Program Overview
Mabuhay! Known as the Pearl of the Orient, the Philippines has 7,107 islands and nearly 90 languages and dialects. This summer study abroad program will offer students direct contact with world issues like human trafficking, poverty, resiliency, grassroots initiatives towards environmental change within the context of Filipino life and culture. This global education program in the Philippines will expose students to the dynamic interplay between human population and socio-economic, political, and environmental issues affecting the country.
Sessions on Philippine history, culture, politics and governance will be conducted during the entire trip.The trip spans four major cities: Manila, Davao, Tagbilaran and Dumaguete.
Program Highlights
- Explore the complexity of human trafficking as one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world, particularly within the context of the Philippines vis-à-vis Southeast Asia.
- Study the causes, effects, (the) push and pull factors, and the various forms/models of human trafficking towards exploitation particularly of children, youth, men, and women.
- Visit four of the world’s largest landfills, and will also visit NGOs that promote organic and sustainable agriculture and diversified farming.
- Interact with local population and grassroots community development workers.
- Visit local communities that are being affected by aerial spraying conducted by DOLE (banana and pineapple plantations) plantation company and do actual rice planting.
Eligibility
This program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students including students who do not attend George Mason University.
Minimum GPA: 2.25
Credits
6 credits
Students will choose two 3-credit courses for a total of 6 credits.
Course Options
Undergraduate:
- INTS 399: Study Abroad
- CONF 385: International Field Experience
- GGS 333: Issues in Regional Geography
- GGS 399: Selected Topics in Global Change
- GLOA 480: Study Abroad
- CRIM 485: Study Abroad
- CRIM 490: Special Topics
Graduate:
- CONF 695: Selected Topics
Program Dates
Summer 2023: Coming Soon!
Itinerary
| Date |
Event/Activity
|
Time and Place |
| |
Departure for Manila |
|
Day 1
MANILA |
** Late night snacks (covered)
Arrival at Ninoy Aquino Int’l Airport, Manila
- Airport pick-up to UCCP Shalom Center
|
Shalom Hotel lobby |
Day 2
|
** Breakfast (covered)
-Buy cellphone, gadgets, lunch (own expense
- Visit Cultural-Historical Sites
-Presentation and discussion Re. Experiential Learning and final review of program of activities |
7:30am-9:30am 3rd floor Shalom Center
10am-12:30pm,
Robinson’s Malate
(2pm- 5:30pm) Intramuros - Spanish Fortress, San Agustin Church, Rizal Park, Manila
7pm 2nd floor, Shalom Hotel |
Day 3
|
** Breakfast/dinner (covered)
- Visit the American Cemetery and Monumental Orientation about WW2 and the Philippine-American relations
-Ayala (optional)
-Lunch (own expense)
-Cultural Dinner
|
7am-8:30am, 3rd floor Shalom Center
9am
Venice Grand Canal Mall
Barbara’s, Intramuros
|
Day 4
_______________
Day 5
|
** Breakfast/Snacks (covered)
Orientation: National Situationer: Philippine Politics, Governance and Filipino Culture
-Orientation: Urban Poor: Smokey Mountain, BASECO, Hapilan
-Ocular Visit (Urban Poor)
-Individual/Group Debriefing/Sharing
** Breakfast/Snacks (covered)
-Initial Orientation and Ocular Visit Re. Human Trafficking in the Philippines c/o Visayan Forum (Voice of the Free)
Individual/Group Debriefing/Sharing |
7am-8:30am, 3rd floor Shalom Center
9am-10:45am, 2nd floor Shalom Center
11am-12:30pm
-whole afternoon
7:30pm at Shalom Center, 2nd floor
8:30am - whole day
Right after visit |
Day 6
Grand Menseng
Davao City
|
** Breakfast (covered)
** Departure for Davao City
-Viewing/Shopping indigenous products produced by local communities at Aldevenco |
-Shalom Center
Morning (2 hour flight)
4pm: Aldevenco
|
Day 7
|
** Breakfast (covered)
- Peacebuilding and the Arts (Visit Kublai, Filipino peace artist and his gallery <Ponce Suite>
-Visit Museo de Davao |
-9am-12noon
Afternoon |
Day 8
_______________
Day 9
_______________
Day 10
|
** Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks (covered)
With TAMBAYAN (1)
- Program Orientation
- Meet and learn Re. stories and experiences of sexually and physically abused children and prostituted women
/street children; many of whom are victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking
_______________________________
** Breakfast/lunch/snacks (covered)
With TAMBAYAN (2)
- Community integration with Tambayan children and youth (In solidarity).
