Drive your own Cars, Rotaractors- PP Ramon Dacayo: Pilipinas Rotaract Convention 2016

            “It’s time for your voice to be heard. Be an accomplice no more in your Rotarians’ Service. Drive your own cars”.

            PP Ramon Dacayo, a Rotary Coordinator from the Rotary International, coached and empowered the Rotaractors all over the Philippines to play fair in the bestowed games of Rotary’s Advocacies and Awareness during the 2016 Pilipinas Rotaract Convention at L’ Fisher Hotel, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

            According to this equally vibrant advocate, rotaractors who are empowered have the knowledge and ability to lead. It was not always that rotaractors received input like this considering that everyone are too damn busy for many important things which was why it was overwhelming to get to hear someone from the same frequency and degree of enthusiasm in service in a plenary session.

Service

            PP Dacayo in letting the crowd of rotaractors discover the meaning of ‘priceless gift: True Service”, introduced the concept of service marketing- an endeavour of promotion in economic activities.

            After World War, a revitalizing history of the Philippines, there were only Three (3) working economic sectors- the manufacture, agriculture and service. During that time Manufacturing Companies boomed and, in fact, comprises somewhat the total GDP of the country; And there is a need to feed the people which made Agriculture never gone out of the picture; lastly, the service, which made the balance.

            Surprisingly, the Service Sector ranked 1^st and rated 57% in 2013 report as there was the rise of call center agencies, BPO and other customer services all over the market.

            It was also quite funny and mind blowing when he joked with a picture projected on the screen which shows one customer with a bank teller having a pen leashed at the front desk. People trusted banks for safekeeping their hard-earned money, but these banks can hardly trust you out with the use of their pens.

            The kind of service presented above carries a price tag just like anything else. But in rotary, it does not require anything in return.

            So, what then is Rotary Service to a Rotaractor? He answered by presenting the 1^st public service of Rotary which was rooted in vocational service, a toilet, by the Rotary Club of Chicago, which was originally institutionalized not for service but to fellowship. Every rotaract club is encouraged to have its substantial projects and Rotarians do not want to undermine that. Then, PP Dacayo, enumerated services that Rotaractors may indulge in, Rehabilitation and Painting, Proper Hand Washing, Mentoring, Football, Bowling and Golfing Management, and the list goes on.

Priceless Gift: True Service

            Being priceless is having a value beyond all price; invaluable. For entrepreneurs, a customer’s need is always an opportunity to earn but for rotaractors, a community’s need is always an opportunity to serve and help.

            The meaning of True Service, as he revealed before he ended his speech, is when you give something to a person whom you do not know and yet you give.

ProCon 2016

            This 5^th National Convention of Rotaractors was very blessed to have PP Ramon Dacayo who gave meaning and challenge to the Rotaractors. Everyone is a gift to the world. What will make rotaractors precious gifts is when it give its time and attention. The world needs more time and attention. The world needs more Rotaractors.

Archbishop Ledesma inspires Region X Youth Hours 2016

Photo Credits to Judge Jerlie Luis-Requerme

1963 National Awardee of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines, Archbishop Antonio J Ledesma, SJDD, opens and unfastens the intimidated potency of student leaders in its role of practicing intercultural dialogue in Mindanao during the Region X Youth Hours 2016 on February 6 held at Performing Arts Theater, Mindanao University of Science and Technology.

The Archbishop emboldens the selected youth to deepen its sense of leadership by giving reverence to the different cultural expressions to the Tri-people of Mindanao. He also made mention about how joining religious services of your fellows is a form of appreciation and respect to their religion and its doctrines; that it is what we need now.

Moreover, he raised how the issue of BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) advanced a lot of expectation of those involved and eventually became a source of disappointment when it was not favoured by the Philippine congress.

Everybody in the hall was inspired to make peace happens starting from the grass roots. As leaders of the community, one should learn to be sensitive and become peace builders. It is because of ignorance, prejudice and jealous that there is conflict. He ended his speech saying “If we learn to understand the deep context of where we are, then we can have the elusive peace in Mindanao”.

 

msu-iit student leaders

NCCA’s Literatour Journeys Mindanao

The literatour voyage has arrived in Mindanao on January 29, 2016 at the Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of Technology, the premier and leading University in the Southern Philippines. The second leg of literatour showcased the transcreated Poem on the legend of Maria Cristina Falls by Dr. Christine Godinez-Ortega performed by the most-traveled and world-renowned Integrated Performing Arts Guild literally in front of the magnificent Iligan City’s pride and glory, the Maria Cristina Falls.

