FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TOS

The questions below are actual questions sent to us over the past 8 years. Please read this document to help you prepare for TOS this Summer/Fall:

Is the program available every year?

Yes, in the Summer (June to August). A Fall (September to October) program may also be arranged depending on the number of interested applicants.

Will you offer a winter or spring program?

Not at this time.

Do you have suggestions of similar programs that combine Tagalog courses?

The Southeast Asia Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) as well as the Advanced Filipino Abroad Program (AFAP) University of Hawaii, Manoa both offer excellent programs. For SEASSI, please check the Southeast Asia Studies Program at the Ohio University website; AFAP may also have a presence on the internet.

Is there college credit for Tagalog-On-Site?

Participants will have to make arrangements on their own with their home departments. TOS has worked with past participants to help their home institutions translate the work done in the program into university credits. TOS will be able to furnish grades, course descriptions and other relevant information to these departments upon their formal request.

Is there any way to receive financial aid?

TOS is unable to offer scholarships at this time. We are a small non-stock, non-profit organization and receive no endowments or funding from larger foundations. As such, the TOS program is self-sufficient but cannot afford to sponsor scholars. However, students may apply to the Freeman-ASIA Awards through their home universities. These awards are needs-based grants for undergraduates. More information, including eligibility, deadlines and application procedures can be accessed through the Institute for International Education website. (put link here).

I would like to know more about the curriculum.

Please check the TOS website at www.tagalogonsite.org.

Are there components that will give participants exposure to non-profit/service-oriented groups working in the Philippines?

The exposure trips throughout the seven/eight-week program are generally arranged with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). NGO workers will also conduct some of the lectures and workshops. Thus there is ample opportunity for program participants to learn about these groups and their work. If there is a particular area that interests you, please let TOS know ahead of time so that we can make the appropriate contacts if at all possible.

Will there be opportunities for participants to work and interact with various population groups or will the participants be locking into their cohort group?

There will be various opportunities to interact with local communities. The TOS curriculum is designed so that the student is able to practice language skills with Filipinos from all walks of life. Our students are required to conduct in-depth interviews and interact with high school and college students, fisherfolk, peasants, indigenous peoples (Ifugao, Tagbanua, Aeta, T’boli, etc.), Amerasians and their mothers, victims of toxic waste contamination, urban poor, health workers, community organizers, local politicians, artists, musicians, scholars, NGO workers – just to name a few.

Is there any way I can do the program even though I’m no longer a student ?

Yes, you may apply directly to TOS through its website at www.tagalogonsite.org.

How isolated are the indigenous/more rural areas where the participants will be going?

The TOS programs are held are provincial cities, complete with all the amenities of a modern city — hospitals, banks, schools, post offices, internet cafes, etc. In the past, TOS chose the university town of Los Baños, Laguna and Puerto Princesa, Palawan as its program bases. All day trips are within 1-2 hours from our program site. The most isolated area a participant is likely to visit would be areas in the Cordillera mountains (specifically Banaue, Batad and Sagada). In the Cordillera region, there may be overnight trips to remote villages 2-3 hour hikes away from the town center.

Would you advise someone who is pregnant to go?

No.

How safe is it to be a foreigner in the Philippines?

It is completely safe in areas where TOS will be going. It is generally very safe in Luzon (where TOS will be confined) and the Visayas, and even in most parts of Mindanao. However, it is true that there are places that are truly unsafe for anyone, including foreign nationals. These are in the areas of armed conflict in Sulu, Jolo and Basilan in southern Philippines. The level of safety on TOS would be no different from that of any other large US city. Please read the Letter to Parents below.

What measures are you going to take to ensure the safety of the participants?

Please read the Letter to Parents below. [PDF version][HTML version]

What might be the estimate of the total cost of the trip, including extra meals and transportation?

Please view Program Details on the TOS website at www.tagalogonsite.org.

What kind of vaccines and medical clearances should the participants obtain before going to the Philippines?

You are advised to ask your physician about precautions you should take when coming to a tropical country, both in general terms and in your particular case. Be informed though, that TOS will NOT be in malaria-positive areas this year, so anti-malaria prophylaxis is not necessary. Please also read carefully the Health Matters section of the TOS Travel Guide.

Could you give me an estimate of how long the extended exposure trip to the Banaue Rice terraces will last and a rough estimate of the cost of the trip?

It will last 5 – 6 days and will cost about P10,000 pesos ($190). This will include travel expenses, board, lodging and guide fees. Please note that there will be slots for only 15 – 18 people.

If a participant already has a Balikbayan stamp, is that sufficient to authorize my stay in the Philippines for TOS? Does this mean I do not need to obtain a separate visa?

THE BALIKBAYAN STAMP IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE 59-DAY VISA THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN TO JOIN TOS. Please see the section on Visa Matters in the TOS Travel Guide.

For the deposit, can the money be sent as a money order or do you prefer a personal check?

