De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde GUI-173805-0005
Center for Student Life-Academic Extension Program
and the Center for Social Action
National Service Training Program
Danina Mabel M. Lim
OTGE01
FINAL REFLECTION
1. In light of the current set-up of Benilde, how do you feel now after going through NSTP-02?
What we have done in NSTP-02 is a complete opposite of what I had thought.
Before I entered college, I was already having ideas about what students commonly do in
NSTP 2 because my sisters who already graduated had taken them before. They told me
that it’s mainly about having a partnership with an organization in order to have a
community engagement. So, I thought that we’re going outside and performing such
activities and actions that will help in sufficing the needs of the beneficiaries of our
chosen partner-center.
However, due to the pandemic, I feel quite regretful that we did not have the
opportunity to personally meet our partner-center, especially the beneficiaries. It
would’ve been such a great chance to learn a lot about the mission of our partner center if
we were able to meet them constantly, and see the smile on the beneficiaries’ faces once
we’ve provided the project that we prepared. I must admit that at first, it was a little
discouraging to do the planning of our project because I personally love doing outreach
programs, and knowing that our actions would be limited and everything will be done
online, I felt quite demotivated in accomplishing them.
Nevertheless, because of the patience of our teacher in discussing everything that
we need to learn in this subject, I was able to adapt the importance of being involved in
addressing certain community issues that involve people who are in need of help. Our
partner-center made us feel needed in terms of providing simple services to the children
that will lift their spirits up. That’s why I really initiated in connecting with my group
members and contemplated about the project that we wanted to create for the children. In
totality, I am still grateful to have this opportunity to be knowledgeable towards the
purpose and importance of engaging with our community with the help of partner centers
despite the hurdles that we faced virtually.
2. What particular activity or experience in NSTP-02 was the most significant to you?
Among all the activities that we did all throughout this course, the one that I find
the most significant for me was the Center Orientation. Because none of this would be
possible if we did not have a partner-center to coordinate with. Having the privilege to
engage with organizations gives a major contribution towards having community
engagement amidst our current situation. One of the important factors that I look into
whenever I am doing community services even before the pandemic is the vision of the
center that I am partnering with, because it is where you can get the inspiration in doing a
project that will really benefit their beneficiaries.
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde GUI-173805-0005
Center for Student Life-Academic Extension Program
and the Center for Social Action
National Service Training Program
Moreover, it is very important to have a deep understanding about our chosen
partner-center, so that we will be assured that all our efforts will be paid off once we’ve
provided the services that they needed, and not make everything go to waste if for
instance, they do not have a clear purpose as to why they needed help from us. Digging
deep through the background and intention of our partner-center through our online
session provided us with an in-depth understanding in terms of conceptualizing the
project that we will create. These activities that I experience in the making of our project
is the most significant part for me.
3. Who were the most significant persons that contributed to the whole NSTP-02 experience
and to the success of your project? Why were they significant?
Accomplishing this project would not be possible if it weren’t for the people who
guided us all throughout the beginning, production, until the turnover of our final output.
First, our facilitator in this subject, Ms. Analiza Soliven made a huge contribution in our
experience in NTSP-02 because despite our online learning set-up, she managed to hold
us together by updating each of the groups about the progress of our projects. Not only
did she teach us about the basic understanding of our community service, but also the
importance of doing so especially during this time. She made sure that all of us were
engaging and connecting with each other through the use of online platforms such as
Messenger and Zoom. That’s why it was not hard for us to communicate with her, as well
as with our classmates whenever we have concerns regarding this course. Her role plays a
very vital part in our journey in this course, because if we were not guided, we would’ve
been all over the place.
On the other hand, our partner-center, the Children’s Rehabilitation Center, was
one of the reasons why we successfully accomplished our project. Their presence
contributed a lot in our journey in this subject because we got our inspiration in making
our project through their mission to help child victims-survivors of armed conflict, social
and natural disasters and sexual abuse. Their engagement with our community service
plays an important role in making us realize that there are many people who need to be
helped, as well as community issues that are needed to be addressed.
Lastly, this project would not reach its completion without the cooperation of
each of the members of our group. It is given how hard our situation is right now, that’s
why it’s very challenging to keep connected with each other. However, aside from
wanting to complete this requirement for this course, it was the members’ desire to help
the beneficiaries that pushed us to work harder as a group, making sure that we can
provide a quality output for the children. That’s why the cooperation and engagement of
the members are very vital because if not, doing the project alone in a very limited time is
impossible.
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde GUI-173805-0005
Center for Student Life-Academic Extension Program
and the Center for Social Action
National Service Training Program
4. Describe your own experience in class. What was your contribution to achieving the
objective of the group in all the activities?
When our plan of action was completely changed due to major changes,
particularly the games, I initiated in helping our leader in communicating with our
groupmates because when we found out that we needed to change everything and
basically start from scratch, everyone felt quite discouraged and there were days with no
communication in the group chat. So, I asked permission if I can overtake in leading the
team temporarily, just, so they would get their motivations back. When our leader had
given me the authority to lead, I started right away by conducting a Zoom meeting with
the members to conceptualize for our plan B.
Once our revised plan of action was approved, I started disseminating the next
tasks among my group mates, which includes the script writing for each game,
introduction, and so on. I set a deadline that needed to be met, so we would not get
behind. My tasks in script writing were in a part of the introduction, in the second game,
as well as proofreading all the scripts to make sure that they are engaging to hear. I also
helped in editing our instructional video with the overview part of the games, as well as
the outro. I think that doing all my parts as a member of our group indeed contributed to
achieving the objectives of our group that was to create a very interesting and engaging
instructional video for the beneficiaries.
