RGL Hub Brown Bag Session #10 (Radiance: See the Light, Be the Light)

The Dr Rosita G Leong Primary Healthcare Hub (RGL Hub) hosted the 10th iteration of its Brown Bag session last 14 December 2024, held at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH). These Brown Bag sessions hosted by the RGL Hub aim to foster camaraderie, team building, networking, and an avenue for realignment towards Ignatian Spirituality in our ASMPH alumni’s respective career paths. This session focused on the seasons of leadership and how Ignatian Spirituality can be found through our various avenues in society. Alumni working in various public health sectors including The Medical City Department of Family and Community Medicine, Makati Health Department, Philippine Institute of Development Studies, and Maxicare Health Services Inc graced the event.

During the first half of the session, Dr TJ Malvar, the RGL Hub Project Lead, provided a workshop on the Seasons of Leadership for the participants, where he discussed how leaders and students evolve through different phases in their journey:

• Spring, a season of new ideas and opportunities; 
• Summer, a season for action and focus, driven by the need to achieve results where leaders harness their strengths to achieve goals; 
• Autumn, a season for harvesting achievements and preparing for what comes next where leaders celebrate their successes;
• Winter, a time for self-reflection, and reevaluation where leaders may experience self-doubt, uncertainty, or even a sense of stagnation.

Each season presents its own set of challenges and opportunities, emphasizing the dynamic nature of leadership. Dr Malvar also highlighted the importance of recognizing the transient nature of these phases and that periods of struggle bring the promise of renewal while moments of triumph call for gratitude and groundedness.

Adding depth to the session, YL 5 to 9 students from ASMPH engaged in meaningful exchanges with ASMPH alumni now working in Public Health. This interaction underscored the real-world application of leadership principles, inspiring attendees to embrace growth in every phase of their journey.

For the second half of the session, the RGL Hub welcomed Mr Romar Chuca, The Catholic Comedian, a social media content creator trailblazing the space by finding an intersection between Catholicism and comedy. He uses his platform to showcase comedic skits, memes, and pop culture references, to promote the ministry of the Catholic faith.  With the tagline "Hindi kailangan boring ang banal!”, he has created a large following on various social media platforms. On TikTok, he has 458K followers with 2.5M likes while on Facebook, he has 287k followers to date.
 

He has been featured in news outlets such as ABS-CBN, has made notable appearances as a special guest on "Tastetimony" with Fr Roy Bellen and Fr Hans Magdurulan, and even appeared in the movie GomBurZa in 2023 with actors Enchong Dee and Piolo Pascual. Furthermore, his advocacy has led him to author his own book, "The Catholic Comedy Libruh", and has appeared on 105.9 True FM’s Bangon Bayan with Mon and, most recently, showcased his musical prowess by playing the keyboard and performing "Paghahandog, and "The Prayer for Generosity" with renowned rock band Sponge Cola and in collaboration with the Jesuit Music Ministry.

Mr Chuca spoke about how his relationship with the Ignatian community inspired him to see and be a light in various communities through his unique craft. The Catholic Comedian shared his involvement with Sumilao farmers of Bukidnon such as helping in the creation of livelihood opportunities in the community and sharing with them creative renditions of famous songs of praise. He also merrily sang to the crowd some of his famous “mashup" ng religious pieces like "Humayo’t Ihayag I Made You Look." Moreover, through his own piano version of the song "Sparks Fly" by Taylor Swift, Mr. Chuca gave a reminder to “drop everything now” and have faith in the plan of God for the participant’s journey to see and be the light in their chosen fields of interest.

Building on the success of the Brown Bag Session #10, the RGL Hub continues to forge new pathways and explore diverse collaborative opportunities to foster innovation. For potential partnerships and collaborations with the RGL Hub, interested parties may reach out to Dr TJ Malvar or Dr Papap Garcia via email at rglhub@ateneo.edu.