We CANNOT accept money orders or personal checks. Please send your non-refundable initial deposit ($400 upon acceptance to the program), and second installment ($600 due May 31,2005) to the address below. The balance of $1,598 should be paid in Manila on the first day of the TOS program. Please use a BANK DRAFT or CHECK from a reputable US bank made out to Tagalog On Site. (Note: Please do not make out the check to simply "TOS" as banks in the Philippines will refuse it.) Should an emergency situation arise and TOS is forced to cancel the program, you will receive a full refund.

Please send checks to:

******************TBA*******************

What academic documents does TOS need?

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student, any official document from your school/university that confirms that your GPA is at least 2.5. If you are a professional, your curriculum vitae and a copy of your transcript of records from the last academic institution attended will suffice.

May participants pay the balance of the tuition payment on the first day of TOS by personal check? Or do you need a cashier’s check (also known as a bank check) or money order?

Do NOT pay by money order or personal check as these take a very long time to clear the Philippine banking system. TOS prefers cash, or if this is not possible, pay using a bank draft/check from a well-known international bank such as Citibank or Chase Manhattan Bank. Again, please make sure that the draft/check is made out to Tagalog On Site and not merely TOS.

Do you know what the demand is like for the Banaue/Cordillera exposure trip?

TOS can arrange for a total of 15-18 students to join the Banaue/Cordillera exposure trip. Slots may be reserved only on the first day of the TOS program. A 50% deposit is required to reserve your slot.

Can I apply to TOS if I’m not of Filipino descent?

Yes, but you have to know and accept that TOS was designed primarily for participants of Filipino descent, and that you therefore should adjust your expectations accordingly. Please see the related question immediately below.

Is TOS exclusively for Filipino Americans?

TOS was created primarily to cater to the needs of Filipino Americans. It is the goal of TOS to make its programs available to other second- and third- generation overseas Filipinos. The TOS programs have given Filipino Americans a sense of grounding in their ethnic identities. We believe that the TOS experience could do the same for other Filipinos of the diaspora. TOS is not just a "study-abroad" program; in a sense, it is a "heritage" program -- one that seeks to address specific, personal (as opposed to theoretical) questions on identity and ethnicity.

Since its inception in 1996, TOS has had four participants who were not of Filipino descent. One was a Chicana (TOS Batch 1998 & 1999), a Japanese American (TOS Batch 1999), and two Caucasian Americans. All four were impressed with the academic rigors of TOS and three remain active participants in the TOS alumni association. In fact the Chicana enjoyed herself so much that she attended TOS twice! TOS does not discriminate against non-Filipino applicants. However, they should be aware that the academic curriculum, field activities, assignments and workshops have all been geared toward fulfilling the needs and concerns of second- and third- generation overseas Filipinos. Non-Filipino participants are very welcome on TOS, but they would get the most out of their stay if they are able to avoid unnecessary frustration by adjusting their expectations of the program right from the start.

Where will the participants be staying during the program and is on-campus housing available?

This summer, TOS will be housed at the SEARCA hostel and executive houses inside the University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB) campus for the duration of the program. The SEAMEO hostel was built by the Japanese government to house visiting international scholars. Accommodations at the hostel will be two- three students per room, air-conditioned with private toilet/bath. All meals will be provided. The UPLB campus is a favorite program site because it is safe, readily accessible from Manila (2-3 hour drive), idyllic (it is on a mountainside and is surrounded by farms and forests) and has all the conveniences and services of a modern city.

How much Tagalog will I be expected to learn?

As much as your aptitude and hard work will take you. Students will be divided according to competency level, from beginning to native speaker level. Your progress will be constantly monitored and you may be moved to higher proficiency level classes at any time. In exceptional cases, students have moved up six levels within the seven-week program. The average increase in proficiency has been two to four levels.

What does the program cost cover?

All housing, food (3 main meals) and transportation for program activities while classes are in session. The Cordillera trip is an optional part of the program and is thus not covered by the program cost.

What clothes should I pack?

Please opt for modest dressing. Last year, several female students complained that they were being stared at on the streets of Los Baños, Laguna. Los Baños is a provincial city. The Filipino American students "stood out" -- not because they looked different, but because they dressed differently. Exposing cleavage and one's navel is a cultural taboo in a conservative Catholic country. TOS repeatedly tried to explain this to the students whose wardrobe turned out to be too revealing by Philippine provincial standards. Eventually, they had to buy an entire new set of T-shirts and blouses.

In 2002, we had a student whose arms were densely tattooed and who had shaved his head completely. In the Philippines, bald men with dense tattoos are generally labeled gang members, criminals or drug addicts. We firmly told him that he was begging for trouble if he walked the streets without covering his arms. We also told him to grow his hair back. After the first week of getting stared at, he followed our advice.

The case cited above is of course extreme. But in preparing for the trip, students should pack the right clothes, and already be conscious of cultural norms that they have to adapt to.

Students complain saying that their manner of dressing is a freedom of expression. TOS agrees. But should students persist to go against cultural norms, they should not complain when they are harassed on the street. Women get catcalls, lewd remarks, are stared at, or at times, even followed by strangers. Men with tattoos or closely shaved heads are perceived to be projecting a "macho," tough image and may be challenged into a fight at the slightest excuse.

TOP >>