The LS Awards for Leadership and Service aim to provide models for exemplary leadership and service by honoring persons and projects that develop the community’s thrust of excellence for the greater glory of God and service of others.
The following were recognized.
• Most Outstanding Project: LS Waste Management Program (Ateneo Environmental Management Coalition)
• Most Outstanding Student Group: Block JJ 2009 (Development Studies)
• Most Outstanding Individual: Michael Jonathan Biscocho (IV BS ME)
Notable athletes for the school year were also honored in the GUIDON-Moro Lorenzo Awards for Sports and the Ambrosio Padilla Award (see related story, “5 honored in LS Awards“)
• Male Athlete of the Year: Paulo Hector Luz (III BS HSc) for Judo
• Female Athlete of the Year: Sherlynne Nicole Santiago (IV AB MEco) for Swimming
• Ambrosio Padilla Award: Jonas Isaac Ramos (IV AB MEco) for Swimming
Other recognitions include the Ateneo Socio-Civic Engagement for National Development (Ascend) Awards given to students from the four Loyola Schools who have excelled in their respective fields, the Council of the Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) Awards, and other special citations.
The ceremony was held March 9 at the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership Roofdeck.
The keynote speaker was Atty. Arlene Bag-ao, Executive Director of Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for Development in Mindanaw, Inc., an organization that helps to promote the rights of marginalized people from Mindanao.
Bag-ao is also a champion of the farmers and of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms.
A better nation
For Biscocho, events like this not only recognize people, they also give the community templates that people can use in the future to further improve the community.
“I think everyone that was recognized today…contributes in their own specialization towards nation-building…That’s why you have…organizations, project [heads], and individuals doing what they excel in and adapting that to the cause of nation-building,” he added.
It was the first time for a block to win the Most Outstanding Student Group Award. For Block JJ 2009 member and outgoing Issues and Policy Analysis Cluster Head Cheenee Otarra (IV AB DS), her block won because they were active and involved in social issues.
“I think they awarded us because of the leadership [of block members] in different fields—fields that normally, Ateneans wouldn’t really find attractive such as agrarian reform [and the] Reproductive Health bill,” Otarra added.
She also said that her block used their different orgs in promoting their different causes.
“We used various avenues… sometimes we used DevSoc [Development Society], sometimes Sanggunian because of Omi[‘s involvement], sometimes…COA ‘cause I’m part of it…We belong to different organizations but we use them all to push for what we believe in, human equality [and] human rights [for] the poorest of the poor,” she added.
Many called, few chosen
The ceremonies were supposed to be held March 5 but were postponed and moved to March 9. Some guests were unavailable in the original schedule.
Office of Student Activities’ Professional Richard de Guzman said the program could only be organized after the winners had been decided upon by the board of judges.
“The judging was extra long, siguro [dahil din] sa volume ng [nominees] (maybe also due to the volume of the nominees) kasi (because) it’s what happens usually,” de Guzman added.
Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rene San Andres also said the search for the awardees was a long process. Open nominations were conducted, and then a search committee made sure that all deserving students would be included.
“All of those nominated are sent to the screening committee which shortlists it…into a final list of three to five per category. And then from there, short-listed nominees are considered finalists and [their names are] submitted to the board of judges [who] makes the final decision,” he added.
