By Fonz Bautista

By Maxine Agno

Student leaders of the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) and other schools from the National Capital Region (NCR) gathered at the Blackbox Theatre on Saturday, March 21, for “Tara!?: One Big Camp 2026,” a leadership summit designed to bridge the gap between psychological awareness and frontline service.

The event featured a lineup of resource speakers and activities, challenging participants to look inward before leading others.

The summit opened with Dr. Vanessa Villaluz and Dr. Archie Aguirre in their talk, “Psyched to be Here: The Psychology Behind True Leadership,” where they emphasized that effective leadership begins with self-reflection and emotional intelligence.

Dr. Villaluz cited Kurt Lewin’s theory, noting that one’s environment heavily influences their actions, and reminded leaders that being emotionally intelligent is a cognitive ability that must be honed. 

Dr. Aguirre complemented this by introducing the “Name it–Aim it–Tame it” framework. 

“We can’t control how we feel at the moment, but emotions have functions,” Aguirre explained, adding, “We don’t end with noticing patterns; we improve.”

Former ASHS Sanggunian President John Benedict Maximo brought a raw perspective with his talk, “YOUth: How Youth Leadership Shapes True Leaders,” stating, “‘Pag ‘di ka napapagod, mali yung ginagawa mo.” 

For Maximo, true leadership is defined by three pillars: pakikibahagi, pakikinig, and pakikilahok 

He urged the students to ensure that their actions always carry “weight” and meaning beyond just completing a checklist of tasks.

The final speaker, Mr. Lean C. Rosendo, transitioned the discussion from student leadership to local governance in “Frontline Leadership: From Student-leaders to Local Leaders.” 

Rosendo’s message was centered on the concept of paninidigan, which he described as the source of life and hope for any organization.

“Servant leadership is a choice made because you want to serve,” Rosendo expressed. 

He emphasized, “Tao bago ang trabaho,” reminding leaders that they should never place themselves on a pedestal. 

He added, “Piliin na magmahal kahit mahirap, kahit nakakapagod.”

Following the closing program, the event ended with the bonfire lit at the red brick road field.