Debriefing/Processing
_______________________________
** Breakfast/Dinner/Snacks (covered)
-Journaling/Reading time
- Pearl Shopping (Victoria Plaza)
- Orientation Re. Environmental Issues on Aerial Spraying: Visit Interface Development Intervention, Inc. (IDIS)
Dinner at Kublai and Maan’s residence |
9am – 5pm
____________________________
-9am – whole day
8pm – venue (TBA)
_____________________________
8am-10am
10am-12noon
-2pm-5pm, People’s Park
-6pm |
Day 11
|
** Breakfast/snacks/lunch (covered)
- Community/field visits (women’s organization) affected by Aerial Spraying by Del Monte and DOLE plantations/companies.
|
Whole day
|
Day 12
|
** Breakfast/lunch/snacks (covered)
-Rice planting (wear rugged clothes; bring towel and extra shirt)
-Visit and learn about Organic/Diversified Farming/ride a water buffalo at Imulayan.
|
-Whole day
|
Day 13
Day 14
|
** Breakfast/snacks (covered)
-Journaling/Personal time
-Hangout with Tambayan youth
** Breakfast (covered)
Journaling/Personal time
Final Debriefing based on a journal entry |
Morning
2pm-5pm at People’s Park
Morning
Afternoon |
Day 15
TO PANGLAO ISLAND, BOHOL
Day 16
|
** Breakfast (covered)
- Departure for Panglao Island, Bohol (morning flight)
** Breakfast (covered)
-Unwind/Exploring the beach
|
Lost Horizon, Panglao Island, Bohol
Whole Day |
Day 17
|
** Breakfast/Lunch (covered)
-- Guided Tour and visit to areas affected by earthquake (Geo-Science tour)
* Blood Compact Shrine (Friendship Treaty between Filipinos and Spaniards 400 years ago)
* Baclayon Church and Museum (Ruins)
* Loay bolo making
* Loboc River Cruise
* Tarsier watching
* Bilar Man-made Mahogany Forest (drive thru)
* Chocolate Hills
* Souvenir Shopping
* Hinagdanan Cave
|
Whole Day |
Day 18
|
** Breakfast/Snacks (covered)
-At the beach (am)
-Meet families who were beneficiaries of the housing project of batch 2013.
|
-Lost Horizon
-Morning
-Early afternoon
|
Day 19
DUMAGUETE
Stay at Bethel Guesthouse |
** Packed breakfast/Dinner (covered)
- Departure for Dumaguete City (ocean cruise)
- Formal Welcome Dinner with officials from Dumaguete City and Silliman University
- Orientation Re. Service-Learning |
6:30pm, Bethel Guesthouse |
Day 20
|
** Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks (covered)
- Swimming with whale sharks |
Bethel Guesthouse
6am (leave hotel) – early afternoon in Oslob, Cebu
|
Day 21
|
** Breakfast/Dinner/snacks (covered)
Human Trafficking Workshop 2 (Dumaguete Context)
-Visit and Dinner at Casa Esperanza (safe house)
|
8:30am -12 noon
2pm – 5pm
|
Day 22
|
** Breakfast/snacks (covered)
Dawn (optional): Pre-breakfast at the public market – sticky rice with mango and organic hot chocolate
Photo ID at Silliman University as part of the Service-Learning program
Forest Camp
|
Dumaguete Public Market
10am
Afternoon
|
Day 23
|
** Breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks (covered)
- Orientation: Community Service Learning
- Start of the Service-Learning experience
(students will go to their respective host families and assigned local communities with SU buddies) |
- Bethel
-9am - 12noon
-- Afternoon
|
Day 24 – 27
|
** All meals/accommodation are covered
Service-Learning: Students with host families and communities (homestay) |
-Assigned communities and NGOs |
Day 28
End of Service-Learning
|
** Breakfast/Dinner/Snacks (covered)
- Return to Bethel Guest House AFTER breakfast
- Debriefing of S-L experience
- Cultural Solidarity (students invite their host families and friends from the community). |
-Morning (after breakfast): teams will work on their experiential learning to share in the afternoon.
-Afternoon
-Evening |
Day 29
Fly back to MANILA
Shalom Hotel
|
** Breakfast (covered)
-Departure for Manila
-Journaling
(Optional): Mall of Asia
|
Morning flight
Afternoon
Afternoon
|
Day 30
|
** Breakfast/Snacks (covered)
-FINAL DEBRIEFING and Review of Course requirements
Note: Sharing of a journal entry |
9am-12noon
2pm-5pm
2nd floor Shalom Center
|
* Dates and itinerary subject to change. The Global Education Office reserves the right to make changes to a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, and/or any other unforeseen circumstances.
Program Cost
Summer 2023: Coming Soon!
Summer 2020: $5,120
The Program Cost for study abroad courses is assessed separately from Mason tuition and fees. This means separate charges are put on your student account for this course, a study abroad tuition charge and a study abroad program fee charge, which together equal the published Program Cost for this course.
Included:
- Application Deposit
- Tuition and mandatory fees
- Pre-Departure Orientation
- Accommodations
- Most meals
- Transportation between sites in the Philippines
- Guided tours and field excursions
- Post-trip meeting
- International emergency medical insurance.
