Youth development leaders shared to UPLB student leaders their views and knowledge on leadership, public service, and culture and the arts during the 2023 Student Organization Leaders’ Assembly (SOLA) last May 26 at the Makiling Ballroom of the Student Union Building.

This year’s SOLA theme was “Pagsiyasat: Lugar ng Iskolar ng Bayan sa Panlipunang Hustisya at Kapayapaan.”

Hon. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, Kabataan Partylist Representative, gave an inspirational message via video recording. “We Iskolar ng Bayan have always been expected to go beyond learning from the four corners of the classroom. We are compelled to learn from social realities around us including harsh and inconvenient truths,” Rep. Manuel said. 

Rep. Manuel issued a challenge to the participants and reminded them that “student leaders are at the forefront to ensure that fellow students get to play their role in the society as catalysts of change.” 

Leadership, public service and extension, and culture and arts 

A team of speakers were present to discuss leadership, public service and extension, and culture and arts. 

Julius Arvin Cantiga, secretary general of the Kabataan Partylist, gave a talk on leadership and expounded on youth participation in local, national, and contemporary issues. 

Danilo A. Arao, a journalist and a professor at the UP Diliman College of Mass Communication, highlighted the essence of the term “serve the people,” especially in the context of being a student leader. 

Pura Luka Vega, an alternative drag artist, discussed the role of artists as potent agents in politicizing the youth and the public. 

In the afternoon session, participants were divided into three clusters to discuss relevant issues in their respective program areas and propose activities for possible implementation of UPLB OSA. 

UPLB Natatanging Organisasyon (UNO) and UPLB Natatanging Iskolar ng Bayan (UNIK) awards 

Part of the program was the presentation of this year’s UPLB Natatanging Organisasyon (UNO) and UPLB Natatanging Iskolar ng Bayan (UNIK) nominees. 

UNO and UNIK aim to recognize exemplary individual and organizational performance in leadership, in public service, and in the culture and the arts.

Twenty-one student organizations were nominated for the UNO Award while 11 undergraduate students were nominated for the UNIK award. Winners will be awarded during the upcoming anniversary celebration of the OVCSA this June. 

The Iskolar ng Bayan’s role in attaining social justice 

Present at the opening program of 2023 SOLA were Dr. Marc Immanuel G. Isip, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, formally opening the program. Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. graced the event and gave an inspirational message to the student leaders. 

In her closing remarks, Dr. Janette H. Malata-Silva, vice chancellor for student affairs expounded on the theme of SOLA 2023, “social justice is necessary for peace to occur; peace should be based on social justice anchored on basic human rights,” she said. 

“Inaasahan ko na kayo, mga Iskolar ng Bayan ang katuwang naming sa pagkamit ng social justice,” (I count on all of you, Iskolar ng Bayan, to be our partners in achieving social justice), Vice Chancellor Malata-Silva concluded.

SOLA 2023 was organized by the OVCSA-Office of Student Activities. (Julianne Afable)