God in Youthful Hope

MARLYN G. IMPORTANTE

The dazzling photo above captures one of my proudest moments of mentoring and caring for our young in Gawad Kalinga’s (GK) SIPAG program.

SIPAG (which means diligence in English) is a program for harnessing youth energy in sports, particularly football. This way, the youth in GK communities nationwide are directed to more productive use of their time, besides the health and social interaction benefits they bring.

Last year, there came an opportunity for SIPAG to work with the United States Embassy, which called for a partnership with a sports program in the Philippines under its Emerging Voices project. An awareness-based collective action model for community participation at the grassroots, Emerging Voices became the venue for SIPAG’s potential to discuss pressing social issues by ‘gamifying’ the activities. This creative approach presents the social issues in participative, interactive games, which enhance and enrich self-learning, facilitating understanding of the issues.

SIPAG’s core of youth leaders proposed Sports LEADS (Leaders in Equality, Activism, Diversity, and Social Inclusion), where youth gather for awareness seminars on relevant social issues, e.g., climate change, waste segregation, plastic pollution, etc.

Sports League, La Liga recently cited SIPAG’s ‘Climate Change Awareness through Soccer’ as Best Community Project during its inaugural ‘#HeroesOffthePitch’ awards. (See the above photo.)

Close to 200 youth from the GK communities in Siargao, Bukidnon, Butuan, Sultan Kudarat, Davao de Oro, Bohol, Palawan, and Cavite came to an understanding of micro pollution of plastic in our oceans, its damaging effects on our waters and how we may contribute by simple waste segregation at home, mindful bringing of our water bottles to our games, and not supporting the purchase of water in bottled plastic containers. Having become more conscious of how they can significantly effect change by not adding to further pollution, the youth realize their power as an ’emerging voice’ in society, even as they make a quiet impact collectively in their respective communities.

Simple young heroes, SIPAG footbaĺl enthusiasts, and promising children of GK beneficiaries in poor communities nationwide led these significant strides.

SIPAG’s years of active youth engagement in the productive use of energy away from harmful substance abuse and drinking sprees are now starting to be recognized. Chester de Torres, 26, Stephanie Suzada, 20, and Bert Russel Magbago, 22, like many SIPAG kids, grew from their humble GK communities. They played football in public fields, learning the basics of caring in teamship, first assisting, then coaching, and later on, mentoring.

I am awed at how God has moved in their lives.

Chester is now SIPAG’s technical director. He was an IT student of Benilde under a scholarship tie-up of the school with GK. Stephanie is a full-time De la Salle University Taft scholar and SIPAG volunteer. She also creates marketing materials where such job opportunities may present. Like Stephanie, Bert, a senior high school graduate and volunteer, teaches football in public schools. He also explores social media initiatives for SIPAG.

I have witnessed the youth poor’s drive, passion, and commitment. And I am moved by how they can rise and contribute significantly to society.

I am awed at how God has blessed me profoundly, interacting with His young!