Not included:
- Airfare*
- Passport and visa fees
- COVID-19 testing
- Vaccinations
- Some meals
- Other transportation
- Personal spending
- Required textbooks and/or course materials
*Note: This program does not include a group flight. Information regarding arrival times and location will be sent out to all participants after the application deadline. Do not purchase airfare until you receive the "Green Light for Flights" notice from the Global Education Office via email.
The notice will include information on the arrival/departure airports, flight times, and where to meet the group. Students who fail to follow the guidelines GEO sends out will be responsible for applicable costs of changing their flights. When the time comes to purchase airfare, GEO will recommend the purchase of Flight Interruption and Cancellation Insurance. The “Green Light for Flights” email will provide additional information about this insurance.
Program Payments
The full program fee is charged to your Mason Student Account. Students pay the Global Education Office (GEO) Program Fee as advertised in two payments (Application Deposit + Final Payment).
Application Deposit: $200 non-refundable Application Deposit must be received by the application deadline. This fee is paid online through the MasonAbroad application system and is included in the program fee.
Final Payment: The final balance is made through the Mason Bill+Payment system. Payment is due according to the
Mason Payment Schedule. The amount due is the difference of your Program Cost minus the $200 you will have already paid, the Application Deposit.
Note:
- You can make your final payment in the Mason Bill+Payment system even if you do not see the GEO program charge on your student account.
- George Mason University applies payments to outstanding charges first. If you have an outstanding balance from a previous semester your payments will first go to paying that charge. You will still be responsible for the GEO charge.
Financial Aid: In most cases, financial aid (federal, state, institutional financial aid, scholarships, grants or loans) can be used to finance study abroad. It is the student’s responsibility to check with the Office of Financial Aid to review their financial aid package. The Office of Financial Aid is the only office that can determine your aid eligibility.
Meeting with your financial aid officer prior to applying to study abroad will help you understand if, how much, and when your aid can be used to study abroad.
Confirmation of your financial aid award may not be available until registration and billing for the term in question is final. If aid eligibility changes, or the amount of aid disbursed is lower than anticipated, students are responsible for all remaining account balances or risk late fees, holds on their accounts, and program dismissal.
To assist students in the processing of their financial aid, GEO will communicate with the Office of Financial aid those students who plan to utilize financial aid for their specific study abroad program through their application with GEO. Please note there is no guarantee to students that their aid can be utilized for their specific study abroad program.
If you plan to use federal, state, institutional financial aid, scholarships, grants or loans to finance your study abroad you must:
- Mark “Yes” to “Do you plan to use Financial Aid to finance your program (federal, state, institutional financial aid, scholarships, grants or loans)?” in your profile in MasonAbroad.gmu.edu.
After acceptance:
* Students must be enrolled at least half-time for federal loans and the majority of grant funds. Please refer to the Financial Aid Website for a definition of half-time for undergraduate and graduate students: https://www2.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/eligibility.
VA Benefits: The Veterans Administration determines if a program is eligible to receive VA benefit payments based on the participants VA education program. Use of benefits is dependent on type of benefit and type of program. If you plan to use VA benefits to finance study abroad contact your program officer at MasonLed@gmu.edu to request the "Intent to Use VA Benefits Form." You will complete that form with Mason’s Office of Military Services. To contact Military Services be sure to email them directly at Military@gmu.edu.
Withdrawal and Refund Policy: All participants are bound by the Mason GEO Withdrawal and Refund Policy.
Tuition Exemptions
If you plan to apply for a tuition exemption (for example VMSDEP or senior citizen exemption) to cover a portion of the total cost of the Study Abroad program please contact GEO immediately. Not all exemptions are eligible for use on study abroad courses. When an exemption is eligible for use, only tuition charges are covered. The participant will be required to pay program fees, which may include housing, meals, and direct payments to our overseas partners.
Employee Tuition Exemption Benefit
Global Education Office (Study Abroad) courses and trip fees are ineligible for tuition waivers under this policy. For more information please see the Employee Tuition Exemption Benefit for details.
Payment Instructions
For more information on payments, financial aid, and information for non-Mason students:
Payments
Scholarships
GEO offers a number of need- and merit-based scholarships. All Mason students are welcome to apply:
Scholarships
Application Deadline:
March 10, 2023
Application requirements:*
Program Deposit: $200 for all applicants.
Course Selection Questionnaire: You will choose the course(s) you would like to be receive credit for on this program. Check the "Academics" tab to see what courses are offered on this program. If you need help selecting your course, check with your academic advisor.
Passport Status Questionnaire: You do not need a passport to complete this questionnaire or the application. However, if you do not have a valid passport, you should begin applying for one now. The Global Education Office offers Passport Grants to help.
Signature Documents: Read and electronically "sign" the documents regarding the acknowledgement of risk, the pre-departure orientation, and your financial responsibility.
Additional requirements for non-Mason applicants:
Official transcript: To be mailed or emailed to the Global Education Office at George Mason University.
Non-degree Contract Course/Admission Form: Please complete the form and upload it into the questionnaire.
* Additional application requirements may apply to individual programs. Once you open your application, you will see all application requirements.
Application instructions: