Traveling isn’t just about capturing Instagram-mable photos of the places you’ve visited and waiting for them to get hundreds of likes. Rather, it is a learning experience – a means to broaden one’s horizon and understand more about different cultures especially of our very own country.
And for young Filipinos who are starting with their bucket list of destinations, travel ing is most certainly an exciting experience. This year, Cebu Pacific is once again empowering wide-eyed wanderers to discover and enjoy the rewarding feeling of traveling in Juan For Fun 2019.
On its eighth run, Cebu Pacific chose five enthusiastic and passion-driven travelers out of thousands of nominees (3,300 to be exact) to go on a week-long backpacking trip in search of destinations and activities that will cultivate a deeper appreciation for the country, as well as enrich their own stories.
The Participants
The five Juan For Fun winners get to bring along two companions who share the same hunger for enriching travel experiences to journey around the Philippines. Each team will receive adventure passports with curated travel itineraries featuring Cebu Pacific destinations such as Bacolod, Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, and Siargao.
Team Dada, led by Dariel Vallez, a son of a farmer, an agriculture graduate who wants to travel where he could have an appreciation of how food is farmed before reaching the table – to promote agriculture as a profession for the youth. He is joined by Lea Encabo and Jolina Vallez.
Team Bin, led by Bin Nur Magangcong, a Marawi siege survivor who was awarded a Medal of Courage for helping in the rebuilding of his city. He is a new teacher who is currently trying to help promote understanding, peace, and acceptance of diversity among different Filipino culture. He is joined by Nur Tasneem Abdurahim Salih and Lisa Leslie Amoroso Lamorena.
Team Jay, led by Jeric Cabanillas, a local artist, Palawan museum tour guide, and founder of an NGO for the education of less fortunate children in Palawan, who wants to learn more through travel by doing community activities in other places of the country. He is joined by Mea Arn Esparas Alisla and Maria Manyenina Taboh.
Team Jessica, led by Jessica Resch, the founder of a non-profit organization called “We feed” catering to the less fortunate kids from Cebu, Tacloban, Dumaguete, Boracay, Bukidnon to Clark. To fund the organization, she auctioned jerseys from famous Frisbee players such as Derek Ramsay, Christian Guerrero, Boboy Famorcan and some international players like Opi Payne and Takanori Furuzawa. She is a member of the Ultimate Frisbee Philippine team and won a bronze medal last June 2019 at Shirahama, Japan. She is joined by Tanya Arnie Uy and Dawn Enanoria.
Team Artus, led by Artus Enriquez, a bird watcher whose college thesis is about creating a Biology Conservation Facility and a shelter for endemic species in the country. He is joined by Shanne E. Pampola and Cerela Mae S. Pioquid.
The Coaches
They will be mentored by travel writer Jude Bacalso, TV host and social media personality Joyce Pring, and Becoming Filipino’s Kyle ‘Kulas’ Jennermann, along with first-time coach, celebrity and vlogger Mikael Daez.
During the send-off party for the teams at the new Dusit Thani in Cebu, the Juan For Fun mentors took the stage to share practical tips and advice on making the most out of the trip.
Travel personality Kulas shared about his experiences on learning through travel; while Jude Bacalso talked about preserving Filipino heritage. Resident traveler Joyce lent some insights on island conservation and Mikael gave some tips on trying new cuisines in new destinations.
Indeed, unforgettable memories and special awards and prizes await these teams at the end of their well-deserved Juan for Fun 2019 adventure.
Follow the fun and excitement as the teams discover new experiences on their week-long Juan for Fun 2019 at Juan for Fun’s official Facebook page (@CebuPacificJFF) and through the hashtag #JuanforFun2019.