Hello, everyone. Welcome back to our Site Visit Diary, following our team's visit to short-term language schools in the Philippines. This is Day 6.
A day spent visiting CSi Mall and Jollibee, staying at a beach-side hotel, and marking our final evening in Lingayen.
Breakfast at a partner hotel — and what it revealed about the warmth of the dormitory cook
That morning, we had breakfast at one of the programme's partner hotels. A Western-style plate was laid out for us, and the day began in a calm, comfortable atmosphere.
The hotel breakfast was well-prepared and entirely reassuring. That said — and this is just between us — our honest impression as staff was that the breakfasts made by the dormitory housemother at the language school had felt more home-cooked, warmer, and somehow more delicious.
That is not a criticism of the hotel at all. If anything, it reflects how much the home-cooked warmth and handmade quality of the dormitory meals had left their mark on us after several days of sharing meals together with everyone at the school.
Lingayen's largest shopping centre — CSi Mall
After breakfast, we headed to CSi Mall for a look around. CSi Mall is the largest shopping centre in Lingayen, and it would be fair to say that virtually everything you need for day-to-day life can be found under one roof.
Our first stop was the fresh-produce section.
Rows of local vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, condiments, and snacks stretched in every direction — a genuinely entertaining place just to browse. The layout and ingredients are different from what you would find in a Japanese supermarket, and here too you can feel what everyday life in the Philippines is actually like.
There are also plenty of souvenirs — snacks and sweets that are easy to bring back for others. We were told that buying here is considerably better value than at city shops or airports, and our staff ended up purchasing a good number of gifts right there on the spot.
For anyone on a short study-abroad programme who finds themselves thinking "I'd like to bring something back for family or colleagues," knowing there is a large mall this close by is a real comfort.
Everything under one roof — daily goods, stationery, clothing, and a food court
CSi Mall really does have everything. The daily essentials and stationery sections are extensive, which means that if you find yourself needing something during your stay, you are well covered. There is also a wide range of clothing, so topping up your wardrobe to suit the local heat is entirely possible.
What particularly surprised us was the range of entertainment facilities. The arcade had not only crane-game machines and medal games, but karaoke, bowling, and even driving-simulator attractions inside the same complex. There were plenty of families around, and it is the kind of place where you could easily spend an entire day without running out of things to do.
The mall is about a twenty-minute drive from the school. Visiting independently by tricycle — the Philippine three-wheeled taxi — during free time is one option; coming as part of a guided optional excursion with transport included is another.
"What if I forget something?" "Will I be able to buy what I need locally?"
For anyone carrying those worries, the existence of a mall like this is a substantial reassurance.
Lunch at Jollibee — the Philippines' number-one fast-food chain
For lunch, we crossed the road from CSi Mall to Jollibee. Jollibee is the fast-food chain that holds an overwhelming lead in the Philippines, and having wanted to visit ever since the trip began, we were genuinely pleased finally to walk through the door.
Ordering is done either at a touch-panel kiosk or at the counter — not much different from a McDonald's in Japan, and intuitive enough even for a first visit.
The cheapest set on the menu comes to around ₱120 (≈US$2). Being able to eat a proper meal at that price is a welcome point for students.
There is quite a range of sets to choose from, but what genuinely surprised us was the chicken — incredibly juicy and deeply flavoured. We found ourselves thinking that it would almost certainly find an enthusiastic audience if Jollibee ever expanded into Japan.
A birthday party at Jollibee? A glimpse into Filipino culture
What surprised us even more inside Jollibee was the sight of a birthday party being held in the restaurant's event space.
In the Philippines, hosting a birthday party by reserving the event space inside a Jollibee branch is apparently quite standard — a tradition so embedded in Filipino life that it is said almost every Filipino has experienced it at least once.
The idea that a fast-food restaurant could be not just a place to eat, but a place where family memories are made, was something we had not anticipated.
Encountering differences like this is one of the things that makes visiting in person worthwhile. The everyday scenes that get barely a mention in guidebooks are often the ones that stay with you longest.
An inspection of a beachside hotel in the evening
That evening, we visited a hotel situated along the beach. It was a property with well-appointed pool facilities and villa-style accommodation suited to larger groups, and it gave us a great deal to think about in terms of planning stays for parent-and-child programmes or group visits.
The beach is directly accessible from within the grounds, and if you quieten down for a moment, you can hear the waves. The soft light of the evening and the sea breeze made it a hotel where you could genuinely settle in and unwind.
Student dormitory, hotel near the school, hotel in town, beachside hotel. Having several different accommodation options means we can tailor recommendations to the age, purpose, and family situation of each participant.
Through the Hokkaido residents' study-abroad programme, we want to welcome not only students but also families travelling together, friends, couples, working adults, and those in their senior years. Being able to inspect accommodation like this is an important part of making that happen.
The final night in Lingayen — a bittersweet farewell dinner
Our last evening in Lingayen was spent, as so many of the others had been, over Filipino food.
Sitting down for dinner with the staff who had guided us around the school and the city over several days, sharing meals with us again and again — knowing this was the last time made it a quietly melancholy occasion.
They had been strangers when we first arrived. But over the days that followed, they remembered how we liked our food, looked out for us in the heat, checked on how we were feeling during journeys — genuine warmth, all of it.
What makes a study-abroad experience worthwhile is not just the classes or the facilities. It is having someone to turn to when things feel uncertain. Having people around you in an unfamiliar place who actually notice how you are doing. And, at the end of it all, finding yourself thinking "I want to come back" — because of the people you met.
That, we felt, is the real heart of what this programme has to offer.
Reflections on Day 6
Day 6 was a day for feeling the ease of everyday life in Lingayen, and for taking in the texture of Filipino daily culture.
Spending the day as we did, Lingayen revealed itself as not only a place for learning, but a place where you can experience ordinary life with a genuine sense of security.
For Hokkaido residents setting off for the Philippines, there may well be anxieties — about food, shopping, daily necessities, getting around. But in practice, there is a large mall where you can find everything you need, casual places to eat, a range of accommodation to choose from, and above all the support of the local staff.
Taking that first step to go abroad does take a little courage. But beyond that step, there are encounters and discoveries that no classroom can give you.
We hope that for everyone who joins, this study-abroad experience will be not only an opportunity to learn English, but a moment that makes the world feel a little closer.
Editor's note
The moment that has stayed with us most from Day 6 is the sadness of that final dinner.
Gathered at the table that last evening, we felt the warmth of the staff around us all over again. Even a short stay is enough for real connections to take hold.
In Day 7, we leave Lingayen behind and make our way towards Manila. As the journey draws towards its close, we will keep reporting on what we find right to the end.
See you again in Day 7.