25 Bangon Mangyan leaders from the Nagkasadian Uyugan Bangon (NUB) attended a Leadership Training on February 29 to March 1, 2020 in Roxas, Oriental MIndoro. The training was given by the Holy Spirit Social Center, the social development arm of the Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) at the Pax Cristi Pastoral Center.
Quite an eye opener for the Mangyan leaders, the idea of servant leadership could set off the change in their group, a much needed move in their weakening organization. As the participants made a substantial study of their communities, stronger, more focused and principled leadership was expressed as a need that cuts across key concerns -education, livelihood, health, culture and politics. In their own words, “leaders indeed should be worthy of the people’s trust, must not be self centered, rather transparent and accountable to entire communities”. They recognized the importance and nodded to a type of leadership that follows the four main elements of servant leadership –service, collaborative authority, mentoring (or building capacities of communities), and having foresight to anticipate problems and find necessary solutions together with the people.
Four very intelligent and articulate elders attended, and six members of the young Bangon generation from communities and middle aged adult leaders also made significant mark in the seminar. They were pensive, articulate, brave, felt and thought about the communities they had to leave albeit for a brief time to attend the seminar.
The training culminated with the celebration of the Holy Mass officiated by Fr Gabby Uybad, a Hanunuo Mangyan. Plans that were crafted by workshop groups were offered during the Mass. And as a reminder that the participants should serve as light to their own communities, lighters were given, a useful gift to a tribe known to smoke through kwako (tobacco) pipe.
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