NATIONAL YOUTH CONGRESS The National Youth Commission of the Philippines implements ‘The Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program’ (SSEAYP) in the country held each year, in which the commission have chosen 28 PY delegates to represent the country in the coming 36th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP). Ms. Geraldine Bernardo, the Olympic Captain of the Philippine Rowing Team, was chosen to be the National Leader of the group.
The Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program is based on the respective Joint Statements issued in January 1974 between Japan and the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of Philippines, the Republic of Singapore and the Kingdom of Thailand, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Union of Myanmar, and the Kingdom of Cambodia. This program is carried out by the Government of Japan with the active participation and cooperation of these Southeast Asian countries.
The Institute of Nursing and Health Education, led by the respective Dean of the institute, Ms. Concesa V. Oandasan, Ph. D, R. N, together with the other college departments, accommodated and started the team building program, which is composed of the chosen 28 Nursing students who were also paired with each PY delegate for the conduction of the activities. We are lucky enough that Mayor Marides Fernando, Marikina City Mayor opted Roosevelt College Cainta to host one of the Pre-Departure Training Program for the delegates.
The program was conducted last July 22, 2009 and was conducted at the ‘Bahay ng Alumni’. The master of ceremonies of the said program is Mr. Radnir T. Arandia, a professor of INHE. The program started with a doxology prayer and then followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Then after, President Romeo P. Dela Paz, and Mr. Raul Dominic Badilla, the Commissioner who represents Luzon for the National Youth Commission, both gave their meaningful speeches. The conduction of team building activities was hosted by the energetic Team
Leader of the group, also a clinical instructor and a faculty member of INHE, Mr. Kristofferson Queja, R. N. , M. A. N. He started the activities by pairing the 28 PY delegates with a student coming from INHE. The 28 pairs were divided into four groups, namely: H1NI, ROOSSEAYP, WACKY TEAM, AND KAISA. The first activity was the formation of group yell and cheer to build cooperation and trust within each group/partner, making Group KAISA as the winner. Then after, to really check the formation of trust within each partner, the Free-Fall Activity was done.
Each INHE students was asked to blind-fold their PY delegate partners in this activity. Mr. Queja asked the delegates if they trust themselves and if they already trust their INHE student partners as well, which mainly is the objective of the said activity. Each INHE students was asked to catch their partners from a free back fall. Some delegates did fall, while most of them were catched by their partners. After the activity, each group was asked and shared their thoughts with regard to the activity.
After that, lunch was ready and everybody took a plate and ate while interacting with each other. The second activity was the ‘Piso Game’ in which the only rule is to pass the one peso coin from the first person to the last person in the group by using only a single foot. The activity was created to promote team work, gain trust and form a unique way/strategy to finish the activity, that made Group H1N1 the winner. The last activity for the day was to interpret the phrase “Youth United”, that will give way to discover the hidden wonderful minds of each team put them into drawings.
Different minds has different ways on how to interpret things as people say, same as the interpretation of the different teams. However, everyone was all in agreement to interpret these drawings on how the youth become united despite each differences in the different aspects of life. Simple gifts were prepared and were exchanged by the INHE students and the PY delegates, which marked the beginning of a new friendship filled with enjoyable memories, friendship that may last forever.
