On a Christmas-season afternoon in Newport, Resorts World in Manila – just steps from the airport – high school students gathered at a McDonald’s branch unlike any other. Outside the windows, planes landed and took off in the distance, one after another, lifting into the sky with steady rhythm.
We chose that view intentionally.
Because at Bridges, we believe global connection isn’t a distant concept reserved for textbooks, business leaders, or diplomats. It begins earlier, quietly, and often invisibly with the moment a young person starts to imagine a world beyond what they’ve seen so far.
As part of the 2025 Christmas season, Bridges Magazine and Synergy Media Specialists hosted a Christmas outreach workshop titled “Bridging Worlds: A Creative Workshop on Global Connection & Teamwork.” Alongside a shared meal and Noche Buena packs for families, we invited high school students to explore globalization, cooperation, and possibility through something often overlooked: their own creativity.
This outreach was made possible with the support and coordination of Harvard Uy de Baron and the dedicated team of UHAPPY Events, whose hands-on work helped bring the workshop to life – from organizing the students to ensuring the event ran smoothly from start to finish.
Why we did this
Bridges has always been about bilateral relations — about cooperation between countries, cultures, and industries. But at its core, bilateral relations are not just agreements and announcements. They are people.
And the truth is: the next generation cannot grow into global citizens without first seeing themselves as part of a world that is connected and reachable.
Bridges has always been about bilateral relations — about cooperation between countries, cultures, and industries. But at its core, bilateral relations are not just agreements and announcements. They are people.
Not everyone is born with the same opportunities. We recognize that clearly. But curiosity, imagination, and drive are universal. A young person doesn’t need a plane ticket to begin discovering the world. The world already reaches them; in music, video, sports, food, games, and the stories they encounter on their phones every day.
So we asked a simple question: What happens when we give students a space to dream, reflect, and express?
Why this venue mattered
We held the workshop at McDonald’s Newport, Resorts World, Manila directly facing the airport.
For many students, travel still feels like something far away – something meant for other people. But in that room, travel became visible. Not as fantasy, but as something real.
As planes took off, they became a living symbol: of education, future careers, and the kind of global exposure that can expand a person’s life. We didn’t need to say much. The view said it for us.
A workshop powered by imagination
Students were invited to choose one prompt and express their answer through writing or visual art. The themes were simple and student-friendly, but deeply relevant to today’s world:
- “The world is connected because…”
- “If countries worked together more…”
- “If I had a passport today, I would go to…”
- “Bridges Between People”
- “One World, Many Hands”
- “My Passport to the Future”
We reminded everyone that this was not a test. We weren’t judging perfect grammar or perfect drawing. What mattered most was clarity of message, creativity, and effort because imagination itself is a skill, and expressing it takes courage.
At the end of the session, we selected the most outstanding submissions for special recognition: two winners in writing, and two in art. The written works, lightly edited for publication while preserving each student’s voice, are featured below with full bylines.
Writing Awards
“If I Had a Passport Today“
By Duchess Romina B. San Juan
Winner – Most Outstanding Writer, Bridging Worlds Workshop
If I had a personal passport today and the freedom to go wherever I wanted, of course I would travel to several countries. I don’t want to name just one, because I dream of visiting as many places as I can. Like other people, I would want to explore the world, relax, and experience different cultures.
But if you ask me on a deeper level, I would travel not only to see places, but to help others. I want to reach out to people who are in need. One of my dreams is to become a politician like my father, so I can help people who lack financial support and opportunities.
One question I often think about is this: why do we only help people we already know? Why not try to reach and help as many people as possible, even those outside our own country? In simple ways, we can already become a blessing to others.
Many people do not have enough privilege to learn or to reach their dreams. By helping them, we can create unity and peace, not only within one country but across the world. We can be instruments of good and kindness to one another.
That is why I want to travel — to meet people, to understand them, and to help wherever I can. If we all try to help each other, the world can become a better place.
“If I Had a Passport Today“
By Rhyzelle D. Magtibay
Winner – Outstanding Writer, Bridging Worlds Workshop
If I had a passport today, I would travel to different countries to understand how deeply connected the world truly is — through people, culture, and ideas. Even though we live in different places, phones, food, music, and technology allow us to share our lives with one another.
A song from another country can become popular worldwide, and a simple message sent through a phone can connect people across oceans in seconds. These connections show us that the world is smaller than it seems, and that we are more alike than different.
I would first go to Japan because I admire how people value discipline, respect, and hard work. I want to see how their traditions blend with modern technology, and how education plays an important role in shaping responsible citizens.
After that, I would like to visit Korea to learn more about its culture and dedication to education and creativity, especially in music and media, which influence many people around the world.
If countries helped each other more, the world would truly become a better place.
Creative Awards
Alongside writing, students were encouraged to reflect visually on connection, teamwork, and global imagination. Two submissions stood out for their symbolism and creativity.
Beyond Christmas
We came to share a Christmas meal and Noche Buena packs but more importantly, to share possibility.
The support given to their families was meaningful and warmly received. But the heart of the afternoon was what happened at the tables: students writing about global connection, drawing their imagined futures, and speaking their thoughts out loud with growing confidence.
As the workshop ended, the students gathered for photos and goodbyes. Outside, planes continued to depart and arrive with the same steady rhythm as before – a simple reminder that the world keeps moving, and that the future is full of places still waiting to be discovered.
For our team, this is only a beginning. We hope to make Bridging Worlds a consistent Bridges initiative – returning each year, expanding its creative workshop format, and reaching more students over time.
In the longer term, we also hope to build pathways beyond the workshop itself, including mentorship and learning experiences, and when possible, offering selected students the opportunity to intern with our team so their talent and ambition can be supported not only with inspiration, but with real exposure to the world of media and storytelling.
