Twenty-eight students from different countries in Asia took part in a field learning visit to Sitio Bendum in Malaybalay, Bukidnon last 25 to 29 May 2011 and engaged with the Pulangiyen community to learn about their experiences in natural resources management and in coping with internal and external resource use conflicts and management, as well as the community's priorities in human development.

Upon arrival in Bendum, the Pulangiyen community welcomed the visiting group through the pandawat, a community ritual that welcomes new visitors to their place. The tribal chieftain, Datu Nestor Menaling and other men and women elders, led the pandawat that involved an oral chanting to their spirits of how the visit came about. The ritual was completed through the offering of two chickens to the spirits, which were then cooked and shared with everybody.

For Midori Kamada, the experience was one of ‘confrontation of history' and fresh beginning in inter-cultural relationships. Chisato Ishizaki initially thought that she joined the learning visit to know more about the environment, but got a deeper lesson on history instead.

The visiting students met and discussed with the members of the tribal council, women's group, youth group, teachers of the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center , and Mindanao-based ESSC staff.

Walks were organized and the students divided themselves into three groups. The forest group visited the areas where the community youth are undertaking assisted natural regeneration activities. The river group saw a portion of the Pulangi River and the spring box. The uma or farm area group visited the swidden areas, the abaca growing area, and where the migrants are also developing their farmlands.

These walks generated discussions about local realities of resource management and concerns as well as the socio-economic and cultural impact. Group discussions were held in the afternoons, where participants processed their learnings from the morning activities and reflected on the experience in relation to past lessons and personal experiences.

During the sessions for individual sharing of learnings and insights, most of the students took note of the poverty situation in Bendum and shared their views on poverty and development, largely focused on economic development and modernization.

Some students shared their perspective on engaging with the poor and indigenous peoples. Mariya Voloshkevich spoke about the aspect of spiritual development in finding the meaning life. Amit Mehta also pointed out the need to start from a recognition of the human dignity of the poor. Sakura Kunimura, admitting that academic training can make one look at communities at an intellectual level, enjoined people in development and peace building work to connect with people at a personal level, and to engage with the "heart" and nurture emotional intelligence. Benjamas Bonyarit focused on the value of relating with the poor, marginalized sectors of society on the basis of equality and sharing, not charity.

Accompanying the students were: Dr Alma Salvador, Chair of the Department of Political Science, Ateneo de Manila University, and the host department for the dual campus Asia Leaders Programme (ALP) of the UN-mandated University for Peace; Dr Jennifer Oreta, the faculty assigned to the class, and Ms Luisa Lentejas and Ms Airene Pascual, both staff of the University for Peace.

This is the second time for ESSC to facilitate a field learning visit for the University for Peace students. Last year, the 2010 batch undertook a similar visit and for which the students shared their reflections on peace, youth engagement, and natural resource management.