The Ateneo de Naga University, through its student leader-achievers, continued its winning streak and participation in various yearly searches for outstanding student-leaders, which include the Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines (JRMSP), Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC) and Top 25 Young Marketing Leaders of the Philippines in School Year 2015 – 2016.
Ateneans also made first-ever wins and partaking in new national and international competitions and programs, among them the Benilde Prize.
Outstanding Ateneans
Before being declared valedictorian of Class 2016, Val Dominic Monit earned a place in the school’s hall of outstanding student leaders. He became the eleventh ADNU student to be Jose Rizal model student.
Before being adjudged winner, Monit hurdled the national paper screening, essay writing and, as the search’s final stage, a panel interview on 29 December at the OKR national headquarter in Manila.
Monit is a former editor of Kadunong Publication, and a contributor of poems and essays in various local papers. Under his leadership, Kadunong published tabloid, magazine, and literary folio. He initiated a number of related projects, among them a campus journalism seminar-workshop in his hometown, Magarao. He is a consistent Dean/President’s Lister and a facilitator in many activities for the Samahang Tagapagtaguyod ng Edukasyong Pilipino and Supreme Student Government.
In AYLC 2016, four students from ADNU were selected as delegates after rigorous paper screening and panel interview. They are: Phoebe Anne Bandoy, Bernadette Ong, Jobelle Marie Pascual, and James Nathaniel Refugio. The 18th AYLC was held on 9-12 February 2016 at Lima Park, Batangas.
Pascual is the president of the Supreme Student Government, while Refugio is the external vice president. Ong heads the Ateneo Sarong Bangui Junior Eagles, and Bandoy is an officer of Elihidos.
The four Ateneans were selected from 680 applicants from top universities and colleges nationwide. After two screening processes, these applicants were trimmed down to 157 who underwent the final phase of the selection, the interviews that were conducted by the executives of Ayala Group of Companies. Finally, the 81 official delegates were announced.
Pascual, the president of the Supreme Student Government, also made it to the American Chamber of Commerce Business Leadership Program (AMCHAM-BLP) which was conducted on 1-10 April in various business sites in Makati. Here, Pascual and other competitively selected student leaders experienced days of company visits and interactions with business leaders. She was also part of the team that won a business plan competition. Entitled Bayanihan Coop, the team proposed the production of environment-friendly hollow blocks through coal ash.
Another student achiever, Karla Cabangon, president of Gabay Scholars Organization, emerged victorious in two competitions, namely the Top 25 Young Marketing Leaders of the Philippines which was conducted during the weekends of October and November 2015, and the Unilever Business Summit, scheduled on 24-28 April 2016.
The first was organized by MarkProf, an organization that provides a stimulating marketing leadership boot camp with real case studies guided by marketing experts, executives and business strategists to hone the abilities and potentials of selected graduating college students. In this search, Cabangon passed through several screening processes and a 7-weekend boot camp in marketing leadership to earn a slot in the search.
In the Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit 2015 that took place in Cebu City on 4-7 November three Ateneans were chosen, namely: Mariel Desiree Badong, Florence San Juan, and Marielle Villareal. This yearly event talks about leadership and management concepts and shows how these are concretized in a corporate environment, providing opportunities for the student delegates to interact, network and establish ties with executives of the Aboitiz Group, as well as with their fellow delegates.
New breakthroughs
This school year marked first-time wins and participation in a string of competitive programs.
The team from Ateneo de Naga University brought home the Benilde Prize 2016, a mentoring and grant-giving national competition. The announcement was made on 9 March 2016 in Balay Indang, Cavite.
Entitled “Dreamweave,” the team’s winning social design proposed an online portal that aims at bridging the gap between employers and K to 12 graduates through competency-based hiring.
The team is composed of student leaders Mark Joseph Euste, Kathleen Villena, Bandoy and alumna Kim Seng. Juan Carlos De Los Reyes, NSTP facilitator, and Rodolfo Virtus Jr, Director of Student Affairs, also served as mentors of the group.
Before winning the Benilde Prize, the ADNU team went through a three-phase elimination process. When their idea was shortlisted, the team went through Ideation Program. Here, they attended an open online course and a bootcamp in Ultrawinds Mountain Resort, Bukidnon, which mentored the team and helped the crafting of their idea into a project.
The team from ADNU, along with two others from Mindanao, entered the final stage, the Social Business Program. Here, they attended the second bootcamp in Balay Indang, Cavite where the prototype of their project was finalized. The program culminated in a pitch before a panel of social innovators.
The team won a P500,000 grant and Apple products. They also received a trophy especially created by multi-awarded designer Ann Pamintuan.
After winning the competition, the team will undergo Phase 3: Accelerator-Incubation Program where the team shall be receiving support tailor-fitted to the project. Hopefully after this, the project shall be launched using the seed funding and the help of a network of mentors and social entrepreneurs.
