What TOSP is All About

CEBU, Philippines - The first time I heard about The Search for the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines was when I caught a glimpse of a huge banner some 10 years back, congratulating a person I truly looked up to for making it into the top 10. Ten years ago, TOSP was something I saw as just any typical search—a game of numbers. It struck me as a contest where the winning formula was to have the highest grade in all your subjects, the most memberships in various organizations, the most involvement in outreach programs and community activities.

The way I saw TOSP as a sixth grader changed greatly when I found my 20-year-old self in the midst of the search last year. Just when I had run out of strength from having to chase down each and every requirement just in time for graduation and just when I thought that I was completely drained from all the things that I had to do at the close of the school year, I had never felt even more inspired and rejuvenated as I was in the midst of whom you would consider the best of the Filipino youth.

Learning

More than anything, my TOSP experience was all about learning to let go of a competitive mindset, to let go of differences and instead create bridges built on a similar level of concern for our various advocacies.

TOSP brought me to the company of young people like me whose passion and whose drive to change the way our communities worked were nothing short of inspiring. It was a unique chance for me to see how these young people—who are now those I would consider my friends for life—have been greatly misunderstood by those who admire them and by those who loved them simply because of their awards and accolades.

TOSP was all about learning how to humanize excellence—to make excellence matter and to put a heart and a face behind all the achievements and all the hard work. The formation activities made us realize that at the core of that hero whom you look up to in campus, is a human being vulnerable to life’s greatest challenges and defeats.

Leading

TOSP made me realize that going beyond oneself and inspiring others to act in order to multiply the impact of your efforts to build the nation is among the biggest challenges there is.

TOSP came at a very crucial point in our lives—when we had to transition from being students into young professionals. This is a time when most of us found ourselves torn between our quest for lucrative jobs to provide ourselves and our families better lives, materially speaking, and fighting for our advocacies despite the many inconveniences it may bring about.

This was all about leading not just the people around us, but ourselves. Leading ourselves towards the direction where a “better life” would go beyond a fat pay check but rather point towards taking steps in building a nation where we do not have to be forced to flee from.

Serving

The Glory Walk during the TOSP awarding at Malacañang sa Sugbo was actually a walk towards a lifetime commitment of being a servant leader. After all, if there was one thing that we will always remember in our TOSP experience. it is leading by serving.

This is about reaching out and relating to the very people embraced by one’s advocacy. This is all about putting yourself in their shoes and in their lives because fighting for an advocacy is something that isn’t just hard-thought, but heart-thought as well. 

Serving, the TOSP way, is putting the nation before oneself. It is, as they say, asking yourself what you can do for the Philippines.

For Life

TOSP is a lifetime commitment in excelling in one’s chosen field and using one’s talent to fire up our advocacies. This is no longer about competition but more about cooperation.

TOSP is ceasing to compete with each other. Rather, it is seeking to complete each other.