By Jett L Torres, XU Night School Program Head
Today, the youth has so much hope toward societal transformation to achieve better quality education and to equip them with essential skills. This is an expressed sentiment of the drop-out, out-of-school youth and street children in our city.
Evidently, they need to be empowered. These young people have the capacity and potential to make a difference in their own journeys.
The Xavier Ateneo Night School Program and CDO - Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners showcased songs and dance performances during the Himig Kabataan Concert last November 30, 2018, at the XU Covered Courts, in celebration with the XU Festival Days 2018, with the theme "X85+: Weaving the Xavier Ateneo Story."
The concert was in collaboration with the XU Social Development Office, Department of Education - CDO ALS, and City Social Welfare Development Department (CSWDD).
Its aims were to exhibit the talents of the CDO-ALS learners through music and dances, to enhance the learners’ creative skills in live performances, and to feature the success stories of the ALS graduates, as embodied in their tagline: “Creating a community of learners, empowering all learners to excel in life."
According to Jamaema Gaogao, XU NSP learner: “My experience during the concert was naipakita namin sa bawat isa na may talento kami, may kaya kaming gawin. Masaya pala kapag makita mo 'yong mga tao na nandiyan at nagsusuporta para sa amin. Na-realize ko na kung hindi ako na-enroll sa XU NSP hindi ko mararanasan na special kami sa mata sa mga tao.”
This initiative brought new hope to the learners by providing them an avenue to do artistic collaborations.
Engr Dexter Lo (director of Institutional Societal Engagement), Fr Errol Nebrao SJ (chaplain of XU Junior High School), Dr Alicia Anghay (DepEd assistant schools division superintendent), and City Councilor George Goking delivered their respective inspirational messages to the ALS learners and praised them for "their brave and inspiring performances." They also encouraged the school partners, stakeholders, and volunteers to continue their mission of shaping the future of the young people.
In the context of the Mindanao Week of Peace 2018, Team Pakuranun, composed of internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the Marawi siege, and Maranao indigenous Muslim groups in Mindanao, portrayed their traditional folk dances while donning their colorful traditional headwear and fans during the concert.
Daryl Rey Bacolcol, a senior high school teacher, shared his time and expertise in showcasing the talents of the ALS learners by directing the show, with the assistance of the Senior High School Dance Society and SOE Arrupe volunteers.
“After my participation in the concert, I was so overwhelmed and happy," shared Jannielou Caryl Damasco, City Central School ALS learner. "I felt like I really gained more self-confidence and I learned so much from it as well. I was very happy to sing in front of everyone and I felt so blessed. The concert was truly an event to remember and it was one of the best moments that I will never forget in my life.”
As we step towards building a better community, we must open more doors for informal learners through literacy and holistic development programs. The Xavier Ateneo Night School Program will continue bridging dreams together with our partner institutions.∎
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