Mag 10 years na, 10 years pa:

A review on the Plenary Sessions

 of YAPIS Conference 2015

Reigniting the Spirit of YAPIAN Service

COFAD Chair Sorilie Christine R. Bacsarpa, in the first plenary session about the theme of the 8^th Yapis Conference, ‘Reigniting the Spirit of Yapian Service’, has substantially discussed what the Organization have been through in its nine years of existence as the sole and active organization of the youth and for the youth of Iligan. YAPIS (Youth Advocators Productive Integrated Service, Inc.) is the premier community-based organization in Iligan and an awardee of the Ten Outstanding Youth Organizations (TAYO) in the Philippines.

There are many things that YAPIS have achieved and the rest are history. Everything she has said can be recapped here in the YAPIS official site, http://yapis.weebly.com/yapcon.html.

The COFAD Chair stressed that a Yapian or just any youth leader must have faith to its fellow yapian or fellow leader in order for the activities and the Organization itself to be successful. She also said that we are not permanent in the world, therefore, the most important thing to do is touch other people’s lives. No matter how short we may live, it is up to us to make a difference in our own little ways of touching, caring and loving them.

Value-Centered Service

Msgr. Jemar Vera Cruz, the Parish Priest of Corpus Christi, also the guest speaker for the 2^nd plenary session on Value-Centered Service started his talk about the tremendous power that the Youth has for years, gaining insights about the participants of most of the undertakings of the country such as the People Power and the like. About 80% of those who joined are coming from the Youth Sector. He then said, in this light, with all the problems Iligan City has been facing these days or years, where are the youth? Where their commanding powers? The youth are supposed to be forerunners of these endeavours. Youth, these days, like those many volcanoes, are becoming dormant and inactive. Nobody knows why.

Values and Service are abstract concepts, they only get to be concrete when assigned to persons. Msgr. Vera Cruz believed that the Model of True Service is Jesus himself. A prototypical example of Servant Leadership is him. He came down to the earth not to be served but to serve.

There are 4 Characteristics he shared to us that a Servant Leader should be and should have such as (1) Loving Service, (2) Humble Service, (3) Sacrificial Service, and (4) Unconditional Service.

Loving Service

            One must have a loving disposition to one another. It is very distinguishable to say that a service is out of love or what. Politicians are known to be very good at promising people but lacking of love to the constituents which is what they are supposed to do.

Humble Service

            There is a big tendency that just because you have the position and power, you would think that you own the world and you can manipulate and control people. This is the sad tendency that the world is offering us. The very good example of this humble service is Jesus dying in the cross to save us. We must go back to the roots. We must give something back to God by giving something to the poor. The point is many leaders think that they need not to learn from others. This is so wrong. One must go and immersed with the people most especially to the poor in order to learn.

Sacrificial Service

            Most of us serve in our convenience, when things are not painful to us, when we are not wounded. This is not the service that a servant leader should be giving. The true service entails sufferings and this is the only way to change the world. Like heroes, giving their lives to the country.

Lastly, Unconditional Service

            We must not set any conditions in our service. We, as student or youth leaders, must serve and love the people even if they are not lovable at all. This is the authentic form of genuine service.

Selfless Community Engagements

            The third speaker, whom I have introduced spoke about ‘Selfless Community Engagements’. He is a brother from La Salle whose name is Antolin ‘Butch’ Alcudia III.

            “Out of passion and opportunity, my vocation came in”

            Br. Alcudia foregone the use of Powerpoint presentation to achieve mutual interest and connection with the audience. Experiences are compelling stories and if not for experience, we will not learn.

            This person has been very helpful in contributing to the branding of the YAPIS organization and TINGOG. He is very particular with it. His talk is more about how the story of YAPIS came to be. YAPIS, for him, has to go beyond COFAD Chair Sorilie.

            YAPIS has a clear vision in its advocates and actions. It is guided by its mission in its actions. The youth has been the dominant force of the world. The technology and freedom and many things are made by young men, by the youth.

            There are many questions that he has raised. What it means to be reignited? YAPIS, today, is now on its cross roads, it has its opportunity to look back, to look forward for is many options. What has YAPIS achieved? Did it achieve its mission and vision? What can still be achieved? He then said that impact is important. The impact that YAPIS have for years. The Youth has never ran out of options about issues anywhere. What can youth do about these issues?

            Br. Alcudia motivated the YAPIANS to be selfless, to be together and work with people. He invited us to be Bayani again, with purpose (Para kanino ka Bumabangon?)