® so I’m also giving it to Amelia. It’s not just research but everything else and of course, most especially the five HMO^* complex.”

You, too, can give your children the holistic advantage today and nourish their infinite possibilities in with NANKID®. – Rappler.com

NANKID® INFINIPRO® HA FOUR is not a breastmilk substitute but a growing-up milk especially suited for healthy young children from above three years old and onwards.

^* Not from human milk

This is key to ensuring that the countries that have signed the Paris Agreement can meet the goal of keeping warming to no more than 1.5 degrees (READ: Decarbonization for beginners). According to the Net Zero Tracker, over 150 countries have pledged carbon neutrality by 2050.

The bottom line: We all know that decarbonization is good – and, in fact, necessary – for the survival of future generations. But what exactly would this process bring about in the next few years? Let’s take a look at some projections.

New jobs in energy sector

Renewable energy is a fast-emerging sector amid the race to net zero, and with that comes a boom in job opportunities. According to global research group Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), the Philippines is estimated to create over 350,000 renewable energy jobs. These jobs range from construction to operation and management of plants.

A less tumultuous climate

In the scientific community, a field called “extreme event attribution” has emerged, where studies show how intense drought, typhoons, or heat waves across the world are linked to climate change. Climate change is caused by human activities that release carbon into the atmosphere, some examples being power generation, manufacturing goods, and using transportation.

In the Philippines and elsewhere, super typhoons have been more devastating in recent years due to the climate’s disrupted patterns. Storms become stronger as they develop over warming oceans, turning into super typhoons before they hit land. To share insights on this and other climate-related phenomena, clean energy company First Gen partnered with TikTok personality Raymor Cuevas:

@raymorcuevas SKL Vid Ep. 445: Can we still slow down the effects of climate change? #PoweredByFirstGen #cleanenergy #decarbonization #climatechange ♬ original sound – RM

Once we lessen our carbon emissions, we can mitigate the effects of climate change such as catastrophic weather changes. This is a dire need for the Philippines, a country frequently hit by typhoons.

Cleaner air

Have you noticed smog in Metro Manila recently? That’s a clear example of how dirty emissions are contributing to the worsening air quality. Decarbonization would help improve  the Philippines’ air quality as we shift to cleaner modes of transportation, more sustainable factory and construction sites, and proper waste management.

The World Bank says, “If decarbonization efforts pay attention to non-CO2 pollutants as well, notably PM2.5, we cannot only expect better air quality, but also health benefits in the short term.”

There is much work to be done to reach this future, and nations must collectively gun for more ambitious decarbonization goals instead of increasing fossil fuel investments. In the Philippines, there are already some big moves in place.

The country has been included in an Asian Development Bank (ADB) initiative to create an energy transition mechanism which aims to cut short the life of existing coal plants and increase investments in renewable energy. It has already banned the construction of new coal plants and is actively creating incentives for those investing in renewable energy.

In the private sector, companies like First Gen are also making moves to explore cleaner energy sources like geothermal, hydro, wind, solar, and other sources to push forward a decarbonized future for the Philippines. 

Want to learn more about First Gen’s plans to contribute to a decarbonized and regenerative future? Visit their website for more information. – Rappler.com

With barely a pause, she launched into an explanation of her vision. “As I’m passionate about youth empowerment and especially education, I see myself as a catalyst,” said Zoe. 

She explained her goals of creating scholarship programs for underprivileged Filipino youth and starting collaborations with nonprofits to improve educational infrastructure where it’s most needed.

Zoe, now a Lester B. Pearson International scholar at the University of Toronto, is an alumna of the British School Manila (BSM). She also earned many accolades during her time at BSM: a Eunoia Philippines co-founder, Girl Up Philippines advocacy associate, and service and sustainability department head, to name some.

At the heart of those roles, Zoe is simply a young individual whose sense of duty and compassion go hand in hand. “I feel that it’s only right to give back to the country that has contributed to shaping who I am,” she said.