Student leader John Kyle Perez was the first ADNU student to participate in MasterPEACE boot camp, a classroom and experience-based workshop aimed at enriching and deepening the youth’s understanding of the Mindanao peace process through lectures and interactive activities. He was among the 70 students chosen by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) and Rotary International to attend the boot camp in Tagaytay City and Cotabato City on 4-7 April 2016.
More formation opportunities
Other than competitive searches and competitions, the school, through OSA, supported the participation of student leaders in various external development opportunities that complement the office’s own formation programs.
In the Philippine Model Congress (PMC), held at the Senate Hall in Pasig on 17 – 18 October 2015, 18 students represented ADNU. They were: Siena Adorable, Angelica Agonoy, Marizeta Auro, Sheila Grace Balmaceda, Edgar Ian Casin, Seigfred Cortan, Ivy Fraginal, Jay Anthony Gonzales, Bernard John Hermida, Princess Mae Lara, Jim Vincent Largo, Helton Nepomuceno, Christian Oñate, Charly Rosari, Mark Junius Vasquez, Villena, Euste and Refugio. In this conference, youth leaders were given the opportunity to learn more about national issues the country is currently facing and to discuss what needs to be done to address these problems through a simulated congressional setting.
Twenty-three students also attended the PMC version of Ateneo de Manila University on 22 – 23 November 2015.
The school further supported the participation of ADNU students in two other leadership- formation training activities. One is the Interactive Youth Forum, which was held on 15 – 17 September 2016 in Boracay, Aklan. Four students namely: Jay Anthony Gonzales, Allen Clores, Christian Vivero and Pascual attended had the chance to explore collaborative plans with other schools for the 2016 elections.
18 – 21 September 2015, five students went to Baguio City for the Philippine I Transform! Young Leaders Convention. They are: Rey Francis Bardon, Chester Beluang, Jayson Lobis, John Carlo Naval and Nessalie Sabuero.
International exposure
This school year’s batch of student leaders were not limited to opportunities within the country. In fact, five ADNU students took part in international events.
On 25 – 28 June last year, a delegation from ADNU went to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam for the Dux Gregis: International Youth Leaders Convergence. They are Marja Ysabelle Bordado, Jaime Bancolita, Edison Luna and Rhoniel Paja.
After the Vietnam event, Bordado of the Media Studies Department took part in two more international conferences, in Bangladesh and Thailand.
She was one of the participants in Beyond Bangladesh: ASEAN Vision 2021, held in Dhaka on 15 – 21 December 2015. She served as conference director in The ASEAN Colloquium: Executive management Congress, held in Bangkok, 12 – 23 February. Here, she was accompanied by another Atenean, Fiona Sandra Piano as part of the organizing team.
Regional victories
The Center for Community Development Volunteers or CCD Voltz became the second student organization from ADNU to win as regional awardee in the Search for Outstanding Volunteers for 2015. The screening committee convened by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) – Region V gave weight to the organization’s sustained implementation of programs like the Tulong Dunong. In this program, the organization develops learning modules and lesson plans and conducts preparatory classes to schoolchildren of partner communities during summer vacation.
Before CCD Voltz, extra-curricular group Ateneo Sarong Bangui Junior Eagles got the same recognition in 2014 for its project Tarpadyak.
Ron Ephraim Roluna, who was the sole AYLC delegate from ADNU in 2015, was among the Ten Outstanding Students of Bicol after hurdling paper screening and panel interview. He underwent paper screening, panel interview and essay writing before he was declared a winner on 4 March 2016.
Further, the members of Remontados Debate Society have remained to be the region’s most awarded debaters. They were the champions in the following tournaments: Antonio Moran Sison Cup, Bicol Intervarsities and Raul Roco Cup. They also reaped awards in the Luzon Intervarsities, Bicol Salceda Cup, Bicol Debate Open, Savoranola Cup, Bicol Intervarsity and Xavier Cup.
The Remontados debaters were named best speakers in these tournaments: Mariegrace Regine Vizcarra, first in Raul Roco Cup, 1st Bicol Debate Open and Bicol Intervarsities; Michael David Tionloc, first in Raul Roco Cup and Joachim Pilapil (alumnus), first in AMS Cup. The group likewise produced the Best Adjudicators: Tionloc, first in Antonio Moran Sison Cup and Savanarola Cup; Percival Tordilla (alumnus), first in Bicol Debate Open and Joey Salceda Cup; Anthony Dihiansan, first in Bicol Intervarsities; and Kylie Tripulca, first in Xavier Cup”
The OSA, in collaboration with other offices and stakeholders, will continue to sustain its coordination with external linkages and the promotion of external development opportunities for student leaders and organizations, to contribute to the school’s formation programs. OSA will maintain its established nomination systems and structures for fair nomination process, and provide support services such as coaching, mock interview sessions, and assistance in the student’s application, among others.
