Two days after giving the lecture on opinion column writing for their division schools press conference of DepEd Taytay sub-office, I got a message from a fellow former school publication editor-in-chief, Janna asking if I could also grace their school's campus journalism workshop. She's now the publication adviser of Holy Deliverance Integrated Christian School's newspaper, The Deliverer. My schedule permitted to accept another invitation, and the fact that we once belonged to the same organization back in college, it was easy for me to say yes.

The event was held last Thursday, August 28. Walking through the hallway of a school felt like stepping back in time, but it hits different now—I wasn’t there as someone in search for knowledge, but as a guest speaker. I was invited to discuss opinion column writing. Standing in front of a classroom with students who were part of the editorial board felt both surreal and meaningful as I got to teach them the basics, and provide the rules they need to remember. 

Another thing that made it memorable was when I was told that this is the first time for the school and its publication to conduct a journalism workshop. So in a way, it's both an honor and privilege for both Janna and I to have "officially" trained a batch of editors and staff writers at her helm as their adviser.

The event also became meaningful because of our impromptu reunion. The three of us met while we were still students in the university. I was a section editor in my freshman year, while Janna was the associate editor. On the other hand, Ma'am Gracia was the student council president. We hardly had any news about one another after graduating so this get-together was one of the noteworthy highlights of the event.

This is just my third time becoming a resource speaker and sharing my knowledge with the students was a fulfilling experience. While this was a role I never thought I would be doing in my lifetime, (because I've always felt scared and uncomfortable talking in front of a lot of people) I must admit that there's a different level of fulfillment at the end of every lecture that I conduct. Despite going through some instances of uncertainty,  I'd like to believe that this opportunity to train young minds is God's way of answering the prayer that I said at the beginning of the year: For Him to bring me in places where I am needed, and assign me where my skills and knowledge will be of great help.

About two weeks ago, I was invited by the DepEd Taytay sub-office to serve as a resource speaker and discuss the fundamentals of opinion column writing during their sub-office press conference held in one of the elementary schools in Taytay, Rizal. 

The invitation came just days after a previous speaking engagement on campus journalism got cancelled because of the inclement weather during the last week of July. I was supposed to join The Journ Circle team in that event, but due to conflict with the schedule (as it coincides with an important family event), I had to choose between the two. And in between the event and the family gathering, I picked the latter.

The decision to let go of something I enjoyed doing was a bit hard. But I just prayed for another opportunity just so I would still be able to use the materials I have prepared beforehand. And a week later, I got an answer to that prayer.

Another experience (and certificate) for the books!

God knows how to deliver surprises! :-)

Every event has a mandatory class picture :-)

It was a request with a few words, but what I didn't know is how God would surprise me with an "almost immediate" response. A day after New Year, I got a message from the incumbent president of Tanay Kapamilya Lions Club, Jonas Flores, inviting me to an outreach activity they organized for the kids of Rehoboth Sampaloc Ministries. I have been given a heads-up by my former professor, Ma'am Cez, about the event weeks before. I had the chance to be present at two of their events last year, but I had reservations about joining this one because I also received another invitation from a friend to join a medical mission in another province. I spent two weeks contemplating both activities. But just when I had made my decision to join the medical mission, some unforeseen turn of events happened. I just found myself travelling to Tanay at 6 am on Saturday, January 18.

One of my favorite shot from last Saturday taken by Ma'am Cez -- with Shin, and Tanay Kapamilya Lions Club president, Jonas Flores.

With URS Angono ANGMERC president Ria dela Cruz.

A few days after giving the lecture on editorial and opinion column writing during the school publication adviser's training at Angono National High School, I was notified again by URS Angono extension unit head, Ma'am Annie Balbuena that another lecture in the same venue is on the works. This time, the session will be for the elementary and high school students who are part of different school publications.

I just made some clarification with Ma'am Annie on a few things about the event before preparing for my talk, which was more relaxed this time. And since I mentioned the importance of knowing your audience (or readers) during my previous lecture,  I only did a few revisions on the material that I used a week before to make it relevant to the new batch of attendees.

Talk about relaxed from the discussion to the outfit -- because this is just a repeat :-D

I took this photo with the hopes that after an hour, there will finally be a winner.

And he was right. At the start of my lecture the day before, I had to hide my disappointment when only a student from the crowd raised a hand after I asked who among them still reads a newspaper. The problem about being too immersed in technology and social media further became evident when I saw how some students view current events. Unlike high school students who can somehow grasp the idea of editorial and opinion column articles, discussing the same topic to a younger group of elementary students is challenging and would entail an amount of patience. 

One of them even labelled journalists as "expert gossip mongers" (or in simple terms, chismoso) in his/her contest entry which made me to candidly think for a moment that maybe, I should just sell my college diploma. 

But on a more serious note, while a few of my friends were proud and happy with what I have done and accomplished, the need to educate young minds on the importance of verifying facts, and being aware about issues involving the country and its citizen in this time of rampant AI and social media dependency is a serious matter. This is a "chief complaint" that needs to be taken seriously, and addressed attentively because next to the elderly population, the young mind is prone to being a prey to twisted truths and false information.

Despite the unforeseen situation that occurred, I was just happy to have done my part of imparting my skills, time, and expertise in shaping the minds of these aspiring campus journalists. And if I should be invited again to another opportunity similar to this one, I would still respond with a resounding yes -- and I aim to do better; because by doing these talks and lectures, I am not just teaching kids about the importance of the profession. It also gives me a significant purpose. 

(Photos courtesy of Sir Bernard Jaz Bautista Sanchez and Ms. Maria Cecilia R. Villegas)