Thursday, September 17, 2015

STI College And 12 IB Hold Youth Leadership Summit By: Megs S. Lunn



STI College And 12 IB Hold Youth Leadership Summit
The participants in a boodle fight and Lt. Col. Ariel Reyes welcoming the participants.
The 12th Infantry Battalion (12IB) of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army, and the Association of the Travel and Tourism Students (ATTS) of STI College, Kalibo, held recently the Youth Leadership Summit 2015 Sept. 5-6, 2015 at the Camp Jizmundo, Libas, Banga, Aklan.

There were 60 campus leaders who participated in the summit under the travel management department from first year to fourth year college.

The Youth Leadership Summit aims to enhance the potential of the youth to become responsible citizens and catalysts in advocating peace and development. According to Lt. Col. Ariel Reyes, “developing the youth to become responsible individuals and empowering them as advocates and conduits of peace and development, is everybody’s responsibility. The Philippine Army has this visionary program to win the peace and one of which is thru our youth. Hence, this Youth Leadership Summit.”

There were lectures, discussions, group dynamics, team building activities, output presentations and experiential exposures where the students learned more.

The topics discussed are: “The 21st Century Leaders presented by the author; CMO Capt Lord Lance Medina (12th IB) handled the Role of the Military in the Society” (with concept on the VIP Trade and Tourism Mission/Escorting); “Violence Against Women and Children” (VAWC) by PO3 Lea F Villaruel of PNP Banga station; “Empowering The Youth On Human Rights: Bill Of Rights” by Atty. Dangal Z. Nadua. He specified the Role of the Youth on community building by knowing their rights, knowing Humanitarian Law and Rule of Law.

There were, in between the lectures, team building activities, static demonstration, morning taebo, bonfire, and boodle fight, too. The organizers reminded the participants on the importance of the care for the environment and our ecological systems of which the participants, together with the men in uniform of the 12IB led by LTC Reyes, planted some 60 coconut tree seedlings to signal the culminating activity of the two day/one night summit. 

The awakening, nurturing and empowering lectures and well designed concept of the youth leadership summit are not new to STI College students. Their travel management department has been the 12IB’s partner for more than four years now in their leadership training and development. The tourism students are the front liners and the future ambassadors of tourism in Aklan. They must be exposed to the different corners of life-long learning, not just inside the four corners of the room. The Summit was conceptualized to instill in their hearts and mind that they are very important students and the catalyst for change. Engaging the youth thru the youth leadership summit is one of the most significant concepts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines transformation roadmap towards winning the peace, aside from Bayanihan./MP  

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