(SPOT.ph) Who says field trips have to be expensive or out of town? Sometimes, the best lessons are in front of us, here in the city. Preschoolers from Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines got to experience public transportation firsthand as they took their first-ever LRT-2 ride.
On March 7, a group of nursery students, accompanied by parents and guardians, traveled from Santolan Station to Antipolo Station before heading to the LRT-2 Depot in Pasig City for a tour of train operations and maintenance facilities.
Tzu Chi Philippines shared the cutest pictures in a Facebook post, showing the little commuters as they boarded the train, peered out the windows, and beamed with excitement at their first real commuting adventure.
The activity is part of the school’s experiential learning program, which introduces young learners to public transportation while fostering social awareness. If only more people in charge of fixing our transport system could experience the same.
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Commuting preschoolers
To ensure safety, the trip was planned in coordination with the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)—the management behind LRT-2—which provided security personnel throughout the journey. Before the trip, teachers briefed the children on basic commuting rules, including holding an adult’s hand at all times and following the “walking feet only” rule—preschool lingo for no running.
“The children arrived 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time with big smiles on their faces. They had been counting down the days,” Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy said.
As a “progressive school for children,” Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines focuses on experiential learning, helping students develop key life skills while upholding the Buddhist values of the humanitarian organization Tzu Chi. This LRT-2 ride was the school’s second major transportation-themed activity, following a tricycle ride at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila in 2024.
“We aim to develop 21st-century learners and equip them with the necessary skills needed to be responsible and productive citizens as they carry on the spirit of gratefulness, respect, and great love in the world,” it said on the school’s official website.
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