20/09/2026
๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐ ๐ช๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐จ๐
๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
On September 18-19, 2026, more than 150 student leaders from different departments and colleges of Mindanao State University โ General Santos gathered for the 3rd Student Leadership Summit & Wellbeing Forum, hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Services (OVCSAS).
With the theme โ๐๐๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐๐๐ช๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ,โ the two-day summit held last September 18-19, 2026 placed leadership in a different light: not only as a responsibility to others, but also as a responsibility to oneself, oneโs community, and the culture one represents.
Representing the Senior High School Department were ๐๐ต๐น๐ผ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฟ๐ผ, ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐, and ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ก๐ถ๐ธ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ฃ. ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ผ, ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
The first day began with talks that challenged the usual idea of what makes a good leader. Instead of focusing only on achievements and responsibilities, the speakers also asked student leaders to look at themselves.
Leadership is often associated with giving everything to others. Yet the summit reminded them that constantly giving without knowing when to pause does not necessarily make someone a better leader. Sometimes, taking care of oneself is also part of serving others well.
โ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง.โ
The summit also came at a time when the university community had recently experienced situations that tested its ability to respond and recover, including the 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
The discussion on โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ ๐พ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐จโ brought a simple realization: leaders are not expected to have every answer. Concerns can be turned into coordinated action. Help can be sought from professionals. Problems can be shared instead of carried alone.
For student leaders, this offered a different way of looking at leadership. Change does not always have to begin with a crisis. Leaders can improve systems, relationships, and communities even when nothing appears to be falling apart. When unexpected things do happen, leaders can choose how they respond. Perhaps most importantly, they were reminded to come from a place of love.
In the afternoon, participants were divided into three Balangays. Restauro and Cansino became part of Balangay Matiwasay, which traveled to ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ก for the โPass it ONโ activity. The group distributed school supplies and relief goods to students and spent time speaking with a child and their parents. The activity showed that leadership can also be found in simple acts of presence, listening, and sharing.
๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐
The second day felt different. Instead of another series of lectures, the participants traveled to Lake Sebu for what was described as an โimmersive summit.โ Unlike the previous two years, this yearโs summit placed greater focus on the wellbeing of student leaders by allowing them to step away from their usual responsibilities.
The journey began at the ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ก, where the participants paid a courtesy call to ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ ๐. ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ. The young mayor welcomed the delegation and discussed Lake Sebuโs status as a protected area and the challenges that come with protecting its natural resources.
The participants then met ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ, one of Lake Sebuโs Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA), or National Living Treasures, recognized for his mastery of ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐. Having learned the craft at eight years old, Fara demonstrated how brass pieces are created and shared how the skill has been passed down to his four sons. Among the pieces shown was an old bracelet he made for a woman he courted.
At the ๐๐ค๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ, the participants were welcomed by ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ โ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ผโ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฎ๐, a collector who began collecting gongs in the 1980s. He explained that gongs once served as a means of communication and shared his thoughts on the relationship between people, resources, and nature. His reminder was simple but striking: people must learn to respect nature because it becomes difficult when nature itself becomes the communityโs opponent.
The cultural immersion continued with ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ณ๐ผ๐ป๐ด another GAMABA awardee and a master Tโnalak weaver. Ofong introduced the participants to the tradition of ๐โ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐, including the belief that the patterns of a dreamweaver are received through dreams from Fu Dalu. Participants also learned about the sacred nature of Tโnalak and its three traditional colors: red for blood and bravery, white for purity, and black for the soil.
For the participants, seeing and touching Tโnalak for the first time offered a closer understanding of a tradition that cannot simply be separated from the people who practice it. They were also taught the proper ritual of biting the Tโnalak as a sign of respect for the abaca used in its creation. One of the pieces they encountered was more than 20 years old. Its intricate patterns and smooth texture reflected years of patience, discipline, and cultural knowledge.
๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ผ๐ผ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Beyond the talks and activities, the two-day summit offered student leaders a chance to reconsider what leadership means. It showed that leadership is not only about making decisions, organizing people, or responding to problems. It is also about knowing when to ask for help, care for oneself, respect culture, listen to communities, and understand the environment in which one leads.
For the Senior High School representatives, the experience was a reminder that age does not determine oneโs ability to serve. In a community where young people are already given spaces to lead, they are not simply preparing to become leaders someday. They are already learning how to lead today.
More importantly, the summit reminded us that service and wellbeing should go hand in hand. Rehumanizing leadership means remembering that leaders are people, too, and that caring for others should not require forgetting oneself. ๐ผ๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ, ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐!
๐๐ข๐ค๐ฅ๐๐, ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก! ๐๐
