Paracelis will be green again

Paracelis will be green again.

This is the cry of the 130 Supreme Student Government Paracelis-Saliok, Natonin Cluster participants to the SSG Leadership, Peer Counseling and Child Participation Training held at Paracelis National High School on October 11-13, 2008.

The SSG students and advisers committed to join hands to set a day for the whole student body in Paracelis and EBNAVHS-Saliok Annex for tree planting with the aim of restoring the watershed and the forests of the municipality. Thus, they are calling on all possible support to concerned individuals and offices to be one with them in one way or another in this endeavor.

The cry was a result of the SSG officers’ realization and assertion of their rights to child participation and leadership. Eastern Barlig National Agricultural and Vocational High School – Saliok Annex who joined the cluster due to proximity also vowed to join Paracelis in the realization of their cry.

Asked for their reasons for supporting the regreening program of Paracelis, the SSG officers of EBNAVHS – Saliok Annex say, “ Paracelis is our neighbor, so we want to help them. Besides, we might be residing here someday. Moreover, it is our responsibility to take care of mother earth for we are all affected because, after all, we are in the same planet.”

The Municipal Mayor of Paracelis, Almeida, already committed the full support of the Local Government Unit to such an endeavor.
With the theme, “Empowering SSG Officers and Advisers As Effective Leaders and Counselors,” the training is a joint effort of the Department of Education – Division of Mountain Province in partnership with the host schools, Youth Alliance Philippines – Northern Luzon, Outstanding Students of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Mountain Province State Polytechnic College, Local Government Units and the UNICEF.

MPSPC, under the leadership of Julie Tuguinay, the guidance counselor and the Liwid Organization of Student Peer Counselors works on Peer Counseling for Students and Guidance Counseling for Advisers. DepEd, through the SSG Coordinator, Irene Bakisan; OSCAR through Ronald Lopez, also an OSCAR; and YAPNL, through the leadership of Dazzelyn Zapata, a UP-Baguio instructor, work on Leadership Development Training. Other topics are as Parliamentary Procedure and Child’s rights and participation are tackled by the DepEd / UNICEF and LGU.

This training is a result of the Orientation and Consultation of SSG advisers and officers held at the Government Multi-Purpose Hall, Bontoc, Mountain Province on June 30, where participants voiced out the need of a Leadership training.

To cater to more participants and to lessen the hindrances leading to non-attendance of the said training, it was decided that the training shall be done by clusters on different dates. SABATA cluster (Sabangan, Bauko and Tadian) finished their training with DepEd, MPSPC and the OSCAR on September 27-29; Paracelis-Saliok Cluster with DepEd, MPSPC and YAPNL on October 11-13; Sagada-Besao Cluster with DepEd, YAPNL, and MPSPC on October 17-19. Barlig-Natonin Cluster will have to reset their training due to health reasons in some parts of Barlig. They will be having their training with DepEd, YAPNL and MPSPC. Bontoc-Sadanga cluster will have their training with DepEd, MPSPC and OSCAR.

After the training, SABATA students were heard with words as, “We will do our responsibility as empowered students/officers in our own school by applying what we have learned.” Meanwhile, a Paracelis-Saliok participant mentioned, “I will share and apply what I learned so that others will see that this training is really helping. I will do my part as a leader to serve JOY – Jesus, Others, You.”