THE LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR/WORKSHOP SERIES
Investing into the Future
(Part 1 of 2)
By Willie “Tatang” Vergara
I am writing the LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR/WORKSHOP (LES/W) in two parts, as I usually do in long articles. As I write this, another article is about to be published by UP Diliman Brod Andrew Ortega lining up not only the chronology of events about the UPD Seminar/Workshop held at Clark, Pampanga but also the major contents of this 3-day activity.
HOW IT STARTED. The LES/W had its beginnings during the 70th Anniversary last
year in a Residents’ Summit held at the UP Bahay Alumni. It was attended by 45
resident brods in 5 Chapters, with me as facilitator.
Group picture after Residents Summit (July 2016)
There were several discussions and promises at the time – campus politics, increasing numbers, projects and programs, and even some behavioral changes that needed to be done. The participants’ main tasks were to give a situation report on their respective Chapters and their grand plans into the future.
Group Discussions during Residents’ Summit UPBSI President Noli Nolasco leads residents in breathing exercises
This activity received accolades from so many respected alumni brods, some with
intentions of financially supporting a sequel a year after. Even as these words of
optimism poured in within days after this activity, I felt that it would be
expecting too much from an event that lasted only more than 5 hours. I knew it
was an impossible dream to see fundamental changes within such a short period.
Indeed, the realities showed within that one-year period. Old practices and
beliefs that are no longer applicable to the new landscape of the UP campuses
continued to persist. Excepting UP Visayas that proved to be rather stable in
point of numbers and active members, all other resident chapters fell short of
expectations from many concerned alumni as well as their plans and promises made
in that forum.
Residents had lots of fun while working during this conference Participants had to cut short seminar time to avoid traffic to Country Club
JOJO ALEJAR’S VISIT AND SUCCEEDING EVENTS. Thanksgiving 2016 week, then Central
President Jojo Alejar came to Northern Californa for a short visit en route from
a business meeting in a South American country. As Brods Ike Araneta, Edsel
Arceo and I toured Brod Jojo around the sites of San Francisco, Jojo discussed
about the conduct of a sequel to last year’s Residents’ Meeting.
At the time, I believe Brod Jojo was thinking about something that would be
“more of the same” – a one day activity that would include an athletic meet.
What I had in mind though was an honest-to-goodness training of at least two and
a half days with a lot of individual and group participation. In my research, I
learned that because of their easy access to knowledge via the internet,
millennials know a lot about life compared to our era. That includes the fact
that what is inside their own mind should be translated into action. Looking
back, it is truly auspicious that the seminars were scheduled to be at least
more than two days. Why so? In spite of the seminar format that encouraged a lot
of involvement from everyone, post-activity feedback showed that some attendees
said they would have wanted more participation.
Jojo with Tatang and Edsel at San Francisco Jojo with Ike, Edsel and Tatang at Google
Early this year, BOD Ninong of UP Diliman Alexis “Dogs” Dogwe forwarded to me a chart called BETA SIGMA CENTER OF EXCELLENCE. This was reported to the Central Board of Trustees, so I learned. This included programs like “Principle-Centered Leadership” and “7 Habits/From Good to Great”. These were among the programs that I had been conducting for corporations, associations, civic/religious groups and, mostly importantly, for everyone in my household (in 1990 from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday – DAP style). Well, I thought I will be a perfect fit for the role of lecturer/trainor/facilitator.
FINANCING THE PROJECT. That prompted me to request for financial assistance from
Brod Mayor Lito Tadena, specifically to use half of his P100K donation to UP
Beta Sigma International. His affirmative response was immediate, accompanied
with these words: “We also conducted this in Glaxo, Smith and Klein” (a
multinational pharmaceutical company where he was CEO). As I write this, I
received a PM message from Brod Lito saying, “This will need some follow up.
Tell me what else I can do.”
Furthermore, I requested Brod Atty. Boyet Fernandez to allow me to withdraw the
unspent money I had donated to The Good and Noble Fund (TGNF) set up by then
President Rolly Reyes in 2012. Additionally, in his usual generosity, Brod
Jayjay Jayme also pledged to give P20,000 “for a start”.
Brods Mayor Lito Tadena and Jayjay Jayme were quick to lend their financial support
UP Beta Sigma International President Noli Nolasco got the Board to approve a P14K Contingency Fund;
UP Beta Sigma Central President Joel Paredes released P20K; and Brod Kim Cabatit gave another P10K.
The other responders will be published in Part 2 of this article.
PREPARATIONS AND SCHEDULING. Filled with confidence due to certainty of funding,
the project was a GO. What would matter next was the scheduling of the seminars.
The summer break could have been a convenient time for the training director but
not for the residents, who were still vacationing in their respective hometowns.
After several negotiations with each of the 5 resident chapters, it was decided
that the seminars would be held after the 71st Anniversary celebrations - during
the weeks of registration and the start of classes.
In short, the 5 seminars in different places would take place within just a
period of 3 weeks, with schedules that catered to the availability of the
participants. (Hmmmm, talk about riding along with the culture of entitlement
that millennials are largely known for.)