In the flock of literature and folklore enthusiasts at MSU-IIT Minitheater- experts, professors and students from different institutions of Mindanao- Dr. Ortega, the project chairman, welcomed everyone with a challenge that faces attending events like this should not be recurring. The literature of Mindanao have long been appreciated by us coming from this the same discipline.

                Dr. Alawi, in a forum after the 1^st session of Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu (University of San Carlos) suggested that other professions should be knowledgeable as much as we are (referring to the attending participants) for they are, in fact, hostile to our own folklore.

                Literary big fishes in Southern Philippines were tourist guides having their own study and literary inclinations as their platforms. Among the resource speakers who graced the foremost parts of the Program were Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu on Indigenous Literature; Ms. Mikha Marahombsar Alawi on Transcreation of the Darangen to Manga; Dr. Ednairah Pambangan Esmail on Adaptation of Select Darangen Texts for Use as Grade III Instructional Materials; and Dr. Steven Patrick Fernandez on Appropriating and Transcreating Indigenous Expressions for Show.

Indigenous Literature

                Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu on Indigenous Literature quoted  Paul Ricoeur that ‘It is in telling own stories that we give ourselves an identity” in her engaging discussion about folklore and how the expressions in ecological perspective are shared and sustained which eventually become communal and a tradition that we need.

                Dr. Yu encouraged us to do not read and interpret folklore in a bare vacuum. One should read it eco-critically and should ask the question, what attitudes are revealed?

                Two (2) issues were raised in the climax of her discussion, (1) Do our “Zoos” serve the environmental purpose having glass barriers as mediators between the audience and the caged animals?, (2) how the popular carving of names in trees is an explicit evidence of human dominance over nature. The latter can mean a small action for us, but that is surprisingly a big thing that we should bear in mind. She also further discussed how the concept of Wilderness can be imbibed from waterfalls and, of course, the concepts of freedom and restriction in dams or reservoirs.

Transcreation and Darangen

                Transcreation, now largely used anywhere in the Philippines, cannot be found in Dictionaries. This term is popularized by the genius playwright, Dr. Fernandez which was, according to him, borrowed from India and originally used as a marketing instrument. He started his short but substantial discussion saying that we will understand whatever he will say through and by our distinct nurturing. Our creative expressions and our own aesthetics are part of our collective unconscious.

                He continued teasing the audience about concepts and categories which were largely western. Questions were; is there a dance? Or do we have a dance? Are those royal individuals? (Pointing at the projected scene of a performance) and many more mind-blowing teases. A challenge, again, was posed for us- start liberalizing our minds and try to break conventional paradigms. Dr. Fernandez also emphasized the difference of a stage performance from the original which is naturally authentic, that the original is beautiful when it is for the good of the community while a staged performance is beautiful when it is well crafted.

                Moreover, Dr. Esmail and Ms. Alawi presented the fruits of their passion, determination and hardwork. They transcreate selected Epic of Darangen texts for modern use and can even be a great source of entertainment among the young people of today. Their endeavour is an explicit benefit to the language arts, values education and to the K to 12 fulfillment. It is indeed rich of possibilities and opportunities for the teacher and her charges. Why Darangen? For one, we can claim that it is undoubtedly ours and has a repository of the value and belief system of the ancestors of the meranaos.

                Voyagers of this Literatour were surely enlightened and stirred along its fast-sailing cruise. There was a tempest of new concepts and ideas which have caused the confusion. Confusion is part of the learning process. Everyone is admitted that there are still a lot to learn about, that Mindanao has a vast and rich body of literature and folklore. The voyage has rested for now.

ASEAN Integration, why the hell an issue for Student Leaders?

36^th PACSA Keynote Speech by Dr. Vicente K. Fabella

Problems are considered as challenges in ASEAN Integration. The heart of Dr. Vicente K. Fabella’s Keynote Speech dwelt more with the trends, tenets and competencies amidst the ‘challenges’ and not about ‘problems. He started his speech by enumerating the countries included in ASEAN, we have in the list, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and et cetera.

