Fo Guang Shan Educator’s Tour 2024

Charity B. Duremdez, SDO-Escalante City
Devember 2, 2024

Fo Guang Shan Inc. on its 9th Cycle TAG-Grant first day tour at Guang Ming College-Tagaytay has participated by 211 participants in various School Division Offices all over the Philippines, six Taiwan VIP’s namely Dr. Chaur-Shin Kirby Yung, Mrs. Gou Jen-Huey Yung, Dr. Chang-Yu Yang, Ms. Wen-Ling Huang, Ms. TZU-Han Cheng Joy, Ms. Yuan-Ning Yang, three SDO VIP’s, nine volunteers and six BLIA on November 28, 2024.

Prior to the Campus Tour, there was first the visit of the meditation room where visitors were given privilege to experience self-meditation. During the tour, the visitors also visited their humble library where they met Sir Rhoderick Ramos their licensed librarian. They also stopped on their music and dance room. Before heading to the arena for the prepared program, they were invited to have first their silent meal.

In the arena while waiting for the other participants who arrived late, Head Abbess, Venerable Yung Guang entertain other participants by sharing the advocacy of Master Hsing Yun. In her speech, she said that the founder, Master Hsing Yun believed to empower people in helping themselves in line with humanist Buddhism which emerged in the 20th century in reaction to the stagnation of traditional Buddhism, instead calling for more attention to the lives and needs of people. Not surprisingly, after a year the focus of his advocacy is Education. “To help unfortunate children and family, Venerable Yung Guang said.”

As the program started, it was been introduced by the host the simple background of how Guang Ming College been established in the Philippines. According to her, Guang Ming College was the first Philippine College which is part of the Fo Guang Shan International University Consortium founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. It was established in 2014 and housed at Mabuhay Temple in Manila. In 2022, Guang Ming College opened its new home, its flagship campus in the beautiful and breezy city of Tagaytay. It offers CHED-recognized programs in Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies, Bachelor of Performing Arts in Theater, Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance, Bachelor of performing Arts in Music Theater and Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science. It was Dr. Michael Lim Tan, President of Guang Ming College-Tagaytay who gave the opening remark. In his speech, he encourages all the educators to bring their potential students in Guang Ming College for a free education. One unique feature of Guang Ming College is in its diverse student population. Every year, talented and promising scholars are recruited all over the country to be offered place at Guang Ming College. Student from various location were oriented Humanistic Buddhism and the Three Acts of Goodness propagated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

It is a unique opportunity for the participants to witness the world class performances of the Guang Ming Cuerdas, their string ensemble composed of students from Performing Arts and Buddhist Studies, guided by the Guang Ming Cuerdas mentor, Sir Jason Nyuda with their Philippine Medly No. 2. Followed by the collaboration of Guang Ming Dance Project and Guang Ming Cuerdas, who have performed the Polka sa Nayon. There were also the performances of the Guang Ming Chorus, composed mostly of the BPA Music Theater students from different programs led by the Guang Ming Chorus mentor, Dr. Arjay Viray in their performance of Wawway and Rosas Pandan. Finally, Guang Ming Dance Project with a performance of their recently-awarded piece at the NCCA Sayaw Pinoy, choreographed by the BPA Dance third-year student, Yna Arbiol: Emblem.

Dr. Chaur-Shin Kirby Yung, member of the Three Good Schools Steering Committee and the former Director of the Department of National Education of the ministry of Education of Taiwan have given his final speech on the primary goal of the Guang Ming College in promoting Humanistic Buddhism through education, culture, charity and propagation of the Dharma (Buddhist Teaching). “I don’t want to see left behind outside temple or school children, I want them to find and explore their full potentials, Yung said.”

To an interview given to one of the SDO-VIP’s, Chief Administrative Officer-Region 9, Dr. Romeo Daligdig, he said that the whole performances he had witnessed are all amazing and fabulous. He never expects that in the Philippines there is this kind of school which considered as world-class school. From the school facilities, their rooms, arena, the surroundings and the people as well really adopted the Three Acts of Goodness mantra (Do good Deeds, Speak good Words and Think good Thoughts).