No one is 'too small' to make a difference

Here’s one quote I heard recently from the young minds in our community: “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in your room.” It only proves one point: No one is too small to make a difference.

In our barangay in Dasmariñas Village in Makati City, young and dynamic energy fills the air. So passionate are the elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) leaders that this early they are so willing to serve our community. Their enthusiasm is so contagious.

Congratulations to the new SK chairman Paulo Miguel Antonio and his councilors Leandro Joaquin Banzon, Corinna Victoria Martinez, Christina Domingo, Christianne Eugenie Mapa, Jose Alexandro Maria Bautista and Jacqueline Victoria Ledesma.

On a very special note, I would also like to congratulate their parents for a job well done in raising their teenagers with all the right values. They are an inspiration not just to the youth but to adults as well.

Let’s meet the SK leaders of Barangay Dasmariñas Village…

Paulo Miguel Antonio

Seventeen-year-old Paulo is in fourth year at the Ateneo de Manila High School. He is the son of Ram and Judy Antonio. He loves to go out with his family and friends. His interests range from playing the guitar and listening to music to reading books. His sports include track and field, soccer and swimming.

“For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed taking part in activities wherein I am able to lend a helping hand to others,” he said. In school, Paulo said he is consistently a member of the student council and delights every time he accomplishes something that helps the community. “That feeling of accomplishment is truly irreplaceable.”

“My parents always continue to inspire me to be my best self and remind me that everything I do affects those around me. I believe that the youth especially those in our barangay have so much to offer and can truly make a difference if only they are given the opportunity to do so,” Paulo said.

Leandro Joaquin Banzon

Born to Rene and Chickee Banzon, Leandro, 16, said running for SK is a great experience for it opened the door for him to meet other people in the community.

Leandro, a third year high school student at the Ateneo, loves to play baseball, basketball and his guitar.

“I thought that it would be a good idea to run for SK because it would expose me to a new unfamiliar world,” said Leandro. “As class president, I feel that I am an experienced leader and that it would be useful to extend my services not only to my school, but to my barangay as well.”

“Some people say that a single person is too small to make a difference. I, on the other hand, think differently. In a camp I joined, this phrase was taught to us, ‘If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in your room’.”

 Leandro said there are so many opportunities that the youth can tackle and hopefully change for the better. “I hope that we can achieve our goal of improving our barangay.”

Corinna Victoria Martinez

“I always enjoyed school outreach programs. So when I was asked to join SK, I thought it would be a good opportunity to increase my involvement in the community,” said Coycoy, 15. This daughter of Gary and Marilou Martinez is a second year high school student at the Assumption. She plays tennis and her interests include animal welfare and plastic bag use reduction.

“My lolo, Felipe Cruz, inspires me because he has taught me that hard work and perseverance can create change. I would like to be able to achieve a tangible contribution to the disadvantaged youth of Makati,” she said.

Christina Domingo

Serving the Sangguniang Kabataan is not alien to Chrissie, 16, because two of her siblings were previous SK members.

“Whenever I’d go to the village events, I would see them working so hard, sometimes looking very stressed. Yet they were able to put smiles on other people’s faces and this is what inspired me to run for SK,” said Chrissie, daughter of Greg and Rowena Domingo. Chrissie, a third year high school student at the Assumption, lists soccer and softball as her sports. 

 “Everyone always says that ‘the children are the future’ but someone once asked me: ‘Why would you guys be the future when you could be the present?’ This really blew my mind and made me ask myself, why would I wait a few more years to make change when I can begin the change now?”

“As the youth, we sometimes think that we are too small or that we are too young to do anything but if we are passionate about something and if we put it into action, we can succeed. When we are able to make a difference in someone’s life, that person is inspired to make a difference in someone else’s life and so on. If we start this while we are young, it will be carried on until we get older. In order to better the future, we must make the most of the present. That is why I ran for SK, because I believe that the change can begin with me now.”

Christianne Eugenie Mapa

She’s commonly known by her nickname Enia. This 16-year-old daughter of Dondi and Cherry Mapa is in Grade 10 at Manila Waldorf School. Swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling and any activity that involves water interest her.

 “As a child I would always enjoy the holiday activities that Barangay Dasmariñas would hold and this is one of the reasons why I chose to run for SK. I want to be able to plan activities that bring joy to other kids, just as it had brought to me. Aside from this, I want to be able to serve the youth of our barangay and help them learn more about our country, and how we can help improve it together.”

Jose Alexandro Maria Bautista

Born to Noel and Liaa Bautista, Alec, 17, is a fourth year high school student at the Ateneo. He loves to play basketball and is very fond of his parish community called Luke 18.

Alec said, “I believe that being able to serve this community is a good way to prepare myself, not just for college, but for the outside world . It will expose me to certain situations that will test the skills and abilities I posses.”

Alec also believes that every person can make a difference in this world. “My family’s support helped a lot as they explained to me how it could help me now and later on in life. Paulo Antonio, our chairman, also recruited a good set of people to work with, which was why I was even more willing to commit to the SK. The mixture of knowing that this would help me be a better person and at the same time, doing it with friends, was enough for me to commit to the SK.” 

Generally, Alec said, he just wants to do a good job as a kagawad and help his barangay create projects that will better the lives of people around him. “It is through these things that we can truly grow as a community and further more, as a country.”

Jacqueline Victoria Ledesma

At 15, Jackie, daughter of Martin and Cecilia Ledesma, is serious about serving her barangay. A second year high school student at the Assumption, Jackie lists keeping the environment clean a priority. She also loves to swim, read books and listen to music.

“My involvement this year with my parish activities, particularly Luke 18, has opened my eyes and inspired me to help and do good for others. That is why I chose to run for SK because I believe that in doing so I would be able to help my community on a larger scale. Hopefully, we can also inspire other teens of our age to come up and do the same,” Jackie said.

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