ASEAN will have one vision, one identity and will be one community. Dr. Fabella presented 3 relative ASEAN trends which refer to a set of behavioural skills and technical competencies to become effective in the real world. These trends are Initiative, Communication Skills and Critical Thinking.

INITIATIVE. We must never be satisfied with the status quo and must always go beyond the minimum.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS. The Ability to confidently express ideas and opinions in both oral and written communication in the English Language. It might demand time and effort but what makes perfect is practice.

CRITICAL THINKING. The ability to solve problems with the possible best solution in an orderly manner.

These trends are presented in a smart video presentation. It definitely stimulates my schema for it really existed in my past experiences as a student leader. I have always forwarded encouragement to my fellow leaders to become team players and to have initiative, commitment and creativity. I honestly hate myself for not being an effective leader, perhaps, towards my subordinates. Only to find out that this concern is a universal apprehension.

Another set of trend, being presented is about the conventional hypothesis that whenever you get high grades or graduate with flying colours, you will be eventually paid with high salary. But, he expounded with several evidences and graphs that employability is not about grade only. A chart has been presented and it shows that there is no significant difference with graduates who have high grades and graduates who unfortunately sucked in terms of their starting salary. Excellent Academic Performance is not a guarantee for high salaries. Though, we have always known that it has an implication to our outputs. This has been discussed to say that it is not just about grades but also about the said trends presented in the earlier paragraphs. We must also involve ourselves in community activities.

ACADEME-INDUSTRY LINKAGES

When we talk about linkages, we are actually talking about quality relationships. Just like any other relationships, some have bad relationships and some have good relationships. Eventually, good ones will yield great results. In the Philippine Setting, it started with Enrolment, followed by Building Skills and Finding a Job.

ENROLMENT is a concern of the students in its completion of a course and quest for a suitable course that aligned to a respective discipline.

BUILDING SKILLS is a concern of the faculty in its pedagogy and curriculum.

FINDING A JOB is a concern of Business individuals in its matchmaking of jobs with available courses.

The emerging problem of this process is that only teachers and business people talk a lot, not including the creative minds of the students or the youth. The communication must include all the elements of the said process.

Then, he went back talking about Initiative which is directly relevant to confidence. Most of the graduates sucked in this particular trend. Why it matters to student leaders? Because initiative is one of the high concepts of leadership. Then, Dr. Fabella shared to us a quotation by John Quincy Adams, ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ This will matter because everything related to these trends start at school.

PACSA President Dr. Magat challenges Philippine student leaders to be active proponents of ASEAN Integration

DR. HENRY G. MAGAT, the President of the Philippine Association of Campus Student Advisers (PACSA) from Jose Rizal University challenged thousands of student leaders to take the lead role and do pro-active stance towards the sense of preparedness for the awaited ASEAN Integration during the 20^th Annual National Convention and Seminar-Workshop for Student Leaders at Crown Legacy Hotel, Baguio City on Nov. 25, 2015.

ASEAN, PACSA and HENRY are the three (3) abbreviations that he explicated in his message. ASEAN integration, in its truth, promote security within its region and provide inclusive economic growth. Both PACSA and ASEAN sees Human Capital Investment as paramount to success and of greater value and should be treated as a premium value, thus, the best resource that it could ever have. Then he proceeded to the meaning of H-E-N-R-Y, the soul theme of the event, which are as follows:

H is for Human Development that stimulates the holistic progress and advancement of each individual (Pacsan). This has been the essence and primordial duty of PACSA for years already. Then a hypothetical question goes, such as ‘what could ever be the value and worth of PACSA if not the development of its people?’ Each one of us should develop its gift of skills and competence.

E is for Enhancing Capabilities and Creativity. PACSA continually harness creativity and enhance capabilities to a new level, new paradigm and new order which undoubtedly give us a a new sense of,

New direction and roads to progress. PACSA which seeks to be a relevant organization dream to be seen through as the grandest and greatest organization for enhancing whatever an individual have. It aspires to be not left out in the race for being left is a formula for failure.

R is for Rewarding Experiences in Life. In PACSA, we are always pushed and metamorphosed for something better. Let us harness the best, cultivate the best and make it as our culture.

Y is for Youth Oriented,for PACSA has always been therfor the young people. It has a vision of translating youth energy to action, nation building and human development. Youth, as foreshadowed earlier, must the take the front seats and prepare to dominate the world with its burning energy. We, the youth, are provoked to take action for nothing is ever achieved with a vision without an action. According to the Dr. Magat, the youth are in the right track, right direction in PACSA.

