Page 25 - FerMUN 2020 - Futurecasters Global Young Visionaries Summit, 8th-10th January 2020

Has anyone heard a fruit called Lanzones or Guyabano? Or has had snail in coconut broth?
Well, it was not until the Philippines where I was able to try new foods and discover new fruits
and vegetables. To this day, actually at this moment, I can just imagine the taste and smell of

my Mama Mel’s chicken adobo. There, I was also able to learn the language and practice my
culture, things that I didn't really do in America.

I was also able to meet my family members who were so loving and sweet, who took care of
me, fed me, took me to school. I got closer to my cousins over time from them visiting and

keeping me company every weekend. We had long nights in the patio just laughing and
talking, and trying to make dance videos to its perfection. It is amazing to know, no matter how
far the distance, that you have people who support and love you no matter what trouble you

get into, or mistakes you encounter throughout your life. Those are the memories in my life that
I hold on to forever, and will never forget.

From what you heard, my stay in the Philippines may sound all dandy and sweet, but for those
who may not know, the Philippines is not a country that is filled with many opportunities. Such
as the lack of employment and low wages. For the 3 years I lived there, I came to realize the

differences between America and the Philippines.

Unlike America, the Philippines is a developing country. Instead of going to school, some kids
make necklaces out of flowers and sell them during the day, in order to eat; they sleep on the
streets because their families do not own a home. Some of those families can not even seek

proper health care or receive support from their government.

Something that my cousins and I have in common, along with many other families, is our
parents migrating from the Philippines to seek higher education and better job opportunities,
in order to provide and support themselves, and their family.

Being apart from my parents for 3 years was difficult for me because of having to adapt to a
new environment and unlocking a new chapter in my life without them there. The birthdays
and holidays, having to make memories without your parents and the separation between
families is sadly normalized in my country, but that is the sacrifice and consequence that comes

with supporting and providing for the ones you love. That is how we show love and care for
each other, putting others before ourselves, and working hard not only for the present, but for
the future.

JACKIE’S SPEECH: My entire family has always and continues to live in the same hidden

community called Los Espinos in San Buenaventura, El Salvador. A community of mud and brick
homes on a mountain leading to a riverbank. The people that live here are destined to the
same life of extreme poverty. The only way of transportation is their feet, wearing down their
only pair of shoes to walk an hour to the nearest bus stop. All they know is the life they were

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