My retirement would finally come in early May. That meant that I became even
more busy preparing for the series of seminars that would commence on July 24
and end on August 13, 2017. Much of the preparations included a lot of research
about millennials – their worldview, their habits, their dreams, their
preferences and their values. Towards the end, I also had to learn and adapt to
their lingo – “shala” for “sosyal”, “tomjones” for “hungry”, “shonga” for
“stupid”, “werla” for “nakakabaliw”, “atoys” for “sweetheart” and so on. Other
things that needed some research were the current situations and problems unique
to each campus – stuff that I will report personally to both the presidents of
Central and International. Indeed, while there are commonalities within the UP
system landscape – K12, the proliferation of academic organizations called
“orgs”, negative publicity about fraternities in general – I found that there
are unique concerns of each of the 5 chapters. That included the level of alumni
support, varying campus image, extent of networks and type of project
involvements.
At one point, my son-in-law bantered that I had been putting more effort for
these seminars compared to the time he spent for his PhD dissertation. Equipped
with ample research and preparation, this trainor was now ready to execute his
training design.
The other aspects of the S/W are found in Brod Andrew Ortega’s article. From
here, I will now proceed to write about the first and the second of five series
– UP Beta Sigma Los Baños and UP Beta Sigma in Baguio. Unlike all the rest, both
sets of participants included only the brods, in contrast to the rest that had
either Sigma Betans or Ladies Corps.
Brod Edsel Arceo was the last one I saw before I left from Los Angeles bound to
Manila. Edsel asked me if there was anything I needed for the seminars. My
answer was brief: “Your prayers for my health and good weather.” Truly, none of
those who saw my schedule – a gauntlet of sorts - believed I could make it to
the end. In retrospect, there must be SOMEONE UP THERE who willed this program
to happen!
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UP Los Banos Main Entrance
First of the series: UP LOS BANOS. I find it providential that our UP Los Banos
residents would agree to these dates (July 24 – 26). In fact, all other
available slots were taken by the other chapters. Classes haven’t even started
yet, but most of the intended participants would now make themselves available,
save for those who had summer jobs to earn some bucks for enrollment and a few
who were still vacationing in their respective hometowns. I found a way to reach
“Trees Hostel” located at the College of Forestry. Four brods met me there an
hour after my arrival – GP Don Balane, Seminar Coordinator EJ “Bow” Vargas,
David Hernandez (a mild-mannered, prompt, silent and likable dude), and Angelo
Tiotuico, who would be helping me with the hardware preparations. I invited them
to dinner as part of a last minute “organizational scanning” activity.
Left to Right: Angelo Tiotuico, EJ Vargas, me, GP Don Balane and David Hernandez
discussing final preparations for the UPLB Seminar/Workshop
Brod Secretary Victor O. Ramos, who has been a proponent of the seminar ever
since, arrived early in the morning of the first day to deliver his keynote
address. It was an inspiring message that highlighted the Fraternity’s glorious
periods and excellence in several fields that included a brief history of the
beginnings of Beta Sigma. Brod Freddy Fajardo also came and gave a brief message
about the UPLB Chapter and the essence of the UP Beta Sigma School of Martial
Arts as both a discipline and as our fraternity “brand”.
Secretary VOR gave an inspiring keynote message Brod Freddy Fajardo talked about the great UPLB Beta Sigma
The seminar/workshop was held at the College of Forestry and Natural Resources Auditorium. Complete with sound system and video facilities, this was given for free, courtesy of Forestry Brod Henry Adornado, PhD, save for the cost of 3 staff working overtime and diesel for the generator. (NOTE: The facility was used on non-working days, which accounts for such costs.)
In the afternoon of the second day, the highly accomplished Brod Dan Lachica, a captain of the electronics industry, arrived to deliver another inspiring message – a personal testimony – that cut deep into the participants’ psyche (I hope!). The scripture-filled message of Brod Dan was about the story of personal change, repentance and conversion, and that by following the dictates of the Lord, all else will follow.
Danny Lachica and participants pose for group picture
I must mention the excellent support given by project chair Brods EJ “Bow” Vargas and David Hernandez, who have been very prompt in providing transport support for the whole period. Other technically savvy Brods helped me each time there were computer glitches. The seminar/workshop proceeded smoothly save for some extended periods and working snacks, lunch and dinner to maximize every moment.
With foreknowledge that many of the participants have undergone previous leadership training/seminars in the past, which they call “LTS”, volunteers were either asked to take the trainor’s place and do the lecturing themselves, or perform as actors in role-playing exercises.
In almost every major topic, the participants were asked to engage in small group discussions and report on each group output to the body. Many aspects concerning their lives as fratmen were taken up – character and personality development, attitudinal and behavioral changes as well as changes in mindsets, increasing individual productivity in both academics and as a chapter, coming up with a mission and vision statement, communication and teamwork, promoting lasting peace in campus, developing networks, discussing the important elements in our Credo, and so on.
The seminar/workshop ended in the afternoon of the 3rd day. Well-known Forester and recently retired Brod Nestor Baguinon arrived at the venue just before we were about to conclude the activity, and was asked to be part of the closing ceremonies – the handing out of certificates.
