Editor’s Note: Melissa Franada, McGaw YMCA Marketing Director, is one of eight YMCA staff members nationwide chosen for the 2022-23 Asian and Pacific Islander Leadership Network-International Leadership Institute (APILN-ILI). The APILN-ILI is a 12-month program that focuses on providing leadership development opportunities for Y employees who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander (API). As part of the program, participants took part in a 10-day global immersion experience in March 2023 that connected them to the work of the YMCA in South Korea and the Philippines. Below is Melissa’s recap of this journey.
By Melissa Franada
Embarking on a 10-day global immersion trip to South Korea and the Philippines was a journey of a lifetime. I joined a talented team of YMCA leaders from associations across the country for an experience that left an indelible mark on my life.
Throughout the journey, our team met with key YMCA and community leaders of South Korea and the Philippines, including the General Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Alliances of YMCAs, National General Secretary (NGS) of the Philippines, and local Y leaders for cultural understanding, support, and information sharing.
I felt a level of warmth and welcoming I will never forget. In each country, the local NGS spent quality time with us in the late hours, either sharing in our first meal in a new country, picking us up from the airport, discussing world views and thoughts over bingsu, and even joining us for in-house karaoke. It was an amazing introduction to the strength of community within the global YMCA movement.
Day 1-3: Seoul, South Korea
Our trip began in Seoul, the bustling capital city of South Korea, where we had the opportunity to share meals and social activities with our incredible hosts, including Korea YMCA top leaders and board members.
For the next few days, we learned about the Korea YMCA’s role in contributing to reconciliation and peace between the South and North. We traveled with our YMCA hosts to spaces that are not typically accessible to visitors, including Cheorwon-Gun, a county in Gangwon Province, located next to the northern border in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
We visited landmarks, such as the Memorial Tower of Baengmagoji Battlefield and the Geumgangsan Mountain Electric Railroad Bridge. We also visited the future site of the YMCA Korea Peace Building School, which will focus on hosting leaders in peace work and providing educational programs on peace and reconciliation. I appreciate that the Korea Y is taking an active role to ensure that the community has access to learning from the past. It’s inspiring to see the Y embrace historical events, even if they are horrific, to ensure we learn from them and prevent them from being repeated.
Next, we visited the National Council of YMCA Korea offices where we learned about the country’s history of international war and the road to peace and reunification. Later, we visited the Peace Statue, which is significant in lifting up the history of “comfort women” and the toll of their forced labor. Hearing the stories behind the historical sites, like this one, provided a stark reminder of the ongoing tension in the Korean peninsula and with neighboring countries. We also had the opportunity to learn how YMCA Korea is part of a collective effort to strengthen peace efforts and their role in helping to build awareness of this important cause.
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APILN-ILI participants at the beach on Jeju Island. -
The outside of the Jeju YMCA. -
Members of the APILN-ILI and Daeun Yang, International Secretary of the NCY-Korea gather at a statue honoring Hae-nyeo women. Hae-nyeo women earn a living by diving into the sea to retrieve clam, sea cucumber, sea urchin, and other animals. This female-dominated practice has continued for over 1700 years and is significant in an otherwise male-dominated Korean society. Hae-nyeo represent the independent spirit, determination, strength, iron will, and resiliency of women in Korea. They are highly regarded and considered a treasure of Jeju Island and South Korean culture. -
The APILN-ILI joined the General Secretary of Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) and the National General Secretary of YMCA Korea in visiting the future site of the Global Peace & Ecology Center and of the APAY headquarters on Jeju Island. -
General Secretary of the Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs Nam Boo Won with McGaw YMCA Marketing Director Melissa Franada before departing Jeju Island. -
The APILN-ILI visited the future site of the YMCA Korea Peace Building School where they will host leaders from all over the world to provide educational programs on peace building and reconciliation. -
The visit to the Peace Statue is a great reminder of the long-lasting effects of colonization and war. The statue is of a young girl sitting in a chair staring straight ahead. She has short hair and is wearing a traditional Korean dress. She is barefoot with her fists clenched in her lap. Next to the statue is an empty chair. The installation memorializes the demonstrations dedicated to the women, mostly Korean, who were abducted and forced into a military sex slave program up to the end of the Second World War. -
One of the many sites visited was the Memorial Tower of Baengmagoji Battlefield. “Baengmagoji Battlefield was one of the bloodiest battlefields during the Korean War." The 10-day battle, also known as the Battle of White Horse Highlands, started on October 6, 1952, and ended with the communist Chinese army suffering around 14,000 casualties and a complete collapse. The severe battle caused the mountain area to lose its original shape and was renamed “Baengmagoji” as it was said to resemble a white horse (baengma) lying down (visitkorea.or.kr).”
