Think Ahead

I was motivated to join UP Oroquieta primarily, because of its dedication on serving their hometown. I was a fourth year high school student and a participant in one of their activities when I first heard of this organization. When I entered college, I later learned that despite the small number of members, they still managed to initiate activities in Quezon, and such activities were conducted during the semester. In UPLB, organizations are recognized by the Students’ Organization and Activities Division in order for the organizations to formally conduct activities inside the campus and approve those activities that were conducted outside. However, there was a time when UP Oroquieta was not recognized because it did not meet the standard number of members (at that time, the organization only had 11 members). But it did not hinder them from serving their hometown. They still managed to make a move and raise funds for their college entrance exam reviews and quiz contests with just 11 members.

Entering college, I found out that professors here in the university always emphasize our obligation to give back to the people - that it is not enough to learn from the four corners of a classroom, but to extend our gifts to the community. Aside from this, I also believe that for national development to actually be realized, we must start small. Somehow, I want to contribute something to my local community, even by a little. I want to give back to the community to where I grew up. Hence, by joining UP Oroquieta, I saw this aspiration come into fruition.

The goals of the organization are mainly focused on contributing our knowledge and skills, and helping the people in Quezon Province. We have conducted activities concerning the academe which targets high school students (College Entrance Exam Reviews and Intellectuals’ Quiz) and community services which is more of an environment-related activity (Mangrove-planting). Recently, the organization participated in the reviews organized by the UP Alumni Association – Quezon Chapter, and in the Brigada Eskwela in Dalahican National High School.

In every organization, every member has a specific duty or is departmentalized. However, in our case, departmentalization was just for formality. Ever since I’ve joined the organization, I became involved in almost every aspect of each activity, from planning, preparations, workshops, advertisement, up to the execution of the activity itself. Nonetheless, in almost all of our activities, I was always part of the sponsorship committee concerned mainly on raising funds for our activities. For the reviews that we conducted, I also served as a proctor and a lecturer.

Working in an organization and being an Economics major, I’ve learned to utilize every skill and resource that we have in order to reach our optimum potential for us to conduct successful activities. However, utilizing skills and resources is not easy. Since I started in the organization, it has always been a challenge, but learning to properly delegate duties and always having an initiative to assist your orgmates, help in properly executing the activity. Furthermore, rigorous planning and having alternative plans at the ready were things that I’ve learned along the way. It is always safe to have a plan B if some things do not go as planned. If, for some reason, there was no Plan B, I’ve learned how to quickly come up with sound decisions. One must also have a quick and practical mind especially in times of unexpected problems. Lastly, I’ve learned to be calm at all times. There are instances where problems arise minutes or days before the activity or even during the activity itself. As a volunteer, I’ve learned how to be calm especially when problems arise. This trait is very important because being agitated affects those around you. I realized that being agitated won’t help the situation any further. One must be calm to be able to think straight.

To those people who would also like to volunteer, my message is to always have the patience, initiative, and your goal in mind. And that goal is to help the community. Even in small ways, those actions do count. Never lose the passion to help others and to plaster a smile on your face, even if those people whom you’ve helped did not thank you or appreciated your assistance. A smile can easily uplift one’s being. Never underestimate and overestimate your actions. It must not stop you from taking the initiative and helping others. Furthermore, as volunteers we are often considered as a leader of sorts. But we must never truly forget that we are servants who serve to the needs of others not to your own needs. Lastly, never forget that charity has its limits. Always help others in need, but constantly giving alms is a short-term service that we, as volunteers can provide. We must always think ahead, and think of long-term programs or activities that will thoroughly help the community.

Contributed by: Kristine Nicole J. Avio – University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)