Alfred leaves Positive Youth Development Network, reveals his reason

Amidst a backdrop of sipping frozen margaritas, the annual retreat with my best friend, Alfred, took an unexpected turn as he unveiled his decision to step down from his position as the Executive Director of Positive Youth Development Network, following an impressive three-year tenure. At first, I dismissed it as a joke. I couldn’t fathom why anyone would relinquish his role when PYDN was at its pinnacle. But then, he turned to me, removed his shades, and with a resolute demeanor, uttered, “I want to become a farmer.” It was at that moment that I knew he was deadly serious.

In my capacity as Alfred’s profiler and the designated image handler for PYDN, I swiftly conducted a poll to gauge people’s reactions to his impending departure. Remarkably, 92% of respondents expressed sadness, while only a few believed that it was for the best, granting Alfred some well-deserved rest. Curiosity led me to probe further, and when I questioned his colleagues about whether Alfred had encountered any issues within PYDN, they unanimously responded with a resounding “No.”

Over a shared bowl of halo-halo, I posed a question, “Why leave, my friend?” To which I inquired. His response, however, struck a chord,

“The true test of a leader lies in their ability to step aside when they’ve identified a capable successor. PYDN is not about me or my personal authority; it’s about passing the baton to the next leader.”

His words resonated deeply in a world where leaders often cling to power to advance their own agendas, betraying the trust and confidence reposed in them.

Alfred’s philosophy also reflected the broader dynamics of the development sector.

“We cannot be a halo-halo all the time,” he remarked. “We need specificity, identity, and a space where we can make a significant contribution. PYDN is not that space for me. I need a canvas, a farm, my own laboratory to bring my vision to life.”

He shared his next project, and from what I gathered, it promises to be the next big thing in the Philippines. To those interested, I encourage you to reach out to him, hire him, and join this exciting journey here: https://ph.linkedin.com/in/alfred-dicto-rn-mdm-89bb09a1

Presently, Alfred can be found tending to his farm in Dumangas, Iloilo, while leading the charge at Youth Work Research and Training Center, where he serves as the CEO and President. His departure from PYDN has left a significant void, and the development sector is poised for a transformation under new leadership.

The question that lingers is who will step into Alfred’s considerable shoes. The transition is poised to usher in fresh perspectives, novel strategies, and exciting opportunities to advance the cause of youth development.

Personally, Alfred’s journey with PYDN exemplifies the power of collaboration and the belief that when talent converges with passion, remarkable things can happen. Back in our high school days, he was celebrated as the Best in Dressmaking, famously declaring, “We need to make a good dress for the Philippines.” This served as his guiding principle, a constant reminder that the pursuit of excellence, rooted in tradition and fueled by creativity, can bring about positive change.

In the meantime, Alfred will continue living a happy life with his partner while taking care of his beloved mom, and his pond full of catfish in the Iloilo.

Youth Hour 2021 punches back, releases phenomenal toolkit

Due to increasing public pressure, Positive Youth Development Network’s (PYDN) Youth Hour 2021 released its toolkit, a quick guide for everyone on how to participate and support the Youth Hour Celebration on August 12, 2021, 12:00NN to 01:00PM.

First readers confirmed that the toolkit is beautiful and easy to read. Though according to them, it lacks the spirit of inclusion in the design especially putting some special considerations for Persons with Disability, the most vulnerable sectors of the society including children and the marginalized population, and it failed to emphasize the rich culture of the Philippines.

However, I believe that they can still remedy this in their remaining days of social media campaign. It is crucial for the team to be inclusive as possible since this is a national advocacy. You can access and download the toolkit from this link: bit.ly/YouthHourToolkit2021.

This simply shows that Youth Hour 2021 is not backing up and is ready to face the challenges ahead. This is a good answer to criticisms that this year’s campaign is unorganized. For the coming days, we are yet to expect some surprises from the PYDN’s Youth Hour 2021.

Earlier today, Youth Forward, a contender of PYDN backed out in Dagupan. The release of the toolkit could be considered a blow, sending the budding rival to its grave before it can walk.

For now, readers are encouraged to share the toolkit.

Youth Hour Youth Hour is a dedicated time for Filipinos to come together and celebrate young people’s contributions and sacrifices for nation-building. Youth Hour is envisioned to be the Earth Hour of youth engagement. The latter asks us to switch off our lights to symbolize our support for environmental conservation, while the former asks us to ignite the fire of passion for the youth, and their indispensable role in nation-building.