Day 4-5: Jeju Island, South Korea
On our final day in South Korea, we had the honor and privilege to spend time with the General Secretary of Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) and the NGS of YMCA Korea on Jeju Island. Here, we learned about the history and people of Jeju island, like the Hae-nyeo women. We also met with local staff and board members, visited the Jeju YMCA School programs, and experienced a local market.
Jeju Island was a great example of the YMCA’s active role in facilitating peace. It was inspiring to learn about their plans for the Global Peace & Ecology Center and the future location of the APAY headquarters on Jeju Island. Their vision is to bring youth from all over the world together to learn about climate and peace issues. In doing so, the YMCA hopes to support future generations of peace builders and climate defenders.
See it here on the Global YMCA Instagram account.
Day 6-7: Manila, Philippines
Our next stop was Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, where our group spent extensive time meeting with and learning from the Ys in the Philippines while experiencing an array of programs. We visited with leaders from the National Council of YMCA Philippines and toured the YMCA of Manila where we met with board members and local community leaders.
In the Philippines, the emphasis and strength of community and volunteers is deeply inspiring. At the YMCA of San Pablo, there are less than five people on staff. Volunteers help run the youth programs and support the Y with maintenance, administrative, and additional work.
Next, we visited the YMCA of Makati where we learned about how their Y’s programs focus on strengthening community. For example, they support livelihood assistance such as microloans through the “Tulong sa Kabuhayan” and “Tulong sa Puhunan” programs. Additional programming in Makati reinforces education, health, fitness, and climate action.
In Makati, YMCA volunteers collect, sort, clean, and process specific types of single use plastics into filler. From there, they use the filler to make pillows which they construct and sell to support their KALAKALikasan Project. This project is a youth-led initiative that aims to promote environmental justice by recycling single-use plastic. Eventually, they hope to use these profits to build a plastic recycling facility.
Watch a short clip on the Global YMCA Instagram page.
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Staff and board members of the San Pablo City and staff of the Albay and Manila YMCAs welcome the APLIN-ILI to the San Pablo City YMCA. The eight members of the APILN-ILI each received a hand-drawn portrait from a Y volunteer. -
Staff and volunteers of the National Council of YMCA Philippines, the Albay YMCA, and YMCA of Manila toured the YMCA of Manila facilities with the APILN-ILI. -
McGaw YMCA Marketing Director Melissa Franada poses with delicious handpies from Jollibee, a Filipino fast-food restaurant, on the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. -
Camote Creations cake sticks and Dragon's Fave Food Products' crispy pilinuts are examples of items that were started with the help of the Albay YMCA. -
Volunteers and staff from the San Pablo City YMCA, staff from the Albay YMCA, the APILN-ILI, and members of the San Pablo community pose with certificates that recognize service work that benefitted the local school and Baloc community. -
Staff from the San Pablo City and Albay YMCAs and the APILN-ILI pose with former and current Batang Y Scholars. -
Marin Branch YMCA Youth Development Director Jeanie Calagui and McGaw YMCA Marketing Director Melissa Franada get ready to serve food to students at Bagong Pook Elementary School in San Pablo City. -
General Secretary of the Albay YMCA Ianne Christine Aquino presents information to the APILN-ILI on the Albay YMCA and their work on disaster risk reduction management. -
On the last day in the Philippines, the APILN-ILI joined a board meeting with the National Council of YMCA Philippines and discussed their experiences while enjoying lunch.
