Aguman welcomes the new academic year with 2 new members and a swimming SemStarter

By Amateur Pâtissier

Agyuan 2007B Final Rites & Induction
UP Aguman started the new academic year by officially inducting two new members, Carmelo Cortez and Demsen Cosio of batch Agyuan 2007B. The original date of the FR was last March, but due to some cancellation of classes towards the end of the semester, it did not push through. Their Final Rites was held in the morning of May 31 at a family farm at Dayat, Bacolor. The FR venue is owned by an uncle of member Kevin Peñalba and alumnus Mike Peñalba which was attended by 11 members and officers. Their batch Induction was also held later in the evening during the swimming semstarter at the Villa Antonina Resort at Panipuan, City of San Fernando, where more members arrived to participate in the activity.



SemStarter 2008
The incoming officers with the assistance of some former officers organized the semstarter for the new academic year 2008-2007. The food for the overnight activity were sponsored by Kevin (fried chicken), Acey (grilled bangus with tomatoes & eggplant), Cyrille (baked spaghetti), Rex (cheesecakes), Justin & Buduy (chips and other snacks), Marco & Jen (rice, grilled chicken and additional snacks drinks) and Carlo & Demsen (drinks).



Aside from the games in the swimming pool, members also brought playing cards and board games (Monopoly) to keep everyone busy in having fun the whole night. The officers also prepared a variation of the M&M Game, the same group dynamic game held in the youth camp that the officers participated in. Instead of giving out facts about oneself, the members had to enumerate facts about the member next to them. New alumni members Daph Villanueva and Cyrille Bautista grace the semstarter as well.

Indeed, the overnight Extreme Bonding Session (EBS) was a great way to jumpstart the new school year and to rekindle the bond between the members as they face new academic trials and more organization projects.

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Aguman officers hold a talk for youth camp participants

By pekepate

May 24, 2008 – In response to the invitation made by the Bayung Abak Foundation for its program dubbed “San Marcelo Youth Leadership Training Camp”, four Executive Council Members, Jenifer Castro (President), Acey Duarte (Internals Vice-President), Aries Viray (Externals Vice-President) and Jeremiah Torrico (Socio Cultural Committee Chairperson) represented UP Aguman and gave a talk about the role of youth in the community to an audience of young people from Angeles City. It was held at Hotel Pat’il Resort, San Antonio Zambales last May 18-24.

The said event was a seven-day camp devised by the Bayung Abak Foundation for the youth of Angeles City, Pampanga. The camp was attended by 24 young people. They were selected from different barangays, specifically from families lying below the poverty line and those considered as problem children.

The Aguman officers, who were first to give the talk on the last day, were accompanied by four other speakers – three guidance counselors and a college dean from Holy Angel University. They arrived at about 10am at the venue and started at 10:45am after some technical difficulty.

The outline of the Aguman’s talk was as follows:
Presentation of speakers and of UP Aguman
Group Dynamics # 1: Nips Game
The delegates were asked to get as much as Nips as they wanted. The number of pieces each individual got corresponded to the number of things s/he would have to say about her/himself.
Talk: An overview about the youth (by Jen)
Statistics about the situation of youth in the world and in the Philippines were presented to the delegates.
Group Dynamics # 2: Helium Rod Game
The delegates were divided into three groups and asked to form two lines facing each other. They held a long thin rod with their index fingers. The goal of the game was to lower the rod to the ground as fast as possible. The activity aimed to strengthen their team work and to bridge the communication gap amongst them.


LEFT: Jen (President) during one of her talks
RIGHT: The participants during the Helium Rod Game

Other talks: Youth Health Status and Health Related Behavior (by Aries)
Youth Health Indicators and Related Issues (by Acey)
Youth Mortality Issues and Reproductive Health Issues (by Jer)
Substance Abuse Issues (by Aries)
Youth Violence (by Acey)
Importance of Youth in the Community (by Jen)
Group Dynamics # 3: ‘Write something about each other”
The delegates were asked to write their name on a piece of paper which they had to pass around. Then, as the papers rotated amongst them, they were asked to write something about the owner of the paper. The activity served to provide a remembrance of the bonding that the participants formed for the past 6 days and to have something they can look on to during the times when they are down.
Open Forum
Some delegates asked about UP Aguman and for some words of encouragements. Others also gave rants on certain matters.
Closing Remarks
Each of the four UP Aguman officers delivered some final words of wisdom to the delegates.


LEFT: The participants of the San Marcelo Youth Leadership Training Camp listen to the many talks
RIGHT: The participants and Aguman officers pose after the UP Aguman's talk

After the talk, the Aguman officers were given time to rest and stroll around the beach and resort to enjoy the beautiful Zambales scenery. The Bayung Abak Foundation provided the transportation to and from Zambales for the Aguman officers for the whole-day affair.

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Aguman holds another Rummage Sale

By Jen Castro

April 26, 2008 – UP Aguman turned a profit of more than 3500 pesos on its rummage sale, its first fund raising for the summer term, on Saturday, April 26 at #1 Marilag St., UP Village headed by Justin Dungca, the Finance Committee Chairperson.

Rummageables were collected from the residents and also from Jun Martin, an alumnus, through Aries Viray, Vice President for Externals.

Five officers and three members looked after the rummage sale, namely: Jen Castro, Acey Duarte, Aries Viray, Jer Torrico, Ferg Panganiban, Anj Herico and Don Dy, respectively.

“Kapagal pero ayos mu kasi dakal naman penakitan! Akalingwan mi pin magpicture-picture kasi dakal sasali at ditak kami mung magbante. Atin ya pang part II ining rummage sale keng May kaya mems please do bring more rummageables! Congrats keka tamu!,” Jen Castro said.