ASEAN is a myriad of challenges, by now, we must assess our sense of preparedness.

The Student Leaders of MSU-IIT

Sec. De Lima speaks justice with love: A Synthesis of her Keynote Speech during the 4th Philippine I Transform Young Leaders Convention

Phot Credtis to Youth Lead Philippines

Secretary of Justice Leila De Lima have given a clever and creative speech integrating love and good governance as one in virtue and purpose to almost hundreds of young leaders across the nation. Before the floor has been given to her, cheers of the different delegations from National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were uttered and shouted making her remember her late days, 50 pounds ago, as a cheer leader or a majorette. We seriously don’t expect that coming.

                There was no dull moment in her speech. She is indeed a good speaker and her keynote speech during the 4^th Philippine I Transform Young Leaders Convention could testify that. She gave an assumption that tourists, just like us, come to baguio for two possible reasons: 1.) to find True Love, and 2.) to fix the broken heart. This have caught the attention of everyone and made the framework of her speech. ‘Hugot’ lines were also brought by her mouth to the Francisco Benitez Hall, Senor Mess of the DepEd Teachers Camp, such as; ‘(ang maipapayo ko sa inyo kung kayo ay broken hearted) move on my dear, move on’, (ang mga ex ninyo) ay dinadaanan lang yan hindi tinatambayan’ and the list goes on.

                The controversial secretary said that when we talk about love, she is a survivor, a winner or a victor. Those were the exact words she said. She added that having a broken heart must not make us weak rather, it must make us stronger (malakas), wiser (matalino), and  braver (matapang).

                But her talk, as what I have foreshadowed, was not just about love nor romance, or forevermore. Her talk was about leadership and she started about the least appreciated principle in leadership which is accountability. The failure to personify this virtue would lead to broken hands, broken groups, teams, organizations, people and even the society or worse, the whole nation. When one choose to resume a position, that one should embody accountability which the virtue of trust (tiwala) is indispensable. When we take accountability out from the equation that just proves that there is no forever. Even in love (pag-ibig), when you commit or answer (sagot), you will have many responsibilities (sagutin), or if you will not, then good luck, (lagot ka).

Why one should be accountable?

There are three Cs for it; conscience, constitution, and constituents.

Why it is important to know whom are we accountable for?

This is for you to have a focus on releasing your energy. It would provide you courage in the pursuit of your mission or with the obstacles you would meet on your way.

Whose picture is in your wallet?

He/She must be your special someone. You keep it for 1.) Inspiration, 2.) It will remind you of your accountability to him/her. But what is important is to keep that image/person in your heart. You must put your commitment to your heart. The home of each person’s accountability is your heart.

For the honourable secretary, the image is the image of our country- the Philippines to which she serves. You cannot stop her in her mission.

Sec. De Lima, then proceeded in enumerating the cases to which she has taken care of, such as the Manila Hostage Crisis, the charges against Past President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, PDAF scam of Janeth Lim Napoles and Kidnapping of Ben Hur Luy. In between these issues were the equally explosive and sensitive massacres, suing of drug lords, incidents and the case of Mary Jane Veloso.

Awarding of the Testimonial of Appreciation to Sec. De Lima

She never asked to be controversial. It is just that these issues and investigations are within her duty and mandate. She also admitted that corruption is still not out of our system and stressed the idea about the equality of all Filipinos to the law of the land whether you are wealthy or not.  The law protects us all equally or not. She promised that the Department of Justice will still enhance its efficiency, therefore, it must be well-respected. She will always continue to support amendments to improve justice.

To put oneself last is selflessness. One should serve the country above self. We must set aside personal needs for national interest. A leader commands and influences but a leader is also a servant and falls in love. Leaders should serve without conditions.

The broken hearts are the hearts of the millions of Filipinos which are betrayed, pocketed and plundered. The pain is undoubtedly excruciating not only to the heart but to the soul. Young leaders hold the future. We are the hope of the nation. We must heal the broken hearts. They will be healed when it will believe and trust again. We must lead them in falling in love again. Tulungan natin silang maniwala na may FOREVER parin.

Region X Student Leaders with Sec. De Lima

Addendum: Receiving the Testimonial of Appreciation to MSU-IIT from Youth LEAD Philippines

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?)