BY CHERYL M. LUIS
WHAT IS it like to be a hero’s descendant?
The expectations could be high and daunting. But it also offers an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.
Meet Rose Jade Eugene Sumbillo Delgado of Santa Barbara, Iloilo – a descendant of Martin Teofilo Delgado, a Filipino military leader during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, and was the first civilian governor of Iloilo Province during the American Colonial Era of the Philippines (first appointed by the Americans and then winning the election in his own right).
Like her Lolo, Delgado is a transformative leader. She founded the Food and Nutrition Youth Network Philippines (FNYNP) – a youth network of Filipino youth advocates and youth organizations that engage in initiatives centered on food and nutrition. They are geared towards ending hunger, promoting sustainable agriculture, achieving food security, and improving nutrition.
“It is important that these young people are mobilized and empowered to take action because 100 percent of our world’s future is in their hands,” says Delgado who embodies Dr. Jose Rizal’s immortal line, “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”.
“Hunger and malnutrition are urgent challenges that the world’s youth must confront. As a youth advocate, I believe one of the necessary steps to increase participation is to provide a platform for young people to share their ideas and where, in turn, they can receive guidance,” she adds.
Delgado is currently a Consular Assistant in the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines; and serves the Girl Scout of the Philippines’ (GSP) Finance Committee Vice Chairperson. She had been its Central Board Member and National Assistant Treasurer, too.
DEFINING MOMENT
“I am fortunate to be given the amazing opportunity to work on different advocacy areas through different national and global platforms. But before this, I also started from the small and simple,” shares Delgado.
Her defining moment came at the age of just 16 years old. She initiated the Help Children Grow project in a community of lepers in her hometown, Santa Barbara.
The Help Children Grow project is a year-round, weekly program for 30 severely malnourished and less fortunate children. It has feeding programs, medical and dental missions, education sessions, and it has established a community vegetable garden.
With this project, Delgado was able to coordinate with government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and even private donors for support. By then, she realized even at a young age, that even with limited time and resources, she could still make a difference.
Seeing how the project transformed the lives of beneficiaries, she was inspired more, continue her advocacy work, and maximize all the platforms available to make an impact.
“Knowing how you can be of service to others may be tricky, but you can start by figuring out what you want to do, what you can do, and what needs to be done. And once you know your purpose, strive to do the right things in the right way and for the right reasons,” says Delgado,
MIRACLE EVERYDAY
A young achiever who excelled academically, Delgado received numerous recognitions from different organizations and government institutions – a Magna Cum Laude, AB Foreign Service major in Diplomacy from Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU)-Manila; Gold Medal Awardee as Consistent Dean’s Lister (eight semesters), LPU’s Emerging Leader Awardee, LPU Chairman’s Awardee, Academic Scholar for four years, and High School Valedictorian at Colegio de San Jose Iloilo during her secondary years.
“I would like to share one of my mantras – live every day as a miracle. We have numbered days here on earth, numbered days to live a legacy, to make an impact. We should try to spend it living a purpose-driven life in the service of others,” she says.
What drives her to succeed?
“I have been fortunate enough to be allowed to live a purpose-driven life in the service of others. I would compare myself and my entire ‘road to success’ to a large and complicated puzzle. Like a puzzle, there are a lot of factors, a lot of pieces that are vital in forming the bigger picture, my story. Each piece for me represents an experience, a feeling, an ‘Aha!’ moment, which were imperative in shaping my perspectives and my way of life and that eventually led me to be in this ‘successful’ state,” Delgado said.
According to Delgado, those puzzle pieces start from her family, her “Super Nanay”, who inculcated the values that rooted in her and who have been the personal fan club without fail; the Girl Scouts of the Philippines family that empowered and equipped her to pursue advocacies and who emphasized the value of voluntary service; Colegio de San Jose; and Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila community that strengthened her skills and gave her platforms to shine.
FROM THE SMALL AND SIMPLE
Delgado has a simple yet profound advice to the youth: “Everything great starts from the small and simple. Even our small actions to serve can create a lasting impact not just on the community but on ourselves as well.”
Delgado received awards and recognitions like as National Awardee, 57th Search for the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines; GSP’s 80 Young Achievers Awardee; Ayala Young Leader 2017; World Champion, World Bank Business Competition on Crowd-Sourcing Solutions for Climate Change (Project TREE+PLY: A Multi-Sectoral Approach to Climate Change Action Using Tech-Based Platforms) in Washington DC; USA, Pasidungog Awardee as an Outstanding Santa Barbaranhon Youth, Local Government Unit of Santa Barbara Iloilo; Chief Girl Scout Medalist 2013; Ambassador Yuchengco National Discipline Awardee; Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardee; “Ang Batang Lider” The Outstanding Student Leaders of Iloilo City Awardee; JCI Regatta’s Ten Outstanding Students of Iloilo Awardee; Outstanding Students Circle of Iloilo Awardee; YMCA’s Outstanding Girl in the City & Province of Iloilo.
Despite her achievements, Delgado remains humble.
“My family, teachers, friends, fellow advocates, and my beneficiaries – I am a product of the people around me. My success is because of them and as my way of showing gratitude and paying it forward, I strive to be a ‘puzzle piece’ to the success of others as well,” she says./PN