When the word bayanihan is deconstructed, one can derive three words from it: bayan meaning nation, bayani meaning hero, and ani meaning harvest. These gracefully encompass the essence of the tradition – that heroic feats like moving houses are possible with the power of community, and this lives on by continuously sowing seeds of camaraderie.

Although literally carrying a house is a less common practice now, the spirit of bayanihan is still alive and well in youths like her.

“Seeing that I myself have access to resources that others don’t, it drives me to think about how I could use those resources to help and uplift others,” said another kindred spirit Chiara Mijares. Starting her freshman year at Cornell University, Chiara, a fellow BSM alumna, credits the British School Manila for fostering a culture where students are committed to helping others.

Chiara, once a part of the Philippine gymnastics team, took her role as a leader to heart, working not just to win medals, but to become an agent to uplift fellow athletes and coaches. 

In her efforts to boost local gymnasts toward the international stage, she spearheaded the Legends Performance Camp in 2022, a pioneering program that brought world champion and Olympic coaches to the Philippines for a five-day camp to train over 180 Filipino gymnasts across the country. Then 17, she leaned on the power of community to realize a vision much larger than herself.

Both Chiara and Zoe attribute their calling of service to BSM, which encourages and actively supports the value of creating a positive social impact. “The BSM experience taught us to use our education not only to benefit ourselves but also the wider community; that service for others is indispensable. I think that’s what distinguishes BSM.” said Chiara. 

The school has even institutionalized this by having its own Service Learning department, which assists students who want to partner with NGOs. Another reason why Chiara and Zoe thrived as leaders was that the school made it easy for them to realize their potential. 

“One thing I’ve always respected about BSM is the fact that it gives students the opportunity to lead their own initiatives, and they make it very easy to set up your own clubs,” shared Zoe, who herself started the school’s first podcast club, and was able to interview the likes of Nobel laureate Maria Ressa. “You’re able to find your own community, with like-minded individuals.”

It seems that one secret ingredient between young achievers like Chiara and Zoe is an educational experience that goes beyond academics. At BSM, they were able to enhance their knowledge with creativity and community, leaving the school with a mindset that was free to dream big and take risks.

With a bright future comes great pressure, and as a student-athlete leading various outreach projects, Chiara learned the value of asking for help. “To an extent, I am a bit of a perfectionist, so sometimes it’s hard to decipher when to ask for help because I try to manage on my own,” shared Chiara. 

“My teachers [at BSM] kept encouraging me,” she said. Chiara vividly recalled how one teacher pulled her aside and told her, “We need to know when and how we can support you so that you’re not going through this alone.” “Through [the BSM teachers], I learned the value of reaching out. They always told me that it’s not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength and self-awareness,” said Chiara.

Now, they are moving onto a global stage with a solid foundation. 

When asked about their respective university lives, they both responded with confidence. “It’s been quite exciting so far. Along with adjusting to the new environment and taking in my newfound independence, I’ve just completed several rounds of interviews to join professional development clubs,” said Chiara. What would have been intimidating for others was simply another opportunity to explore for her. 

Chosen as a Cornell Tradition Fellow, Chiara was awarded the fellowship program based on the dedication to work, service, and scholarship that she demonstrated while at BSM. She has also gained admission to FinTech Cornell and Student Agencies Inc, two professional development endeavors that also serve the local community. 

“Even if I am immersed with a new cultural experience, I am making it a point to stay connected with my Filipino community. I go to mass with other Filipino students and organize activities for a shared experience,” said Chiara.

Zoe also plans to connect with the Filipino community in UT, and is already thinking about how to give back. “So recently, I’ve been looking into setting up possibly my own chapter of Filipino-based nonprofit organizations,” said Zoe. “I can say with confidence that every decision I make is geared toward showcasing my values of camaraderie and community that I owe to my Filipino identity.”

Even though they’re both half a world away from their homeland, both Chiara and Zoe carry the spirit of bayanihan by embracing their new communities while keeping Filipino people at their core. – Rappler.com