EXEMPLARY STUDENTS who have manifested Ignatian values were recognized at Paghahandog: A Celebration of Student Leadership and Service, held on March 9 at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall Auditorium.
The awards included the Ambrosio Padilla Athlete of the Year, Ateneo Socio-Civic Engagement for National Development (Ascend) Awards, Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) Awards, Loyola Schools Awards for Leadership and Service (LSALS) and The GUIDON-Moro Lorenzo Awards for Sports.
The outgoing officers of the Sanggunian, the COA CB and the accredited student organizations were also recognized during the ceremony, while the incoming officers had their oath-taking.
In his closing remarks, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rene San Andres said that the awards were launched in 1991 to recognize “the well-rounded person that Jesuit holistic education has always sought to produce beyond academics.”
Paghahandog was organized by COA, the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Office of College Athletics, Office of Student Activities, Sanggunian and The GUIDON.
The awards
The Ambrosio Padilla Athlete of the Year Award was named after former Blue Eagle Ambrosio Padilla, who manifested excellence both in sports and academics.
The award was given to Ateneo Swimming Team Co-captain Axel Ngui, who has dominated both in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and in international competitions while continuing to excel academically.
The Ascend Awards are given to research papers and projects that integrate personal competency and mastery of discipline.
Start-up social enterprise BeHearty Banana Flour was lauded for its efforts in manufacturing healthy alternative flour and providing livelihood for local saba banana farmers.
BeHearty Banana Flour is managed by seniors Angela Andaya, Germaine Kaw, Nicolo Odulio, Joseph Pizarro, Gilian Pua and Ryan Yu.
Health sciences undergraduate thesis titled “Sustaining fuel emission reduction effects of an improved clay cookstove on the perceived respiratory health conditions of mothers in selected households of Barangay Sta. Cruz in Sto. Tomas Batangas,” conducted by seniors Benedicto Aguilar, Zenas Apat, Rizza De Jesus, Monica Erni, Karina Lipardo, Janine Rafael and Lance Sese, was also recognized for developing environment-friendly stove technology that reduced the risk of respiratory disease.
The anti-rape culture design thesis, “Faultless,” by senior Marguerite Ocampo was awarded for raising awareness on rape culture in the Philippines and providing an outlet for women who have been sexually abused to share their experiences.
Developmental studies project “Vegetable and Pitaya Gardening in Goyoden, Bolinao, Batangas” was recognized for the additional income and tourism generated by pitaya gardening in Bolinao. The project was conducted by juniors Averill Amor, Augusto Campos, Niron Concepcion and Jeonoah Fornoles.
The LS Awards for Leadership and Service are given to students and student-led initiatives that have served the Ateneo community and inspired its members. The awards include Most Outstanding Individual, Most Outstanding Project and Most Outstanding Student Group.
Ryan Yu was hailed Most Outstanding Individual for his leadership in the Sanggunian as vice president and for his advocacy of using business as a means to benefit stakeholders through BeHearty Banana Flour, where he is vice president for Strategy.
Special citation for the Most Outstanding Individual award was given to senior Karlo Abadines. As outgoing COA president, Abadines forwarded the political education of his constituents and the actualization of the causes of COA organizations.
A special citation is given to a student who has shown at least one of the award’s criteria.
The Most Outstanding Project was awarded to the KM71 coco levy campaign, which raised awareness on the coco levy fund issue and lobbied for the establishment of the coconut farmers’ trust fund.
The Ateneo Biological Organization (BOx) took home the award for Most Outstanding Student Group.
Notable projects of BOx this school year include their two-day biology camp Sinergia, Animal Welfare Week and marine rehabilitation.
There were also three COA Awards given during the program, namely, Organization of the Year, Leader of the Year and Project of the Year.
The Ateneo Mathematics Society, home organization of mathematics majors, was hailed Organization of the Year for using mathematics as a tool for projects and services that benefitted not just its members but the entire Ateneo community.
Aiesec-Ateneo Local Committee President Ariza Francisco was recognized as Leader of the Year for her commitment to her organization’s cause of developing society’s future leaders.
Blue Blood: Bloodletting, a blood drive by the Pre-medical Society of the Ateneo, was lauded as Project of the Year for its contribution to the patients of the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Centre.
The full awarding ceremony for the COA awards was held on February 28 at the Tierra Pura Clubhouse.
The GUIDON-Moro Lorenzo Awards for Sports include the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. The awards are given to athletes who have stood out in their respective sports.
Jesse Lacuna of the men’s swimming team was lauded Sportsman of the Year, while Hannah Dato of the women’s swimming team was hailed as Sportswoman of the Year.
Lacuna and Dato have broken several UAAP records and have dominated in several national and international competitions.
Atenean service
Keynote speaker Sabrina Ongkiko highlighted service as essential to the identity of an Atenean.
“‘Yong down from the hill, ‘pag bumaba ka, may gap na kailangan tugunan (There’s a gap that needs to be bridged when you go down from the hill),” Ongkiko said, referencing the school’s alma mater song,“A Song For Mary.”
Ongkiko bridges this gap by representing her fellow public school teachers. She mentioned that before the media paid attention to her, public school teachers were not being recognized.
“My being Atenean opened the door for me to tell the story of public school teachers,” Ongikiko added.
Currently, Ongkiko is working on a documentary that highlights the struggles of public school teachers.
Ongkiko also stressed that bridging the gap is a two-way relationship, wherein Ateneans should also learn from the people they serve.
“It’s learning that you are not the only one giving; it’s learning how to receive. Estudyante rin ako ng estudyante ko (I am also a student of my students),” Ongkiko said.
