As I cradle our firstborn son and as my wife embraces me, we feel his tiny hands warmly grip our fingers. We shower him with all the love we can give; his giggles are enough to make our hearts flutter. As a father and educator, I hope that our son grows with a kind of love that is not a favor to be returned, but a gift to be paid forward — a kind of love that sparks ripples.
And in these moments, I contemplate the boundless potential not only of my son, but also of the Filipino youth in general. As we celebrate love this February — not just romantic love, but the nurturing love of family — I am reminded that this gentle flame ignites within our children the spark to lead positive change that could transcend generations. The love that parents and mentors bestow is the first step in a lifelong journey of social responsibility. With patience and compassion, we as a society can fan these sparks into flames that illuminate the path towards national transformation and the flourishing of our collective well-being.
The Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Siklab Awards, spearheaded by PHINMA Corp. and De La Salle University, recognize such outstanding youth. Named after the late Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario, who embodied the virtues of innovation and integrity, the Awards identify emerging Filipino leaders aged 25 to 40 who have established businesses or social enterprises driving inclusive growth. Check out the stories of previous Siklab awardees at rvrawards.org. Behind these promising youth are families, schools, mentors, partners — entire support systems that believed in them and fanned their sparks into flames.
We as a society must recognize those who walk the talk of social responsibility so that they can ignite ripples of inspiration amongst their peers. The RVR Siklab Awards honor those exhibiting genuine entrepreneurial spirit oriented toward nation-building and making lives better — pursuing profitability paired with purpose, and envisioning sustainable solutions born of grit, compassion, and business acumen.
The 2024 call for nominations is an opportunity to elevate such youth leaders in our communities. I urge you to take part in this nation-building endeavor. Share the stories of young change-makers working to uplift lives so that their sparks may kindle flames within others as well. Visit our RVR Siklab Awards Facebook page to learn more about how you can nominate deserving candidates.
It takes a village to raise a child, and a society to raise the youth to be the next generation of nation-building leaders. With collective effort across families, schools, businesses, government, and civil society, we can empower our youth to drive positive change. The sparks of excellence within our children can swell into an unstoppable wave of innovation and social progress, rippling across communities. The RVR Siklab Awards shine a light on these sparks of potential within our youth. Beyond celebrating outstanding individuals, the Awards highlight the power of love in developing the leaders of tomorrow. Driven by empathy and enterprise, our youth can build the nation and make lives better.
Love begets love, the kind that sparks lasting ripples.
Patrick Adriel H. Aure, PhD is the assistant dean for Quality Assurance of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business and is an associate professor from the Department of Management and Organization of De La Salle University.