1. WHAT TO YOU IS THE MEANING OF COMMUNITY SERVICE?

Making a difference in the lives of so many people and sharing your time and effort to effect change in the society is a great way to begin community service. Serving people is serving God. For me, community service is being able to serve your fellowmen selflessly and without expecting something in return. It is doing something that will be benefit many people. Community service is extending your wholehearted service to your community and the people in it. Moreover, it does not only end with that service which one has extended, it is most significantly leaving a lasting legacy to other people. As an old Chinese proverb goes “Give a man fish and he will live for a day; teach a man how to fish and he will live for a lifetime”. Community service is like this, the good deed you have done will remain in the hearts of those whom you have helped and by faith, it will inspire them to do the same for others. One good act will multiply and in due time, more people will reap the benefits of the seed of kindness which you have planted. Community service is a social capital. As what it quotes “ it is what a person does rather than what they get which makes them a citizen”.

2. HOW HAVE YOU RESPONDED TO THE CALL AND CHALLENGES OF NATION BUILDING?

As a youth of our country today responding to the call and challenges of nation building is not easy for me. Nevertheless, I gave my best shot to it. Through my committed service and desire to help other people, I believe I have responded to the call and challenges of nation building in my own way.

As a citizen of this country, I am proud of my race and culture. And as a student leader, it is my responsibility to pursue and to engage in community services. Young leaders today are beginning to understand what is currently happening in our society today. As a leader, I see the need to go beyond what normally students do. I’ve been involved in many community services like the “No Child is Left Behind in Mathematics” which aims to help students from different barangays in Cagayan de Oro City to equip with mathematical skills and reduce their math anxiety. This is also done to assist and to help the government in its goal of providing quality education to poor but deserving students as part of its nation-building program. Encouraged to pursue something different, I challenge myself and my team to get involved in volunteering services through the program “Education Behind Bars” at Tahanan Ng Kabataan and Boystown, both in Cagayan de Oro City. These programs help the less fortunate children who lack the love and care of their parents and who are under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD). We serve not for ourselves but for others. We do this because we believe that it is one way of building a new nation with courage, love and hope.

3. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EXCELLENCE AND BEING OUSTANDING IN TODAYS'S SOCIETY?

Today, we live in a very competitive world. All should be globally competitive. Competition which calls for excellence exists in our society today. Excellence and being outstanding in today’s society is a must and its significance lies in the reality that one must possess these qualities in order for him to survive. If an individual wants to have a real place in this world where he could be recognized and acknowledged, he should aim for excellence in all that he does and he not settle for mediocrity. Since the evolution of mankind, there has always been an environment of “survival of the fittest”. If you are weak you have slim chances of surviving in today’s society. Your work and endeavors would mean nothing if they are not good enough. To become a person of excellence and with outstanding achievements will take you a long way in a person’s career. And so with other aspects of one’s life as well.

4. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO LEAD A BALANCED LIFE AS A STUDENT?

I have always believed that one of the keys to a balanced lifestyle is effective time management. As a student, I was able to lead a balanced life through effective time management and prayers. Balancing my life as a student was not an easy feat. Pressure from school works, the call to lead, the need to spend time with friends and family and for myself, and most importantly for God, have made them serve as my inspiration to fight harder, it gave me the courage to withstand all the rigors of my academic life as well as the other aspects of my life as a whole.

More so, living up to the expectations of other people make it harder for me but in the end all my attempts to balance a seemingly cluttered schedule did not give me stress, instead gave me success. All the things that I am doing are not for me, but I commit them all to God. I believe that without Him I am nothing. My determination and faith in Him have strengthened me to pursue excellence in my academics and scholarship, community services, and in all my ministries in life.

5. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BE WHERE YOU ARE NOW? WHO WERE THE PEOPLE AND WHAT WERE THIER ROLES IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES YOU LIVE BY TODAY?

The will to fulfill my dreams and the strong achievement drive in me motivated me to be where I am now. It is not all the time that we are on top of everything and see our dreams fulfilled and all our ambitions realized. However, I believe that if one is just persistent and diligent enough, then the climb to the peak of accomplishment is not a tedious one.

More than my inner motivations, I believe that my inspirations - the people I love, my friends in PSALM, classmates and family, the people who believe in my capabilities and my God who give me all the wisdom, strengths and direction have helped me get where I am now. Finding your place in the world and fitting in that place is not easy, but I suppose from where I am now, finding that niche for myself is not that hard anymore. There was a time in my life when I trusted my judgment that I was nobody and I won’t be able to get anywhere; but here I am now, just a few more steps and I’ll be able to realize yet another milestone.

6.WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO LIVE BY THE VALUES YOU BELIEVE IN? WHY ARE THESE VERY SIGNIFICANT TO YOUR LIFE VIS-A-VIS YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY?

In our lives we have values which we believe are good and are indispensable. I continue to live by the character of being optimistic, creative, determined, and people-centered, which have given me the gumption to withstand in all my endeavors in life. My commitment and faith to God has also strengthen me to continue to live a life of service to others. I believe that these values have contributed in molding me to become who and where I am right now. These values are significant part of my life because they serve as my guide in my day to day activities. I trust that these values that I have will take me far into my dreams and ambitions in life. Furthermore, these values are very important as I give myself wholeheartedly for service to my community and our society because it is through these that I am able to respond to the need that I personally witnessed and experienced.