Every year the culture of spiritual recollection is being celebrated for students to reflect on the things they have been through all those years with the challenges they faced on their way to success.
With the theme: Purpose and Destiny, three programs of Teacher Education – namely BSED, BPED and BEED, united for a fruitful spiritual upliftment at the University of Baguio Laboratory Elementary School (UBLES) on April 20, 2024. The said event was organized by the Student Teachers of Bachelor of Elementary Education program and with them are the 2 masters of ceremonies, Johnkinse Bango Jr. And Dexter Viduya. It started with a prayer led by Ms. Destine Myra Osting, one of the BEED student teachers. It continued with the singing of the national anthem, followed by the singing of the UB Loyalty Song. To affirm the significance and the objectives of the event and to acknowledge and give an introduction the Resource Speaker, Ms. Jane Wayang introduced and gave a summary of the things that will be happening that day.
The keynote speech by Rev. Dr. Arnold Santonia, whose insightful remarks had a significant impact on the audience, was one of the event’s highlights. Dr. Santonia asked the audience to consider their own journeys and goals, stressing the value of passion and purpose in conquering life’s obstacles. He asked insightful questions that inspired students to reflect carefully on their sense of self and purpose. Five questions were asked : Who Am I, Where am I from, Why am I here, What can I do, and Where Am I going. Following Dr. Santonia’s insightful remarks, Mr. Viduya asked an interesting question to his fellow student-teachers, asking, “How can you help your students, if you yourself have a problem or defect?”
In an interview with Shanlee Bautista, one of the graduating BSED students, she reflected on the message of the resource speaker saying, “Failure is not the end of your Potential; in life, we aim to reach our best, but things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes, (we) choose the wrong path and easily accept defeat. However, I realized that failure isn’t always the end for it can teach us important lessons, give us new ideas, and motivate us to move forward.”
Dr. Dahlia Soriano emphasized the significance of spiritual care and self-awareness in the pursuit of both academic and personal achievement.
The University of Baguio’s dedication to holistic education is shown by the Culture of Spiritual Recollection event, which offers students a forum for spiritual development, reflection, and self-discovery. Attendees felt motivated and equipped to start on the path towards a fulfilling future by times of reflection and wisdom sharing.
Written by Kheza Pengi and Johnkinse Bango Jr.