5. Explain how you have exemplified the Benildean Expressions of the Lasallian Core Values
during your NSTP-02 experience?
My journey in NSTP-02 was filled with so many memories and learnings that I
will tag along with me as I embark on my other community services in the future.
Looking back to my experiences along the way, I was able to show various Benildean
Expressions of the Lasallian Core Values such as being socially responsible all
throughout the making of our project, in which my group members and I were able to
provide services to the beneficiaries of our partner-center.
Aside from being socially responsible, I was also one with the poor, as it is one
of the core values of the Lasallian. We were accomplishing this project while instilling in
our minds that we are doing this to help the vulnerable and victim-survivor children who
belong to the marginalized sectors of our community, which resulted in creating a very
creative and innovative output that will make the beneficiaries participate. Most
importantly, getting through the end of this journey would not be possible of I did not put
God in the center of all my work. Because despite the obstacles I encountered in the
making of our project, God still provided me strength, knowledge, and inspiration to
finish it.
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde GUI-173805-0005
Center for Student Life-Academic Extension Program
and the Center for Social Action
National Service Training Program
6. Do you think that with your NSTP-02 output, you were able to provide service and respond
to the needs of the partner center/community and the target participants? Explain your
answer
We were definitely able to provide the needed service to the beneficiaries of our
partner-center. In the midst of all the challenges children must face every day, given that
we are still in quarantine and children are not allowed to go out, they deserve to have fun
once in a while, even in this kind of setup. The games we have played are exciting, which
will encourage children to participate.
Furthermore, the games are also presented in an instructional video way, so that
the participants will easily understand the mechanics of the game. We used some graphic
animations to make our video more pleasing and fun to the eyes of the beneficiaries, so
that they would really enjoy playing the games. These factors are evident enough to say
that our group successfully served our partner-center what they needed for their target
participants.
7. In relation to the present crisis, how does the target participants’ experience of poverty
affect their human dignity? How does their plight affect you as a person?
From just poverty itself, it already has a huge impact on the children’s dignity. It
is clearly assaulting the target participants’ means of being valued and being accepted for
what they are, solely because of the government’s failure to act and negligence towards
addressing one of the biggest problems in a lot of countries, particularly here in the
Philippines. Due to this, the children are being deprived of opportunities and rights that
they deserve.
Meanwhile, now that the daunting threat brought by the pandemic has
contributed to the rapid increase of the poverty rate in our country, and the target
participants who are children are being restricted from going outside their homes with a
very limited number of resources including lack of food, their opportunity to live with
such dignity is being taken away because this situation will reflect on their physical
appearance, as well as their emotional and social development. This will result in
increased vulnerability, and children will be subjected to certain maltreatments like
verbal and emotional abuse from the privileged, which directly affects their human
dignity as a child. I could only imagine the trauma that this dilemma has caused to
children, and admire their strength and desire to survive this plague every day. I do not
belong to the upper-class family, but I am still fortunate enough to have enough resources
that I use in my every day life. That’s why the least thing that I could do to somehow
relieve the target participants’ predicament aside from feeling pity towards them is to
extend my privilege and direct my efforts even in the simplest way I can.
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde GUI-173805-0005
Center for Student Life-Academic Extension Program
and the Center for Social Action
National Service Training Program
8. Generally, what are your learning/insights about the current situation of our country in
relation to community service?
Wrapping up all my learnings in this subject in relation to the current state of our
country, it is indeed overwhelming how things circulate around us nowadays. The sudden
hit of the global health crisis has caught all of us off guard and overpowered all the other
problems that our country is facing, which are blatantly neglected by our government
incompetence to this day. The pandemic has taken away so much from the majority of the
Filipinos including jobs, food supply, and quality education that resulted in extreme
poverty rating, as well as economic collapse of our country.
In consequence, left and right Filipinos bring out every possible strategy they
have in order to fight off their hunger and survive poverty amidst the crisis. This is where
my insights towards community service come into play. We all have a choice whether to
use our privilege in helping those in need, or to stay blind to the reality because we are
not affected by it. But for me, the essence of community service in the face of adversity is
not just about engaging with organizations in responding to some of the needs of the
suffering Filipinos because you are required to do so or just because you are way more
fortunate than them, rather, we do it because we have a purpose of not letting them get
defeated and be completely victimized by the long shadow of this global pandemic. And
we do it not forcefully but wholeheartedly, that’s why its term is relevant to volunteering.
It is nothing new that the people of authority are obviously not being bothered by the
alarming reality regarding poverty. Therefore, our role as a community is to lift each
other up and help serve our fellow Filipinos to the extent of our capabilities, and not be
hindered to volunteer in spite of the challenges brought by virtual ways of
communication.
9. In what ways can you apply what you have learned in NSTP to your life as a Benildean-
Lasallian?
As a Benildean-Lasallian student, I can apply all my intakes from this course
through instilling in my mind the importance of serving the vulnerable and in need. I will
also promote and advocate for a more inclusive volunteerism within my scope in order to
build a more solid Benildean community that shares a common purpose. Most
importantly, I will apply all what I’ve learned in this course to my day-to-day life by
putting hope on other people’s lives even in a small way.
Through NSTP-02, I learned how to feel a sense of satisfaction once I’ve
provided the beneficiaries the services they really needed. Hence, letting that feeling get
into me every time I help makes me more motivated and inspired to develop what I
started, and continue making other people feel valued. Lastly, dedicating my knowledge
from this course to the Lord despite the hardships that I encountered is what makes
everything worth it, and it is probably the utmost application to my life as a Benildean-
Lasallian learner.
