Day 3 – April 6, 2026 | The Official Welcome
The morning of April 6 marked the beginning of our official activities at Southern Leyte State University, specifically at the Tomas Oppus campus. We headed to the mini theater to attend the “Courtesy Call to the SLSU President Welcome Program.”
The atmosphere felt formal yet exciting. Before our turn, there were several welcoming speeches from the SLSU president and respected faculty members. We also watched traditional dance performances and other entertaining presentations that gave us a glimpse into Filipino culture
Then came our moment we performed “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, the song we had practiced the day before. It felt rewarding to finally present it in front of everyone.
After the performances, there was a gift exchange session. Me, my friends, and Pak Buyyun received souvenir glasses printed with the SLSU logo simple but meaningful keepsakes.
We then had a short break in the office area and enjoyed lunch, which included sandwiches and crackers
After resting, we returned to the mini theater to continue the program, which ended with a certificate awarding ceremony.
Once everything was done, we immediately continued to our next destination: a dinner at Magbagacay Restaurant. Honestly, we were already very tired since the activities had been quite intense without much rest.
But the moment we arrived, the fatigue faded a little. The place looked luxurious, and what caught my attention instantly was the swimming pool I really wanted to jump in. On the dining table, there was a huge spread of food: chicken, squid, shrimp, vegetables, fish, and many more.
Not long after, SLSU lecturers and several important guests joined us for dinner. The atmosphere felt formal yet warm at the same time.
After finishing the main dishes, dessert arrived halo-halo again. At that point, me and Avarel were already extremely full, but we felt too shy not to eat it… so we still tried to finish it.
After dinner, we returned to the cottage and rested, preparing for another busy day ahead.
Day 4 – April 7, 2026 | Cultural Exchange in San Juan
Early in the morning, we got ready to travel to San Juan for the “SLSU San Juan Education Forum and Program.”
After the morning session, we had a short lunch break before continuing with a Cultural Exchange Forum. This was one of the most interactive sessions so far.
We presented about our language sharing meanings between Bahasa Indonesia and Filipino (Tagalog), discussing classroom conditions in Indonesia, and comparing them with those in the Philippines. We also proudly introduced batik, the traditional outfit we were wearing.
Then, we performed the song “Multo”, and surprisingly, the students and lecturers were very excited and engaged during our performance.
At the end of the event, we received certificates and souvenirs. But something unfortunate (and a bit funny) happened on the way back my certificate got spilled on by Fanta Orange because I didn’t close the bottle properly.
That evening, we had dinner at Por La Bahia. While eating, we had a heartfelt conversation with Ma’am Leslie about our experiences during the past four days in Tomas Oppus. She also asked about our birthdays, and surprisingly, we found out that Avarel’s birthday was the next day April 8. The timing was just perfect, and we were all genuinely surprised.
After dinner, we returned to the cottage and rested.
Day 5 – April 8, 2026 | Meeting Teachers & A Birthday Celebration
The next day, we met our cooperating teachers an important step as we were preparing for our teaching practice.
After that, we had lunch and celebrated Avarel’s birthday together. It was a simple but meaningful celebration that made the day feel special.
In the afternoon, we returned to the cottage and took some rest.
Day 6 – April 9, 2026 | A Warm Visit by the Sea
In the afternoon, Ma’am Judy invited us to her house. What made it even more special was that her house was located right by the beach.
We spent time there eating pizza and relaxing while waiting for dinner. When dinner time finally came, we were served a variety of delicious dishes, and the whole experience felt very warm and personal like being part of a family gathering.
After that, we returned to the cottage and rested to prepare for the next day.
Day 7 – April 10, 2026 | A Night to Remember
On April 10, we were invited to attend a prom night event in the evening. The event was elegant and very well-prepared.
Many students wore beautiful gowns and formal suits. The atmosphere was lively, and everyone seemed to enjoy celebrating with their friends. It felt like a scene from a movie full of energy, music, and excitement.
We truly enjoyed the event until the night.
After everything ended, we returned to the cottage once again, feeling grateful and ready to continue the journey the next day.
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