Youth leaders jump to PYDN, leave #YouthForward

SK leaders and head of youth organizations from various regions of the country will leave Youth Forward and will support Positive Youth Development Network’s International Youth Day 2021 celebration next week. This is after the news that Youth Forward will not push through in Dagupan on August 11-12, 2021 due to health risks posed by COVID-19 delta variant which is now infesting the National Capital Region.

Meanwhile, IATF resolution No. 130-A released July 29, 2021 classified Dagupan City under Modified General Community Quarantine, one of the lowest classification in Luzon together with La Union and Pampanga.

Youth leaders who were energized with the prospect of seeing Youth Forward for the first time jettisoned the program and moved to organize the largest coalition to support PYDN in Visayas which despite the ECQ classification, continues to innovate to serve the youth through blended program designs and flexible platforms.

According to them, the word “premier” means courage and it must be awarded to organizations and programs that exhibited courage and compassion even in darkest of times.

Here are the calendar of events as per PYDN: https://www.facebook.com/PYDNOfficial

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Youth groups to PYDN: Bat’ parang downgraded ang #YouthHour2021?

I can’t help but notice that a lot of youth organizations are puzzled why PYDN’s Youth Hour event this year lacks social media presence and audience recall. I reviewed last year’s campaign and compared to the present execution, I noted that there is a 50% decline on the number of social media postings, while the campaign message is beautifully crafted, it failed to get substantial traction to defeat the noise of the pandemic, and some of best the practices last time were not incorporated to build this year’s celebration (I think). Last year, you can hear the youth hour in every media outlet especially in Visayas, now, it seems that there’s some sort of radio silence?

Many youth organizations are currently looking for benchmark and direction on how to celebrate their Linggo ng Kabataan next week. Last year, these proactive youth organizations adopted Youth Hour activities into their respective barangays and municipalities. Now, thousands of them are looking for the same direction.

I believe, if PYDN won’t be able to meet the same level of execution, they might lose the wins achieved from last year’s successful launch. It could also mean lost hopes and confidence to the same program. This is a serious challenge to the Philippines’ premier youth organization. But I have faith in them, this organization is built through years of experience.

I will keep you updated about this year’s International Youth Celebration.

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PYDN’s #BagongSK reigns tonight, gets 11.55 points

Short of 2 points to break the national record of 13.00 points, PYDN’s activity still reigns tonight. The highest review so far is being held by the Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health 2018 held in Iloilo City organized by Positive Youth Development Network and the Ideas Positive Alumni Community.

I was expecting an extravagant announcement, but the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) wittingly defined new standards for announcement of Grand Finalist qualifiers. Last time I checked the standard has always been to broadcast zoom meetings to Facebook to attract viewers.

This time, the Positive Youth Development Network respected the feelings of National Finalists by giving them the safe space through an intimate and crisp announcement ceremony peppered by screams and clapping of hands due to extreme pleasure.

I was reviewing the entire execution, and it seems that they upgraded their game. They have background music which by the way was properly timed and synchronized. The music was brilliantly picked, there was no disturbing sounds, or bothersome images.

The Opening message merits a high score because it highlights sense of working together and bringing together young people. The tone was optimistic. The words used were straightforward, I admire the non-use of rhetoric this time, very timely display of analogy, the narratives used by Alfred were well-thought of and the entire speech lasted for 5 minutes including pause.

Moving on, I like the vividness of the emotions of the participants. There was a point in the announcement that I want to cry. The tears were visible falling from their eyes after their SK council was called. This is a feeling that is most of the time absent in any online activity and awarding ceremony. I understand that in order to invoke this feeling, it would usually take months of phenomenal relationship building. This is a difficult technique to muster especially in online set-up.

In terms of social media, a deduction of 1 point was given in the execution part because they failed to hype the public. It is very important especially that they gained a 500,000 reach during the Online Expo. I could have given a higher point in the difficulty part if they were able to request the participants to set the logo of their SK councils as their profile picture in Zoom.

In terms of dress and physical presentation, I like the polo choice of John Carlo Borja it matched with the gray pantone of Alfred. But I could have given a higher score if the two wore their PYDN jackets or a pantone that is brighter like blue or green, just to emphasize the celebratory feels of the activity. I like how John Carlo as the host, connect with the message of Alfred. I love the message of “kung lahat tayo ay magaling, panalo ang Kabataan, panalo ang bansa”. This I think summed up the core message of this Search.

Lastly, it is wise that Jefferson Hilario was assigned as technical director of the program. I sensed the confidence and the trust between John Carlo and Jefferson.

