NEW YORK 08 October 2018 – The pilot batch of Diskubre, the heritage tour spearheaded by the Philippine Consulate General in New York for young Filipino-Americans, will be shown on ABS-CBN’s web series “Discovering Routes Travels with Diskubre” starting 27 September 2018.
To give guests and interested participants a preview of the series, the Consulate General hosted a premiere event on 14 September 2018 at the Philippine Center.
Consul General Claro Cristobal revealed that one of his first official acts as Consul General is signing the agreement between the Consulate General and ABS-CBN to greenlight the project that has taken more than two years to plan and implement. He has expressed hope in sustaining the program for the youth in the community for the years to come.
Consul Khrystina Corpuz Popov shared a brief background on Diskubre, relating that the program is meant to introduce foreign-born Filipinos to their heritage and increase understanding and appreciation of the Philippines.
The 10-day itinerary was designed in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT), with a focus on adventure, educational tours, and community immersion activities for an impactful experience for them to proudly and confidently assert their Filipino identity. The series documented the journey of four young travelers around Manila and the Mountain Province in July.
Speaking on behalf of ABS-CBN, Program Director and Executive Producer of Discovering Routes Ms. Keesa Ocampo expressed her thanks in the partnership that the Consulate General offered, which aligns perfectly with their web series that follows millennials traveling to the lands of their origins.
Discovering Routes Travels with Diskubre will have 11 weekly webisodes and some short video specials.
The audience was treated to an exclusive preview of the season trailer, and a full episode featuring two of the most memorable personalities the travelers met during the tour, Eric “Kidlat Tahimik” De Guia and “Bing Girl.” Both entrepreneurs shunned their financially rewarding careers in the city to go back to nature and pursue their passion.
In the question-and-answer portion that followed, the young travelers all spoke of their gratitude to the program for opening up their eyes to the beauty and depth of the Philippine culture.
New Hampshire native Calvin Santiago shared that he has never before been prouder of his Filipino heritage until Diskubre. Because of the tour, he has gained friends, and have more experiences and stories to tell about the Philippines and the land of his parents.
Filipino-American beauty titlist Elaine Ficarra from Philadelphia was happy to have spent time with the Filipino youth, and to have shared her talent and stories with the locals that she met.
Bronx High schooler Feih Hidalgo gained a new perspective of the way of life that Filipinos live halfway across the world. She recalled that the most striking experience for her is walking the same difficult mountain trail the schoolchildren have to walk every day to attend classes.
Filipino-British Alex Brown was thankful for the insights from heritage tour, which she has never realized even while visiting her mother’s family during her previous trips to the Philippines. She stressed that young people must do the Diskubre Tour, or a similar program, at least once in their lives because according to her, knowing one’s self starts with getting to know one’s roots.
Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) alumnus Michael Vea moderated the panel, relating his own takeaway from his participation in the Manila leg of the tour. Being an educator, he recognized that the lessons he imparts to his students also come from the experiences he has gained in the past, and Diskubre adds a cultural depth to his own wisdom.
Tourism Representative Susan Del Mundo expressed her pleasure in seeing the success of Diskubre, and pledged DOT’s support in the continued programming of the heritage tour in highlighting the other destinations in the Philippines. Several community organizations and parents have already lodged their interest in having their young members and children join the next Diskubre Tour, scheduled in February.
The complete web series can be accessed through www.discoveringroutes.com starting 27 September 2018.
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For more information, visit www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph, www.newyorkpcg.org, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY.
