SOLACE Student Ambassadors visit Northern Samar
The SOLACE research project recently concluded its Student Ambassadors Program which involved a 10-day immersion in Northern Samar, Philippines. Four students participated in the program that sought to develop an interdisciplinary learning toolkit for global health.
SOLACE Ambassadors are medical students from the Keele University (UK) and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public and an undergraduate student from the Loyola Schools of the Ateneo de Manila University. Frances Gibson, Harriet Howells, Syra Petalio, and Danielle Uayan were chosen via competitions held in the two partner universities, Ateneo de Manila University and Keele University.
The SOLACE Ambassadors (clockwise) Syra Petalio (Loyola Schools), Frances Gibson (Keele University), Harriet Howells (Keele University), and Danielle Uayan (Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health).
The SOLACE Ambassadors Program provided cross-cultural learning experiences for arts, humanities, and medical students in the Philippines and the UK. The time in Metro Manila and Northern Samar were spent collecting data—audiovisual stories, drafting of field notes, and engaging the public via SOLACE’s social media platforms. Post-fieldwork, the SOLACE Ambassadors will be working with each other in making art installations to be exhibited in SOLACE Exhibitions in Manila and the UK in 2019. The students’ reports and recommendations will also be useful in the development of educational resources for global health and creative research expressions and methodologies.
The researchers during immersion.
The SOLACE Ambassadors Program ran alongside the Health Sciences Program’s Praxis and Service Learning Program from July 19 to 28, 2018. Twelve (12) Health Sciences students did their Intersession Praxis in Northern Samar with the SOLACE Ambassadors and with the support and guidance of ADMU faculty members Dr. Jowel Canuday (DSA), Dr. Sio Marquez (HSP), Ms. Dudj Amor (HSP), and Ms. Cherie Alfiler (DSA). The two programs culminated in a public presentation in Laoang, Northern Samar on July 27, Friday attended by local government officials and community representatives.
The SOLACE Ambassadors with the students of the Health Sciences Program, faculty members of the Loyola Schools at Onay Beach as hosted by Chief of Hospital of G.B. Tan Hospital of Laoang, Dr. Alfonso Regala, an alumnus of ASMPH and HSP.
SOLACE (Stories Of public health through Local Art-based Community Engagement) is a two-year research project jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Medical Research Council, under the Global Challenges Research Fund. SOLACE brings together researchers from arts, medicine, social science and humanities, based at Keele University (UK) and Ateneo de Manila University (the Philippines) and in partnership with the provincial government of Northern Samar. Visit solace-research.com to learn more.