The talk series, one for each org cluster of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA), aimed to impart lessons on leadership and nation-building specific to each cluster’s field.
Igniting leadership
COA Vice President for Training and Development Benedict Olgado (IV AB Comm) said that IgNation’s concept revolved around igniting leadership potential towards nation-building.
He added that in IgNation, nation-building is approached by addressing particular areas through particular competencies. “The difference for each session is that the national situationer is very specific; [for example, we have] a national situationer on business, a national situationer on the arts, a national situationer on faith formation.”
“That how we address the overarching diversity of the organizations,” he said.
Orgs are classified according to the following clusters: Performing Arts, Business, Faith Formation, Health and Environment, Intercultural Relations, Issue and Policy Analysis, Media and the Creative Arts, and Sector Based.
“What the council wants is that we give the context where they are doing nation-building, and give them an idea on how to do it, and affirm what they are doing now in those specific fields,” said Olgado.
“Rather than having a vague or general talk on leadership we specify it talaga (we really specify it). This is leadership in the field of arts. This is leadership in the field of science and technology. This is the leadership in the field of business,” he added. “And of course [there’s] the nation building. How do you do nation building here? How do you do nation building there?”
Innovate
In the IgNation talk for the Business Cluster, Leadership and Strategy Lecturer Mark Ruiz discussed how the Philippines could catch up with countries like Finland, Sweden, India, and Taiwan, in terms of the business sector.
He said that one of the ways the business sector can help the country is by building world-class products, and making more producers than consumers.
“We have to think of more creative ways [towards global innovation],” said Ruiz. “Even in the business, you can literally help the country to move forward.”
Josiah Go, Chairperson of marketing strategy training firm Mansmith and Fielders, talked about how to be a leader in the field of business.
Go emphasized that as a leader, one should always make a move and not remain static.
“Unless it gets done, nothing will happen,” Go said, on being a catalyst for change in the business sector.
Re-imagine
In the IgNation talk for the Issue and Policy Analysis Cluster, Political Science Instructor Rene Raymond Rañeses said that one of the problems of politics in the Philippines is not that there is too much politics, but too little.
He added that the present political situation of the Philippines needs to re-imagine things so that the country may move on as a nation. “The point is to re-interpret the world [of politics],” said Rañeses.
Former Department of Education secretary Hon. Florencio “Butch” Abad said that for politics to be productive, everybody’s participation is encouraged.
Participant Gregorio Ramon Tingson (III AB Philo) said that through Abad’s and Rañeses’ talks, he saw that Ateneans can make a change towards the re-imagination of Philippine politics. “The synthesis of both [talks] is in what we have, in what we idealize, they can go together as you participate in politics…of this Philippine nation,” said Tingson.
Other IgNation talks were also held for the other org clusters.
Building up
Olgado said that the Office of Student Activities (OSA) has been very supportive of the IgNation as a program that has been launched this year.
Olgado also said that students and orgs can expect IgNation to be an annual event. He said that it could be improved by institutionalizing the program, and by gathering more support from the administration and student orgs.