The UPLB experience proved to be empowering to the participants based on their
feedback as published in FaceBook pages. But it was likewise empowering to me as
trainor. While I used to do a lot of seminars before my immigration 21 years
ago, this was a wonderful “coming back” to an old passion. What makes it more
significant is that this involves an attempt to veer our young residents towards
the path of what is “good and noble in man.” The pictures below show a
Certificate of Appreciation by the UPLB residents, a group picture and a
victorious send-off.
Seminar/Workshop ended with everyone feeling victorious
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UP Baguio Main Entrance
Second of the Series: UP BAGUIO. Several months before the event, I had been in
constant touch with two Baguio-based brods, namely, Dave de la Torre and Dennis
Liggayu. In fact, Dave and I had regularly spent hours on end on Viber phone.
There wasn’t a week when we missed the routine. Among many other aspects of the
preparation, the initial target of participants would include about 3 resident
brods and 10 new ones to be inducted before the date. Then in a week or two, the
expected number went down to 9 total, and finally to only 4. In other words,
only one new brod was added during the past Academic Year. But the show must go
on. From a reunion lunch with former DAP staff in Tagaytay, then to a San Beda
High School reunion. I was brought to Victory Liner to catch an overnight trip
to Baguio.
Our bus promptly arrived at 4:00 a.m. the next day, and Brods Dave de la Torre
and Dennis Liggayu were already at the station to meet me! After a short rest,
we went on an ocular visit in two places for a possible seminar venue. One
was in Ambuklao, an abandoned property owned by the Liggayu family, and the
other was an old Baguio hotel called “InnRocio”. I chose the hotel for two
reasons: (a) It was more accessible to the participants; and (b) The completely
equipped hotel room was large enough to hold the 9 of us – the three of us plus
6 participants.
Aware of the need to beef up the finances, Brods Dave and Dennis rallied UP
Baguio alumni to contribute to the kitty. The ever generous Indonesia-based Joey
Onias immediately donated P5,000, and others followed suit albeit with smaller
but necessary amounts. To cut down on cost, Brod Dennis Liggayu donated cookies
for snacks, and brought in some home-cooked food. The excellent financial
management by Brod Dennis paid off. The amount raised not only helped me defray
the cost of the UP Baguio seminar but also retained some amount for future
recruitment activities. The combined efforts of what I call “The Dynamic Trio”
would now assure us to proceed with the 3-day activity.
The Dynamic Trio of Dave de la Torre (The Expert), Dennis Liggayu (The Resource Manager) and Joey Onias (The Enabler)
The home-cooked food by Dennis was delicious and economical.
The seminar started as scheduled in the afternoon, with 4 UP resident brods present – GP Edson Robles, VGP Kromuel Pineda, Ron Ramos, new recruit Gerson Bantag and JB Bagasan who transferred to another Baguio university, but still frequently hangs out in UP. Former GP Jotjot Tolibas came on the second day. To start the evening, Brod Dave delivered a brief keynote address and immediately shared his process consulting skills and vast international experience to introduce the Key Performance Indicator (KPI), a quantifiable measure used to evaluate the success of an organization in meeting objectives. He started out with an analysis of the past in point of projects/programs conducted vis-à-vis the end-of-year numbers. It showed very clearly that many of the projects failed to produce the most important bottom line results. Data had shown that different strategies and approaches needed to be created. One major agreement was to adopt “the sniper” vs “the shotgun” approach – thus producing outcomes more efficiently and effectively.
The room was large and comfortable enough but we had to add some lighting. The 50” television inside the room was sufficient for the size of the activity, thus saving us from having to use the overhead projector. We had to do some major rearranging of furniture as to add seating capacity for everyone.
Participants of the UP Baguio seminar Danny Lachica’s video tapes speech in UPLB
The group was small but there were tons of stuff to discuss. The participants
had to slowly digest the fact that they are so distant from the vision of being
a fraternity of choice. There are so many major things to change in terms of
mindset – specifically from a fixed mindset towards a growth mindset. From old
practices to more creative and effect ones. From a paradigm of “I” to a paradigm
of “We”.
The seminar ended late in the evening of the third day with a dinner celebration
at Inn Rocio. Everyone felt victorious and raring to face the challenges of the
oncoming Academic Year as well as the years to come. But I must mention again
the key role of Brod Dennis Liggayu, who was “blending with the wall” throughout
the seminar/workshop, yet silently supporting me and Brod Dave and everyone of
us.
Brod Dave took me to the bus station to take another night trip back to my
Paranaque home, with a deep feeling of peace and confidence that our UP Baguio
residents, with the help of the Baguio resident brods and other UP Baguio
alumni, will soon get back to a highly performing level as they had been for
many years in a not-so-distant past.
Optimistically looking forward to a possible revival in UP Baguio.
L-R: JB Bagasan, Dennis Liggayu, Dave de la Torre, Edson Robles, Tatang, Ron
Ramos, Gerson Bantag, Kromuel Pineda, Jotjot Tolibas.