My Philippines Study Tour Experience: Jolene Yap

Jolene Yap, Bachelor of Commerce student and NCP mobility grant recipient, talks about her experiences on the Philippines Study Tour.

Jolene Yap

How did you get involved in the Philippines study tour?

The Philippines Study Tour is an immersive project-based program that focuses on responsible business practices and the sustainability of social enterprises. I found out about this program through USYD’s short-term programs website and went to the information session held in August at the time. The application process was straightforward and conducted through the Sonia Online Portal in which a resume and other documents were required. I was fortunate to receive the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship and Vice Chancellor’s Global Mobility Scholarship for this program.  

What organisations did you work with? What was that like?

The program took place in the Philippines where we were able to meet and converse with a variety of social entrepreneurs across different industries. A majority of the two-week in-country stay was spent learning about the social and environmental challenges faced by local businesses and communities including Human Nature, Rags to Riches, Alon&Araw, Green Antz, the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm and more. During the second week, we had the opportunity to choose a business to work with. 

Our team choose Alon&Araw, a non-profit organisation that ran multiple projects including beach clean-ups, tutoring, community recycling programs, sporting teams and lessons, and a bed and breakfast accommodation. We formulated a business strategy to assist Alon and Araw on maintaining financial viability whilst supporting the social and environmental initiatives they were passionate about. 

Getting to learn about challenges that were unique to an emerging market was super interesting as the business environment differs greatly from Australia. The businesses also used new and innovative practices and technologies ranging from making building materials from waste to having a no-firing policy for employees. 

What were the highlights?

Having an impact: Being able to work on a solution that is evidently impactful and meaningful for both the business and the community was a rewarding experience. 

Cultural immersion: Getting to work with and learn from inspiring local businesses and people in a different country, with different backgrounds, life experiences, cultural values and worldviews.

What were the biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Our biggest challenge was balancing a practical solution with the vision of the client. Alon and Araw had many initiatives they were passionate about and endless ideas for new projects. Our task of making their business model financially viable and self-sustainable would result in downscaling or pausing some projects temporarily. 

To overcome this challenge, we identified the importance of prioritising long-term growth over short–term positive impacts and communicated it to the client. Our solution clarified the business's core values and included placing a higher focus on developing a fully functional bed and breakfast to generate revenue, whilst classifying initiatives into two different categories (environmental and educational). We also outlined which initiatives should be prioritised, and which ones could be re-introduced once the business was off its feet. 

What career skills did you develop through the program?

Cultural competence: From cultural immersion in a different country and learning about how cultural mannerisms and values impact communication styles. This was also touched upon through the pre-departure modules. 

Teamwork skills: Our team worked closely together during the group project sprint in which we were given three days to prepare a proposal pitch. Our team was quite large being a group of six, however, we split into pairs using the agile framework which allowed us to work together effectively.  

Problem-solving skills: Exposure to various business challenges and different ways of thinking aids in the development of problem-solving skills. The application of design thinking methodology was a critical process that informed our solution.

What would you say to future students considering applying for the Philippines Study Tour?

Go for it! It can be daunting at first but it's definitely a unique and fun opportunity worth doing. It is one of my most memorable University experiences and I am glad I didn't pass up it and miss out. It's additionally a great way to make new friends! 

Learn more about Study tours and immersion programs.