studiyo filipino is a Switzerland-based platform created by three independent contributors, whose vision is to activate nuanced discourses on matters pertaining to the Philippines.
It aims to provide an innovative approach to the intercultural experience, enabling exchanges that provide a better understanding of our differences while exploring our shared humanity.
studiyo filipino aspires to strengthen and expand its network, connecting anyone who seeks to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the various notions and expressions about the Philippines.
Board members
Doris Bacalzo is a social and cultural anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Lucerne. She is a co-founder of the Philippine Studies Network in Switzerland, an open community formed in 2012 at the University of Lucerne to support the flow and exchange of information and resources between researchers within and beyond academia and the broader public, towards a dynamic understanding of the place, the people, and social relations related to the Philippines. She is also an organizing member of the Interface Commission of the Swiss Anthropological Association (SEG-IFC), and has coordinated its pilot Summer School program in 2021, one of the Commission’s initiatives on enriching the practice and understanding of engaged anthropology.
Doris is studiyo filipino’s co-founder. Her acronym is: db
Annette Hug is a freelance writer living in Zurich. Her fourth novel, «Tiefenlager», came out in April 2021. She was awarded a Swiss Literary Award (Schweizer Literaturpreis) for «Wilhelm Tell in Manila», a novel about José Rizal’s translation of Friedrich Schiller’s play «Wilhelm Tell». She has started to translate poetry from Filipino/Tagalog into German. Until 2015, she has also worked as a trade union officer. From 1992 to 1994 she studied Women and Development Studies at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, and completed a Master of Arts. The title of her master’s thesis was: «Romantic Love. A Feminist Study of Change.»
Website: www.annettehug.ch
Annette is studiyo filipino’s co-founder and co-president. Her acronym is: ah
Beatriz Lorente (“Bea”) is a lecturer in the Department of English of the University of Bern. She teaches sociolinguistics and academic writing and has research interests in language and migration, and language and colonialism. Bea studied and worked in the United States and Singapore before moving to Switzerland in 2013. She grew up in Baguio City, Philippines. Bea believes that studiyo filipino can be a community that brings together people from different backgrounds who might not otherwise be in the same room but who share interests and histories in/with the Philippines. She looks forward to imagining and nurturing this community together with the members of studiyo filipino.
Bea is studiyo filipino’s co-president. Her acronym is: bl
Tobias Schwörer studied history and social anthropology at the University of Zurich and holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Lucerne. He is a lecturer and student adviser at the University of Lucerne and conducts research and holds seminars on the anthropology of violence and conflict, colonialism, resource extraction, and adaptations to climate change. His regional specialization is on Oceania, where he has done long-term field
research in Papua New Guinea. Tobias has co-edited two books: “The Ending of Tribal Wars” (2021) and “Capital and Inequality in Rural Papua New Guinea” (2022). His knowledge of the Philippines is informed by several trips to the country. Furthermore, he has actively supported efforts in promoting a dynamic and deeper understanding about the Philippines by Noi-P. and the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Lucerne.
Tobias is studiyo filipino’s treasurer.
Stephanie Willi is a historian and archivist. She holds a M.A. in “History and Philosophy of Knowledge” from ETH Zürich and wrote her M.A. thesis on being white in the Philippines. She is also a founding member of Verein Zürich Kolonial, which aims to disclose the colonial entrapments of the City of Zurich. Stephanie is the daughter of a Filipina and a Swiss. Living “in between” these cultures has sparked her interest in better understanding the Philippines. studiyo filipino offers an opportunity for her to get to know the Philippines and the Philippine Community better.
Stephanie is studiyo filipino’s content creator for social media. Her acronym is: sw
Auditor
Lorena Clerc is a mother who once wrestled with a deeply personal question: Which language should she speak to her son – Kankanaey, Filipino, or English? While pursuing her Master’s degree in English Linguistics and Literature at the University of Zurich, she turned this personal dilemma into the subject of her academic research. In her Master’s thesis, “Language Use in Swiss-Filipino Mixed-Marriage Families in Switzerland,” she explored the complex linguistic realities of Swiss-Filipino families.
Today, Lorena works as an accountant in an international company while remaining deeply connected to her Igorot heritage and actively involved in the Filipino diasporas.
As auditor for studiyo filipino, she is happy to bring her experience in finance to the organisation. At the same time, she looks forward to reconnecting with colleagues in the social sciences and engaging with questions around Filipino identity, migration, and belonging in Switzerland.
Lenny Kaye Bugayong (lb):
co-founder and former president (2021-2024), site manager
Lenny is a linguist with roots in Zurich and dreams in Filipino, the common language of her parents. She started teaching Tagalog in 1999, later worked as a translator for the Philippine Embassy in Berne (2011) and has been working as an accredited court interpreter / translator for the canton of Zurich in Tagalog since 2012. As a founding member of the group Noi-P.ch, she started focusing her advocacy on matters of anti-discrimination in 2010, from the vantage point of the Philippine Diaspora. For studiyo filipino, she was, among other things, instrumental in furthering their collaborations with various museums, towards the aim of an increased visibility of Filipino communities within Switzerland. (Personal website)
Patrick Wirz (pw):
treasurer (2022-2024), auditor (2024-2026)
“Food is culture and I love the Filipino food culture. Not only am I interested in food preparation, but I also enjoy eating food in a social context. As a Data Analyst, I deal with data on a daily basis and process it into information or recommendations for action. Photography is my creative balance to my data-heavy daily life. Capturing the unexpected, a unique moment with the lens or capturing emotions and movements of a person fascinates me as well. Which Pin@ys will I be able to shoot with my camera? How many Filipino restaurants are there in Europe? How many of these restaurants can we visit together with studiyo filipino? These questions motivated me to join studiyo filipino.”
Membership
We work on a voluntary basis and mainly fund our projects through contributions from our members, sponsors and donors. By becoming a member, you actively take part in our vision of creating new forms of intercultural dialogue. Members can benefit from discounts to our events, special insider information and voting rights for a small annual fee:
Regular – CHF 30
Student – CHF 20
Feeling generous – CHF 100
Would you like to become a member as well? Please let us know using the contact form below.
You can directly pay your membership fee or donations using the following QR code:
Bank details
Kontonummer: 15-837541-0
IBAN: CH61 0900 0000 1583 7541 0
BIC: POFICHBEXXX
Account name: studiyo filipino Zürich
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