BACOLOD City – While most teenagers have fun poring over their social media feeds and dining out with friends, these two young Bacolodnons consider education and volunteerism as their leisure activities.
PEACE HERO
Youth leader Junbert Pabon did not expect that the fun experiences in scouting will lead him to the humanitarian world, give him a life advocacy and earn him the title of a global “hero.”
The 19-year-old Eagle Scout was a recipient of this year’s Messenger of Peace Heroes Award, which is annually given by the World Organization of Scout Movement to people aged 16 to 26 years old who have contributed to the improvement of their communities through service projects.
Pabon received the award for his advocacy on children in conflict with the law during the International Day of Peace celebration on Sept. 21 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. He was the only Philippine representative to the event.
Inspired by his older brother, Pabon signed up as a member of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines when he was in Grade 7. Little did he know that his interest in camping and jamboree would lead him to becoming an Eagle Scout – the highest rank the BSP gives its senior scouts.
“I became more independent, disciplined and goal-oriented through scouting,” Pabon said.
He recalled that he was first opened to the humanitarian world as a volunteer for the Good Samaritan Helping Hands and the Virlanie Foundation, both Bacolod City-based organizations.
His passion in helping others eventually led him to getting elected in 2015 as president of the Interact Club of Negros Occidental High School under the Rotary Metro Bacolod.
As Interact Club president, he visited the city’s Social Development Center where his advocacy on children in conflict with the law started.
His initial fear of dealing with juvenile delinquents eventually turned into a life cause. His exposure to children in conflict with the law inspired Pabon to draft and implement his own programs that helped in giving these young people sheltered in the center a chance to redeem themselves.
One of such programs was a “SongRap” competition, which was made “part of the reformation process,” where participants composed rap and performed them.
Some of the children, Pabon said, “used the certificates they got from the contest in their court hearings and scholarship applications.”
“I believe that they deserve a second chance and should not be deprived of the opportunity to change,” said Pabon.
The BSP Campus Chapter and the Negros Occidental High School Supreme Student Council continue this program.
Currently a medical technology student at the University of Santo Tomas, Pabon continues to expand his advocacies.
Currently he is also a youth ambassador for the UST UNESCO Club, and a member of the UST’s Faculty of Pharmacy Student Council Outreach Committee, Medical Technology Society, Red Cross Youth Pharmacy Unit, and the Purple Gazette.
Pabon’s unending passion for humanitarian work continues. He plans to volunteer in organizations that help indigenous peoples.
HARVARD GIRL
Many may think that an opportunity to get a college degree in the prestigious Harvard University is out of reach for Bacolodnons, but a Grade 12 student of St. John’s Institute thinks otherwise.
While other girls threw lavish “debut” parties for their 18th birthday, Leah Angela Cioco celebrated hers by reading and studying at Harvard’s Widener Library for six hours. She got a taste of her dream of setting foot in the halls of the world-famous university through a two-week pre-college program.
The Harvard Pre-College Program is an undergraduate immersion open to 15- to 18-year-old high school students from all around the world who show promising academic strength and maturity. In a span of two weeks – from July 8 to 21 – Cioco went through a semester’s worth of lectures and readings on Creative Writing, the course she enrolled in.
“On the first day of orientation, I remember holding back tears as I found myself sitting in Sander’s Memorial Hall. It was such a big moment because the first online class I took at Harvard three years ago was held there,” Cioco said. “Sure, the hall was beautifully furnished and everything seemed wonderful, but what made it meaningful was the fact that it was once just a dream.”
Since Grade 9, Leah has aspired to level up her educational experience by joining out-of-school programs and workshops. Aside from being a consistent honor student, Leah has joined and won local and international math competitions. At the age of 15, she spent two months of her summer in Xiamen, China to learn Mandarin. In the same year, she subscribed to Harvard University’s Mailing List which gave her opportunities to enroll in some online courses. In December last year, she received an invite to join the institution’s pre-college program.
“I was hesitant at first because the price tag was over the top, but with a friend’s encouragement, I decided to apply and start a fundraiser,” she said. “My parents did not even know about my plans until February when I received my acceptance letter.”
Despite her achievements, Cioco found that her academic feats were nothing compared to those she met in Harvard. She realized the huge gap between the Philippines’ educational system and that of other countries, which give emphasis on creativity and individuality.
“I was humbled being surrounded by junior Olympic athletes, TEDx speakers and published authors,” she said. “I thought of how I spent two-thirds of my life reading books instead of writing one.”
Nevertheless, she considered her sleepless nights and hard work analyzing the pieces of James Baldwin, Joan Didion and Barack Obama priceless presents as she bade goodbye to being a minor.
“There, I learned that no teacher can teach a student how to write. We read more than we wrote because, according to our professor, good writers are voracious readers,” she said.
Now a graduating senior high school student, Leah may still not be a student in Harvard but she is making her way to Cambridge, Massachusetts by applying for scholarship programs.
“Anyone can do anything with faith, hope and hard work,” Cioco said./PN
