In the early days of the pandemic outbreak, he had an opportunity to go back home to Mexico. But he decided to stay in the Philippines and volunteer in COVID-19 relief operations throughout Metro Manila.
La Salle University Chihuahua exchange program student Miguel Alejandro Giron Aguirre was ready to study at the School of Management and Information Technology of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The regular program included courses on Strategic Management and Business Policy, Product Management, Leadership and Management, Consumer Behavior, and Bible and Church.
Alej to his Filipino friends, he looked forward to going to his daily classes, befriending fellow students, immersing and adapting himself to all things Filipino – history and tradition, arts and culture, lifestyle and food.
“From where I grew up, the Philippines seemed like the other side of the world, and I wanted to come,” he stated.
In his spare time, he even aimed to visit the top tourist destinations in the metropolis and the surrounding area. But come early January, the month of his arrival, the Taal Volcano eruption in Batangas sent ashfall all over the regions. Compounded with the early talks and sporadic reports of COVID-19, which increased by the day, the government, in time, announced its community quarantine measures and specific health guidelines. Despite all this, the 22-year-old Marketing Management student chose to stay and volunteer.
“I wasn’t planning to leave because of the virus,” he admitted. “To be honest, I didn’t think that this pandemic will go this far. But staying in the Philippines was the best decision ever.”
With the interruption of school, he participated in Kada Uno. This initiative unifies the efforts of various Lasallian institutions, groups, and partner organizations in support of the affected vulnerable and minority sectors.
Alej was assigned to the Marketing and Communications Office, in charge of photos, videos, and documentation. He worked alongside Lasallian East Asia District Brother Visitor Br. Armin Luistro FSC and the rest of the volunteers. They distributed relief packs to the families in need, and provided temporary refuge to the medical frontliners and homeless in Manila.
This allowed him to experience the relentless warmth and kindness of the Lasallians and Filipinos in general. “I have seen how in the difficult times, Filipinos always look for ways to help, and it’s something to admire,” he shared. “I could see how a great team can make great things, and how people can be close even if it’s not physically. I also learned that nothing is impossible – the only person who stops you is yourself.”
Despite the threats of being exposed to the virus, Alej trusts the program’s consistent sanitation and social distancing protocols. “I feel secured,” he beamed. “My parents were worried, but at the same time, they know I’m safe. I also regularly update them about what I have been doing here and they are proud of me.”
The international student is no stranger to Lasallian missions. He has actively participated in the programs in Mexico, where they spread messages of faith to the community. However, it is the first time that he worked hands-on in such a vast initiative that aimed to address beyond the Lasallian family. “I found the mission as a set of actions that help the communities to develop a better life close to God,” he imparted.
He likewise created digital content for La Salle Green Hills’ Flexible Lasallian Education through Technology and Collaboration at Home (FLETCH) and International Council of Young Lasallians’ Indivisa Manent. This virtual meeting tackled topics such as racism.
Now that classes have resumed, he is currently enrolled under the Benilde Online Learning Term (BOLT), the College’s full online learning program, taking up Corporate Communications, Quality and Business Process Improvements, and Film Theory and Global Cinematic Movements courses.
As soon as BOLT is over, he flies back to Chihuahua, Mexico.
“My trip ended up different. But to be honest, I couldn’t think of any better way to spend my exchange program. I met so many amazing persons, and I also learned many things,” he exclaimed. “Uncertainty is one aspect that we are going to experience, and this helped me learn how to work in real life.”
When asked if he would come back to the Philippines, the young volunteer wished to finally explore the famously beautiful beaches of Palawan, Cebu, and Negros in his next visit.
“Mexican and Filipino cultures are quite similar,” he observed. “But Filipinos are way happier. I could see God in every person I met here, and I am very grateful for all that I have learned.”
