SSEAYP Pre-Departure Training

Another batch of delegates was selected for 2012. It is the 39th year of the program Ship for South East Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP). I was a former participant of it on its 29th year and it was exactly 10 years ago. 

SSEAYP is an annual cultural exchange program funded by the Cabinet Office of Japan. It aims to foster mutul understanding among the youth. A luxury cruise ship takes participating youths to different countries of ASEAN and Japan to make courtesy calls to heads of states, do institutional visits, stay with local host families, perform cultural shows and involve in discussion on board. 

While on board the ship a series of discussions is conducted among several groups of participants. Various topics are being discussed such as Youth Development, Social Contribution Activities, Environment and Climate Change, Health Education HIV/AIDS, School Education and Cross-Cultural Understanding Promotion. 

As a cultural worker I was invited by the National Youth Commission to give a talk and workshop on Cross-cultural Understanding Promotion to the delegates during their pre-departure training program at the First Pacific Leadership Academy in Antipolo City. They were given the task to portray the good values of a Filipino. In a short period of time they were so quick to conceptualize, practice and act out and delivered it well.