Three major awards went to Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod during the 2nd joint (8th) Visayas-(9th) Mindanao Rizal Young Leadership Institute (VM RYLI) Conferences attended by 164 youth participants coming from 28 different colleges, universities and youth sectors from the Visayas and Mindanao last October 25-28, 2009 at Punta Villa Resort, Arevalo, Iloilo City.

This year’s theme“My Future, My Responsibility: Rizal is my President” was the brainchild of the Order of the Knights of Rizal (OKOR) aimed to inspire the Filipino youth to showcase leadership skills through the study of life, values and leadership qualities of Dr. Jose Rizal. The conference gave an overview to the different concepts of World Café: “The Spirit of Rizal Lives in Us,” Theory U and Field Theory which are ways of dialogue for an effective relationship with people which a leader should have.

The RYLI Conference Chair, Sir Pablo S. Trillana III emphasized the importance of unity towards nation building with his tale, The Three Crowns. The keynote speaker, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, D.D., President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP,) challenged the young leaders to be catalysts of change that should primarily start within each one. Another opening day attraction, the musical satire in accordance with the theme, presented by the UP Visayas Alumni Theatre revolves around the provoking question on “how many more will die for a change to happen.” One of the activities included the selection of the Top 5 qualities needed for Filipino leaders based on the Napoleon Almonte’s book, Rizal Is My President: Forty Leadership Tips From Jose Rizal.
Each participating school/organization had representatives in the different competitions like oration, extemporaneous speaking, essay writing, Rizal and history quiz bee, poster making and makabayang sayawitan.

Mhelcar Anierdes, BSEd 4, CSA-B’s extemporaneous speaking (English) contestant,  in his winning question, whether there is anyone among the presidential candidates this 2010 who possesses the kind of leadership Rizal had shown, won the championship award among the ten college contestants. Anierdes, coached by Maritess B. Javelona, CASE Language Coordinator, received a medal, a certificate and P3,000.00.

Rey Emmanuel Mirasol, BSN 3, whose piece was the joint efforts of his mother, Dean Mila Mirasol of the College of Arts Sciences and Education and his coach, Javelona, bags the championship award in oration (English) among ten contenders. Mirasol won a medal, a certificate and P3,000.00.

With major awards garnered, CSA-B was the only school to be awarded by VM RYLI Conference with the Prestige Award, a recognition given to a participating school who exemplified excellent performance in the different competitions.
Anierdes and Mirasol are pre-registered already to the 47th National RILY Conference in Baguio City on December 13-17, 2009.