‘This is our time’—Ilocano youth recounts Sirib Camp experience

The second batch of participants of the Sirib Leadership Camp do a group cheer during their graduation day on April 16, 2014 in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

By Grazielle Mae A. Sales

PGIN-CMO

In a bid to nurture the future leaders of Ilocos Norte, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte through Sirib Express held a trainor and leadership camp which successfully trained 302 youth participants from April 7 to 16, 2014.

The Sirib Camp, a youth summit held at the Dungon-Dungon in the town of Bangui, was held through a series of special lectures and activities which aim to promote cooperative education and inculcate on the youth the importance of team building.

The Dungon-Dungon campsite is a regular site for the activities of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Ilocos Norte Chapter until Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos saw its potential to cater to bigger activities and thus began developing the area.

The campsite is at an isolated clearing located on a hill that borders Bangui and Burgos. A small, muddy lake faces the entrance and a surrounding forest separates the site from the few houses located around the block.

Trainors are mostly professors, lawmakers and former members of the “Kabataang Barangay” (KB), a national youth organization headed by Ms. Marcos from 1975 to 1984, during the term of her father, Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos. Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) succeeded KB when it was abolished in 1991.

Campers congratulate each other during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the Sirib Leadership Camp held April 10, 2014 in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos (3rd from right) with the trainors of the 10-day Sirib Leadership Camp during the culmination activity held April 16, 2014 in Bangui.

 

The first batch of participants of the Sirib Leadership Camp on their graduation day on April 10, 2014 in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

The camp was divided into two parts: the Provincial Trainor’s Training Camp from April 6 to 10 and the Provincial Leadership Training Camp from April 12 to 16.

A total of 76 youth leaders across the province attended the Provincial Trainor’s Training Camp; 56 of them willingly stayed on to succeed the trainors and direct the Provincial Leadership Camp which was attended by the other 246 participants.

Jill Janine Laeda, one of the event organizers and member of the Sirib Express core team said that the goal of this setup is to strengthen the leadership skills of the youth leaders. They must put into practice by proactively aiding the trainors on leading and training the second batch.

No ordinary camp

Campers shared tents and lined up for toilets and shower rooms, although the most extreme test was to remain “unwired” from their mobile phones and computers for 10 days, Laeda revealed.

“What we first did in the camp was to confiscate phones although we allowed the participants to use them from 6 am to 7 am and 6 pm to 7 pm,” Laeda related.

Watches were also confiscated to keep the participants from checking on the time. Laeda said that the “only reference for time” in the camp was the “sunrise and the sunset”.

“We all know that if they have these gadgets, for sure, they won’t be able to concentrate so we did the confiscation,” she added.

James Ceasar Ventura, 21-year old youth leader participant, said that these challenges encouraged self-discovery and taught them “discipline”.

“The experience is fulfilling… we became aware of the things needed to be done by the Ilocano youth, especially that nowadays, SK has been inactive. We found a new way to make the voices of the youth be heard,” Ventura said.

A day started at 5:30 am when the participants were required to wake up to exercise and carry out a sunrise reflection activity right before breakfast.

After a series of lectures and other activities in the morning until afternoon, the day would be concluded by another reflection activity at sunset. This was being carried out near a steep which boasts an amazing view of the bay, the lush mountains, and the famous Bangui windmills.

“This is when we usually think about things, especially those that we have learned and those changes which happened to us when we went through the course,” Ventura said.

Ventura also talked about an activity called “vigil” which occurred the night before their “graduation”. According to him, this is when they begin “embracing the responsibility as youth leaders.”

Ventura is the interim president of the council proposed by the participants which they called Sirib Ilocano Kabataan Association (SIKA) during a plenary meeting at the camp. 

“Our vision is to uphold the privilege of the Ilocano youth to be heard. Our primary objective is to involve the youth to the various projects of the government, especially that now we have Sirib Express as well as the support of Governor Imee Marcos. This is our time,” Ventura stressed.