Parent-Child Study Abroad in the Philippines - [#8] Thoughts on the Day of Departure

Hello, this is Sachi.

Our family is going on a three-week parent-child study abroad trip to the Philippines from February 1st to February 21st, 2026.
Today is the day of our departure.

We woke up at 5:00 AM, flew from Haneda to Manila, and then transferred to a domestic flight to Dumaguete.
I'm writing this article at our destination's accommodation, but honestly, the travel was incredibly exhausting...

But at the same time, there were several moments where I thought, 'Oh, I'll probably remember this day many times.'
I'd like to write about that today.

*You can read about choosing the school, flight tickets, packing, and the story of how we couldn't attend school during our previous parent-child study abroad in New Zealand in the Philippines parent-child study abroad series starting from [#1]. If you're interested, please take a look.

Messing up right away on the morning of departure

Even though it was an international flight, I almost headed to Terminal 2 with the same mindset as a domestic flight.
I realized it after passing the International Terminal 3 station and got off at the next station, 'Shin-Seibijo,' to transfer.

...However, there were no elevators or escalators, so I had to carry my suitcase up and down the stairs.
It was already exhausting before we even left.

Beside me, my second son said one thing.
'Are we going to Spain now?'

Yeah, that's not it.
But I was a little saved by his casualness. lol

A small baptism at the airport

'Super Ant Nest Bait' that I was recommended to bring.

It seemed tricky for both carry-on and checked baggage, and after the staff member spent quite a bit of time checking it...

Confiscated.

Sad. (Apparently, it's treated as a toxic substance.)

However, thanks to having children with me, we were guided to the priority lane for security, which was a real help.

Time on the plane and memories of UNO

It's about a four-and-a-half-hour flight to Manila.
The movies I watched were 'The Exit 8' and 'Golden Kamuy' (partway through).
Since the kids already knew it from the app game, we surprisinglyall three of us watched 'The Exit 8' together.

My second son started watching it first and kept spoiling it for me...😂

My eldest son slept almost the entire time except for the movie and meal times.
And I played UNO with my second son.
You can actually play card games on the plane, surprisingly.
And it gets exciting😊

From Manila, Cebu Pacific, and a headache

We transferred to a Cebu Pacific domestic flight in Manila.

There was a bus ride to the aircraft, and the bus seats were small and quite cramped. And climbing the stairs to the plane was a bit shaky and scary (yikes!).

Since there were no monitors in the seats, the three of us played UNO almost the entire flight. (Laughing again)

Then, about 20 minutes before landing, all three of us got headaches and ear pain. It was quite painful, so we huddled around the iPad and played an app called Block Blast to try and take our minds off it.

Including all the various 'uncomfortable' experiences, I think it was a good experience for the kids (my second son said, 'I want to fly business class next time!' haha).

Arrival in Dumaguete, and the world shifts

The Dumaguete airport is very simple.

After getting off the plane, we just walked across the runway to the baggage claim area.

We picked up our luggage, walked out the door, and we were already outside. We met up with the school driver in an instant.

The streets of the Philippines and the sheer volume of information

There are no traffic lights!! But everyone is driving normally.

The school driver kept honking the horn; I probably heard it over 100 times before we arrived (I've had my license for over 20 years, and I've probably only honked about 5 times, so it was quite a shock). Cars with about 10 people piled into the back were also driving around normally.

The occupancy rate of the tricycles (isn't that over capacity?) is also incredible.

There are many run-down houses, but then suddenly, a large, beautiful building like an Aeon Mall appears. There were also many familiar shops like Uniqlo, Starbucks, McDonald's, and 7-Eleven.

Finally, we reached our destination

Around 8:00 PM, we finally arrived at our accommodation.

The room was lovely, and the kids were really excited.

However, the travel was truly exhausting.

4.5 hours from Haneda to Manila,
a 2-hour layover in Manila,
1.5 hours from Manila to Dumaguete,
and then another hour by car from the airport.

We woke up at 5:00 AM this morning, and it was around 8:00 PM (9:00 PM Japan time) when we reached our destination.
It is true that for a split second, I thought, 'If someone asked me if I wanted to come back...?'

Even so, here is what I think when I look back on today.

Physically, it was truly exhausting.

But it was a huge relief that the kids didn't complain and were looking forward to it, asking, 'Are we there yet?' or 'Is it soon?'

And what I think I will remember many times later is playing UNO on the plane and watching 'The Exit 8' together, sharing our thoughts on it.

During this trip, we laughed at the same things, saw the same things, and spent the same time together.

Just as I read in 'Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life,' this was surely a day where we were able to 'create memories.'

This is it, I thought.
What I want to give my children is not a generous inheritance, but memories like these.

Today was that kind of day.

Thank you for reading until the end.

The next post, #9, is a record of a day where, while experiencing inconvenience and fear, I felt what it means for 'the world to become a place where you belong.'

👇 Continue reading here

👇You can read the 'Parent-Child Study Abroad in the Philippines' series in the magazine

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