For the scores:

Execution (Max of 5 pts.)	3.70
Difficulty (Max of 5 pts)	3.75
Content (Max of 5 pts.)	4.10
Total	11.55

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2nd National Search for Outstanding SK Awards Grand finalists to be announced today

According to a reliable source from The Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN), the names of the National Grand Finalists will be released today.  From over 70 SK council aspirants, the judges picked a handful of finalists who exemplified the spirit of #BagongSK.

Grand Finalists according to SK Councils:

1. SK San Mateo (Dasamarinas, Cavite)
2. SK Sapao (Dumangas, Iloilo)
3. SK Villa Gonzaga (Santiago City Isabela)
4. SK Balabag (Pavia, Iloilo)
5. SK Visayan Village (Tagum City, Davao Del Norte)
6. SK Cabantian (Davao City, Davao Del Sur)
7. SK Payatas (Quezon City, Metro Manila)
8. SK Dila (Bay, Laguna)
9. SK Gilas San Nicolas 1 (Magalang Pampanga)
10. SK Badas (Mati City, Davao Oriental)
11. SK Calao West (Santiago City, Isabela)
12. SK District 3 (Tumauini, Isabela)
13. SK Ilocanos Sur (San Fernando City, La Union)
14. SK Gilas San Nicolas 1 (Magalang, Pampanga)

Congratulations!

You can access their full project description here: https://www.facebook.com/PYDNOfficial

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Cuyos bares new ‘Youth Hour’ expectations

Immediate-past President of Ideas Positive Alumni Community, Jerome Cuyos, CPA expects more new youth organizations to join Youth Hour 2022 launch on August 12, 2021. According to the youth leader, it is time for Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) to show its might by attracting more youth organizations to the fold towards its mission of building a better Philippines.

Cuyos, during his term as President expanded IPAC’s base of network support to unimaginable level over his five-year stint. He learned that real change should stir conversation not only within existing and familiar youth organizations but must and should expand and include those in far-flung communities, where change matters most.

Recently, The Mutya PH, reviewer of youth engagement programs and events rated Youth Hour launch yesterday 8.30 out of 15.0.

Youth Hour is akin to Earth Hour of the Philippines first launched on 2020 in Iloilo City.

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PYDN records 8.30 points for Youth Hour Opening – The Mutya

The Positive Youth Development Network Inc, the pioneering youth engagement NGO in the Philippines conducts its Youth Hour opening program via Zoom earlier. This is the second time the organization will be celebrating the International Youth Day with its banner campaign dubbed as Youth Hour through online platform because of the pandemic.

I scored the program using my rubrics developed from almost a decade of conducting and designing activities for the youth. Three areas were given attention: Execution, Difficulty, and Content. Each area has a maximum score of 5 points with a grand total of 15 points.

In terms of execution, PYDN’s Executive Director, Alfred O. Dicto is well-known for his inspiring speeches that alone is an expected advantage for PYDN. They also utilized games in the beginning to break the ice, (surely young people love this!), and I love how the organizers interacted with the audience in the chat box. Though the Committee has decided to give some deductions because of some technical glitch, they also failed to wear their Youth Hour Uniform (by the way they did this last time), and some background noise was heard amounting to a total deduction score of 1.2.

In terms of Difficulty, it is so refreshing to see new faces as event hosts, I like that. The use of mentimeter is also a plus point as a tool to assess audience thoughts and insights. I like how they solicited the idea of a better Philippines utilizing the said application. I understand that it was difficult to maintain a stable internet connection, but I am still giving the organization half a point deduction for that (just to be fair with other events I reviewed). I could have given a higher score if they were able to create a new video or a presentation of sorts, or a background music in that effect, or a longer campaign period in their social media accounts. But we are in the middle of the pandemic, we can give it to PYDN. Still a good difficulty score of 1.5 points.

Lastly, in terms of Content, this is the strength of PYDN, I gave a score of 4 points because of the presentation of different programs, (more programs for the youth) the manner they were presented, and the best part I believe was the closing remarks of John Carlo Borja. I must admit, it was phenomenal, the tone is hopeful enough, the tempo/speed was a big WOW, and the bullet points were sharp enough to pierce an iron curtain. No deductions were given.

In total, PYDN’s score for the opening of the Youth Hour 2021 is 8.3 out of 15.0 points. This is above average. I am hopeful they can improve on their execution and difficulty areas on their next activities. Last year, they had 10.0 during the actual Grand launch of youth hour 2020.

I will be reviewing next the Youth Forward in Dagupan.

Till’ next time!

