All roads lead to Talisay City, Negros Occidental as the sixth edition of the RIPPLES Camp at Carlos Hilado Memorial State University kicked off Aug. 5.
Some 154 student-leaders from the Alijis and Fortune Towne campuses in Bacolod City, Binalbagan campus, and Talisay campus are in for the six-day leadership and capacity-building workshops, lectures, and activities.
The RIPPLES Camp stands for “Responsive, Innovative, Proactive, Passionate, Leaders by Example, and for Social Change”.
Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela, in his keynote address on Day 1 of the camp, challenged the campers to use their skills and platforms as student leaders.
“The best asset you can use to begin change in your community is yourself,” Coscolluela told the students as he stressed the need for “internal change and collective action to create ripples of influence”.
He encouraged the youth to actively participate in achieving national goals and addressing critical needs effectively.
The camp is a venue for the student-leaders to know themselves better and hone their leadership skills through a series of capacity-building lectures, workshops, and spiritual and teambuilding activities.
Through the camp, their communication and collaboration skills will be further developed in order to become effective leaders and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
On Aug. 8, 2024, CHMSU will also celebrate the ASEAN Day with a flag-raising ceremony and a fellowship and solidarity activity.
The fellowship will feature the talents of the campers as they pay homage to the vibrant culture of the ASEAN member-states.
The campers are also set to plant over 1,500 native and endemic Philippine trees at the Gawahon Eco-Park in Victorias City as part of the “Bionihan” tree growing.
The student-leaders will also formulate strategic action plans for academic year 2024-2025, incorporating what they have learned throughout the camp, a press release from CHMSU said.
The camp is organized by the Center for Internationalization and External Relations (CIER) and the Office for Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) of CHMSU. It is led by overall supervisor OSAS director Maria Victoria Violanda and CIER director Rhoderick Samonte as camp director. ||
