Buklod Tao and OSCI hold leadership formation workshop with next generation of non-profit’s youth leaders

The Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) held a two-day leadership formation workshop for Buklod Kabataan of Buklod Tao, Inc. It was held on 9-10 November 2024 at Ateneo de Manila University. At the center of the training was mentoring and helping develop the next generation of leaders and community builders of the non-profit organization.

Day 1: Building Self-Awareness

The first day of the workshop focused on building self-awareness where the participants learned the value of recognizing the positive and negative self as a foundation of self-awareness. One of the participants shared: “Mahalaga po na alam mo po kung ano ka o sino ka dapat po alam mo po sa sarili mo yung positive and negative side mo po” (It is important to know who you are, what you are, you must know your positive and negative side). 

Later in the afternoon, current OSCI Volunteer and Secretary-General Justine Ong, shared her experience working with a team. She shared the importance of the relationships and friendships that they built with her fellow OSCI volunteers. Ophalle Alzona-Pornela, Director of OSCI, processed the experience by emphasizing the importance of a team grounded in a common vision and strategy, the value of communication, and motivation and perseverance coming from one another. 

Day 2: Capacity Building

The second day was focused on building capacity in Leadership through Skills Training in Communication, as facilitated by Wilzen D Bermoy of the English Department. He emphasized the importance of self-introduction and shared insights on speech highlighting the importance of clarity, authenticity, relevance, confidence, engagement, structured flow, positive tone, and brevity of speech. 

Bermoy also shared the value of rhetorical power as the ability of a speaker or writer to influence, persuade, or move an audience through the strategic use of language and communication techniques. The participants practiced by delivering a sample speech. They also created and delivered a self-intro speech based on a suggested outline. Coming from one of the participants; “Ang mahalagang natutunan ko ay ang magka confidence sa sarili,  ang paggawa ng speech ay hindi lang basta speech dapat may laman at siguraduhing may makukuhanan ng lesson” (​​The important thing I learned is to be confident in yourself, making a speech is not just a speech, it must have content and make sure that there is a lesson to be learned)

Continually investing in the formation of the youth

Buklod Tao, Inc has long primarily advocated for environmental awareness and disaster preparedness. Located in Barangay Banaba, San Mateo Rizal, they invest in the formational development of the youth of Barangay Banaba, known as Buklod Kabataan.​ The workshop with OSCI was a concrete action of this.