It Can Wait: SFAS Silay Version

-

Our It Can Wait Premarital Sex Seminar, Classroom edition, in St. Francis of Assisi School in Silay was a success. My team of "It Can Wait Brigade" (as dubbed by Nurse Romar), left Candoni as early as 4 am and went immediately to Silay City (more than 130 kilometers away from Candoni). I arrived there at around 9 past and was met by my former High School classmate, JR Abello, the Vice Principal for Academics of SFAS. I was introduced to the Principal and the rest of the faculty. There were around 67 students from the third year and fourth year levels. We immediately started the seminar, starting with a dependable icebreaker.

We then divided the group and separated the boys from the girls. We gave them time to prepare for their group chant or yell. During the Games of the Genders after lunch, the teams presented their group chant.

The Classroom series is actually a condensed version of our youth camp and it basically retained the lecture portions, including the SGD part (small group discussion).

The Games of the Genders were very fun and hilarious. My nurse facilitators conducted two fun games while I introduced to them the Amoeba Race. During the first two games (Shoot that Pen and Eggplant Race), the boys won (with a slim margin during the Eggplant Race). But during the Amoeba Race, the girls won.

The Games were followed by a more serious tone: the SGD, the "getting naked" part. The group was divided into smaller groups with 6-8 students per facilitator. With their eyes blindfolded and with the participants seated in a small circle, the facilitator would read statements about themselves. If the participant agrees to the statement, he would only raise his hand quietly. The SGD is followed by counselling, with emphasis on sexual abstinence as the more responsible way.

The Pledging Ceremony, a revision of the original, followed, with the participant reading their personal commitment to "Wait". They were then given ballers with the words, "It Can Wait" as a reminder of their pledge.

I am thankful to the invitation of the SFAS faculty and administration to conduct this premarital sex seminar. We hope we have changed the mindset of many of these young people. We have learned a lot from them as well and we do hope they can help promote the advocacy for Sexual Abstinence. "It Can Wait!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Visita Iglesia: Tracing The Pilgrim's StepsIn Europe Part Two

-
Image
Town-hopping from one historic place to another in Europe has given me the opportunity to appreciate not only the local colors but at the same time the wonderful architecture of the place, especially its churches and cathedrals. More than just the structural beauty, the story behind every building is equally astounding. 1. Messina, Sicily, Italy - I happened to walk around town all by myself and I found my way to the Doumo of Messina. This historic Cathedral boasts its very tall bell tower which every noon time sounds the alarm with a spectacular show of moving statues adorning the bell tower and the church. Inside the church are huge statues of Christ's apostles. The park right outside the Cathedral is beautiful as well, with locals gathering to talk with friends or find some private moment with a book and a cappuccino in a nearby restaurant. 2. St. Peter's Basilica - I found myself truly blessed when I had the opportunity to visit Rome and stand at St. Peter'...
Read Full Story »

The Weekend in Tallinn

-
Image
I have just come back from Helsinki where we spent 2 days for the practical part of our Global health course. I am now blogging from Tampere, tired and with a sore back. During the weekend, we have been carrying our backpacks and running around Tallinn, the beautiful capital of Estonia. It was my second European country to visit and I loved the place. It was beautiful and the old medieval buildings almost brought me to another dimension. For one, the trip going to Tallinn from Helsinki was already exciting. It was my first boat ride across the Baltic Sea, aboard Viking Express. The ship was huge and inside the ship was a grocery, dozens of food shops and bars, a dance floor, even a couple of playrooms for the kids. It was almost surreal. When we docked at Tallinn, it was a long walk to our Hotel where we immediately left our bags and headed outside to the Old Town where a lot of tourists were also finding their way in the labyrinthine cobblestone streets of the historic city. Of course...
Read Full Story »

When Dining Inside A Museum: Romulo Cafe

-
Image
Last night, the Zuellig Family Foundation held its annual Christmas Party at the Romulo Cafe in Makati. It was my first time to step inside Romulo Cafe but it was not as intimidating as some high class restos are. It is definitely a highly recommended place to dine or hang out with family and friends, whether you are talking about the most trivial things in life or closing a business deal. Romulo Cafe is named after the famous Filipino diplomat, Carlos P. Romulo. History class would teach us that Romulo was the first President of the United Nations General Assembly. It is owned by the granddaughter of the diplomat and the idea was not only to share good food but also good lessons in history. Upon entering the restaurant, one would not miss the many framed pictures highlighting the many moments in the life of Carlos Romulo. The second floor appears to be almost like a museum. The maze like pattern of the wall paper creates a contemporary atmosphere but the comfortable sofas and pil...
Read Full Story »