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(left to right: Remart Dumlao, YSLEP graduate, Hon. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Senator, Rev. Fr. Anton Pascual, Executive Director of Caritas Manila, Denise Laurel, Actress, Manny Tan, President of Caritas Society of Servant Leaders and Alfred Dimaculangan, Board of Trustee, Caritas Society of Servant Leaders)
Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV encouraged the youth servant leaders to contribute to nation building during the recently concluded Caritas Manila’s Youth Servant Leadership and Education Program (YSLEP) 7th Recognition Day.
In his talk during the event held at the San Carlos Seminary Auditorium in Guadalupe, Makati City, Sen. Aquino, youngest senator of the 16th Congress, multi-awarded youth leader and social entrepreneur, encouraged the youth to become servant leaders in their communities now and not just for the future.
“Firstly sa mga scholars natin pag butihin ninyo ang inyong pag-aaral and try to be the servant leaders that we need in your communities. At sa lahat po ng mga kaibigan natin suportahan po natin ang isa sa pinakamagagaling na youth program sa ating bansa, ang YSLEP,” he said.
About 220 Youth Servant Leaders were recognized for their academic and leadership excellence. Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual, Executive Director of Caritas Manila, reiterated how important education is for nation building and poverty reduction. Also, he urged the Youth Servant Leaders to never stop learning, unlearning and relearning.
“Continue learning. Marami pa kayong mga bagay na matututunan sa buhay. Unlearn. Minsan meron tayong mga bagay na natututunan na dapat i-ulearn gaya ng bisyo. Relearn. Balikan ang mga mahalagang bagay na ating nakalimutan,” Fr. Pascual stressed.
YSLEP helps poor but deserving youth not only in terms of academic excellence but also molds them to become servant leaders in their communities. 625 Youth Servant Leaders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao graduated for AY 2014-2015.
Two YSLEP magna cum laude graduates, Jescil Ann Oriol and Ma. Leah Agnes Gagaoin, and 2 cum laude gradautes, Jonna Mel Sandico and Rene Villarosa, shared their experiences and expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Caritas Manila and its benefactors for being their instruments of hope. Apart from them, YSLEP recognized also one magna cum laude graduate, as well as 13 cum laudes, 13 President’s list, 1 director’s list, 4 academic excellence recipients, 113 dean’s listers, 2 honorable mentions, 51 special awardees and 18 board passers.
Mr. Manuel Tan, a former Caritas Manila scholar and now President of Caritas Society of Servant Leaders closed the program with words of encouragement for the YSLEP beneficiaries to pay the kindness they received forward as servant leaders.
Eucharistic celebration was presided by His Excellency Most Rev. Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, DD, STL, Bishop of Cubao and member of the Caritas Manila’s Board of Trustees, concelebrated by other members of clergy of the Archdiocese of Manila.
YSLEP is the flagship program of Caritas Manila that provides educational assistance, values formation workshops, and leadership trainings to almost 5,000 students nationwide. To know more about YSLEP and other programs of Caritas Manila, visit www.caritasmanila.org.ph.