During our time in the Philippines, staff from the YMCA in Albay traveled to meet with us, as well. We learned how their YMCA helps to develop social enterprise opportunities to provide out-of-school youth and unemployed people in marginalized areas with their own self-sustaining micro-enterprises.
For its part, the Y assesses available resources, analyzes the market demand of the community, and provides participants with technical skills training and entrepreneurial training. Once the enterprise is established, the participants become the stockholders and operators and the YMCA steps back to serve as a consultant but does not benefit financially from sales.
The Y purchases their products to sell on-site at their YMCA Advocacy Café, a recent progression of the social enterprise projects. Because the YMCA is located in a central area of the city of Albay, the Advocacy Café is a prime location to promote and sell the items produced by the social enterprises. The Café also serves as a space for training, mentorship, and meeting space for budding entrepreneurs.
We also learned about the Albay Y’s participation in the C.A.R.E., or Cultivating Action Through Responsible Education, which is a partnership with the Ann Arbor YMCA in Michigan. This is a youth-led leadership development program for teens, 11 – 17, who are passionate about combating climate change in their local community and abroad. The Ann Arbor Y has worked in partnership with the Albay Y in the Philippines to advance climate change initiatives and develop the next generation of Eco-Leaders.
Watch a short video about the C.A.R.E. program.
Day 8-9: San Pablo City, Philippines
When the cohort arrived at San Pablo City, we were welcomed with board members and volunteers cheering and singing. We were each handed a rose, a portrait drawn by a Batang Y Scholar, and were greeted with a hug. Most of us in the cohort identify as Filipina American, including me. And for some of us, coming to the Philippines was filled with anxiety brought on by feelings of not being Filipina enough. For some, this might be because we were born in America, did not speak the native language, or did not have extensive knowledge of our ancestral history. Any of that anxiety melted away in that welcoming moment. Over the course of a couple of days, we enjoyed home cooked meals at the Y and leaders from San Pablo City YMCA presented on their current programs and projects.
The Batang Y Scholar program is the signature program of the San Pablo City YMCA. It caters to youth who may be experiencing homelessness or living in the nearby garbage dumpsite community. They are encouraged to volunteer at the Y and continue their education in mind, body, and spirit. The program has created meaningful impact in the lives of the local young people by providing the opportunity to find peace and harmony, hope and success, and the right direction to fulfill their dreams. The scholars benefit from the YMCA programs and the Y benefits from their talent, skills, time, and energy. Both learn from each other.
Our time in San Pablo City also included a visit to the Baloc community, where people struggle to find resources to provide for their families. Members of the community use the local landfill as a means to generate income. Some of the youth in Batang Y program are originally from Baloc. Through the Batang Y scholar program, they continue their education and community service in hopes of redirecting the trajectory of their personal and family’s futures. During our visit, we provided food supplies to some of the scholars’ families.
Our visit in San Pablo City concluded with a lovely homecooked meal and most importantly, a reunion for the different “graduating years” of Batang Y Scholars. From the current year to original group, each elected one or two members to reflect on ways their lives have been positively impacted by the Y. Some noted a physically noticeable change in their self-confidence, while others now have full-time jobs at the Y or in local schools.
Day 10: Manila, Philippines
Our final day in the Philippines included tearful “goodbyes” and an abundance of gratitude. We attended a Board Meeting with the National Council of YMCA Philippines, visited the National Museum of Natural History, and had a farewell dinner with our new friends from the local YMCA, where we shared our experiences and expressed our appreciation for the opportunity to learn and grow together.
Bringing the Experience Home
Overall, this 10-day global immersion trip was an unforgettable experience that allowed us to connect with people from different YMCAs, engage in meaningful service to global communities, and find pieces of ourselves and our histories along the way. It was incredible to meet volunteers and staff who passionately shared about their Y’s programs and to learn about their vision and hopes for the future. Since arriving back home, the APILN-ILI cohort has continued deep discussions on these experiences and how they connect back to our local work. I’m looking forward to strengthening the connection between the API community in Evanston with the McGaw YMCA.
I’m grateful for the support I received from the local, national, and global YMCA leadership teams, and to the Fred Hoshiyama Scholarship fund that helped make it possible to participate in this experience.