I was bullied, abused, I entered Law School

We are told that we are weak, but now that we are in quarantine again, while reflecting, maybe this is an excellent time to trace our story and identify the sources of your strength.

Three and a half years ago, I decided to leave nursing and enter law school. Last night, while watching the news, I reviewed my decision. What could life have been if I chose to fly to Europe?

But I think past events placed me in this position. Twenty-eight years ago, I could have been a victim of Unintentional abortion punishable under Article 257 of the Revised Penal Code, but my mother cried, and I was saved.

When I was nine years old, I was placed on a witness stand to testify before a judge against my father. The horrors of cross-examination are still in my mind. Luckily, People vs. Hermosa (2001) qualified me as a competent witness. The defense failed to challenge my competency.

My mom and I during that time suffered every day from mental anguish, not until in 2004 when Republic Act 9262: Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 was enacted punishing acts or omissions causing or likely to cause mental or emotional suffering such as repeated verbal abuse and marital infidelity.

We applied for annulment of marriage, but we don’t have the financial resources to overcome the powers of the Family Code of the Philippines respecting the sanctity of marriage.

When I was 18 years old, in high school, I was bullied because I am gay. Thanks to Ang Ladlad Partylist vs. COMELEC, the Supreme Court ruled that homosexuality is not a crime. They did not turn a blind eye to the fact that, through the years, homosexual behavior, and perhaps homosexuals themselves, have borne the brunt of societal disapproval.

After taking my oath as a registered nurse, OBERGEFELL et al., v. HODGES in 2014 recognized that marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed, and members of the LGBT community has the right to marry whom they want to marry.

In 2016, I was assigned as a nurse of the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. After the nursing law veto increasing the wages of nurses, she told me to leave nursing and enter law school. I wrote a viral letter to the President, she was very happy, but it was not enough to turn the tides.

With all of these backdrops, every time I feel weak, alone, exhausted, suicidal, I always think of the big picture, the big “why.” I realized that to acquire strength, we must first acknowledge the big misconception that suppressing all our emotions signifies strength. I reject this, and we have one more option.

This Holy Week, as the country faces the horrors of the pandemic, appreciate the stillness of life, and revisit the things that hurt you. Open the boxes full of grief and unload them because every space in your life occupied by this worthless toot deserves a new occupant.

I’ll close by lifting a paragraph from Jeff Brazier’s book, on the Grief Survival Guide, “Strength is allowing yourself to be vulnerable, to be real and to answer honestly and questions you are posed on a daily basis on your emotional state. To be able to live in the moment, no matter how unappealing that truth is, is to show great courage and kindness to yourself.

Trace your story today. Have a blessed Holy Week!

He supported us when others turned a blind eye

This is not a paid promotion but a genuine admiration for this man’s contribution in building healthier communities.

His name is Rus.

Four years ago, while we were mounting the largest and the most ambitious national youth forums and boot camps in the Philippines, we were confronted by a single question: How do we set the bar in conducting youth programming in the country?

While we have one of the most innovative teams, set of visionaries, and a panel of robust consultants, there was a missing piece in the puzzle, a missing element in the perfect formula. Someone who can create a “Superbowl” like experience for our special partners in development—the Filipino youth. Then God and destiny gave us Rus with his amazing U-events team.

In the Philippines, it is hard to find an event partner who genuinely believes in your cause. But Rus showed us that relationship with partners is a sine qua non to producing world-class events. He showed us that our ideas are precious and could be executed at will. He absorbed our stress and transformed this into something productive. With Rus and his team, we feel secured. We feel like we are doing the right thing.

Also, we are very grateful for his support especially in this time of the pandemic. When people turned their back at us when we asked for support during the early phases of the Young House Heroes Initiative, Rus and u-events heeded the call, exercised some flexibility, assumed risk, so that we can serve the youth in this time of crisis.

By this alone, no events management team can topple him. I hope that next time when you plan for a big event either offline or online, please find someone whose heart is in the right place. You need to find someone who can translate your ideas into tangible experiences that will leave an indelible mark in peoples’ lives.

Thank you, Rus, and happy birthday!

If you want to reach him and his team, I’m leaving here their contact details.

 

U-TRAVEL SERVICES, INC. Landline: (+632) 7746-0037 Mobile: (+63) 917-826-6324 Email:  info@u-travelservices.com Website: www.u-travelservices.com

U-EVENTS, INC. Landline: (+632) 7975-3755 Mobile: (+63) 917-702-9177 Email:  info@u-events.com.ph Website: www.u-events.com.ph