THAI immersion hopes to bring student camp in Koronadal
The creation of intercultural exchanges and the new offers for immersion stand out as the biggest impacts of the Thai visit in the City of Koronadal last month.
As their final ocular visit, the Thai visitors are now interested to bring their students in Koronadal next year for an English Camp Program.
“We are bidding for the English Camp Program to be held here. When Miss Preedapoon came here, she liked the place and she highly recommended it for the Thai students camp program. This is their final ocular visit and we are expecting about 300 students next year if we will win in the bidding”, tour operator Rels Rendaje of Triplink South Travel said in an interview. Further, Rendaje believes that the experience from the immersion demonstrated a significant impact to the city’s tourism industry, if not now but in the years to come.
City Mayor Eliordo U. Ogena personally received the eight (8) Thai school owners during their courtesy visit at City Hall on October 22, 2019.
“I visited here last July and I am really impressed with your nature, it’s not overly populated and I like the city”, Preedapoon, one of the visitors said in an interview.
The Cultural Village in Barangay Assumption was the city’s showcase destination for the Thai cultural immersion and language learning.
At the village, the indigenous community meet-ups with the Thai visitors with their student greeters and petite Blaan dancers.
“ I like the nature and the people and how they welcome us in your place. I like also the food. Since we came to the same root in South East Asia, we have some similarities in handicrafts, and weaving but may differ in style”, Jakapong Tepaya, one of the Thai visitors said in an interview.
Immersive activities and experiences to include the Blaan food, weaving, songs, dance, rituals, demos, language lectures gave the Thai visitors a first-hand experience of the Blaan culture.
The English Language and Cultural Immersion is a project spearheaded by the Notre Dame of Marbel University in partnership with the City Government of Koronadal, Provincial Tourism Council of South Cotabato and Triplink South Travel.