𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐒𝐀’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

With the aim of further shaping student leaders, San Pedro College’s (SPC) Office of Student Affairs (OSA) conducted its third annual college formation session, themed “Duc in Altum: Go into the Deep!,” on the afternoon of May 28 at AVR 1, gathering representatives from various institutional, departmental, and non-departmental organizations.

Hosted by OSA Assistant Head Dr. Rosa Medel Libot, the program opened with preliminaries before OSA Student Activity Coordinator Ariel Pescones formally introduced the objectives of the formation session.

“The best leaders are not only productive leaders, they are formed leaders,” Pescones said as he emphasized the importance of physical wellness and spiritual groundedness in leadership.

Pescones also shared that the event title was derived from the Latin phrase in Luke 5:4, which translates to “go into the deep.”

According to Pescones in a follow-up interview, the annual formation sessions were developed following needs assessments conducted by OSA to better understand the concerns and challenges encountered by student leaders and organizations.

He explained that the office aims to strengthen the holistic formation of students through programs focusing on wellness, values formation, spirituality and leadership development.

First session, titled “Anchored and Balanced: Integrating Wellness in Leadership,” was led by Health and Wellness Center physician Dr. Chessa Louise Belandres, who discussed the importance of integrating wellness practices into leadership responsibilities.

“Are you leading from the shore, or from the deep?” Belandres asked as she emphasized how neglected wellness may affect leaders through sleep deprivation, chronic stress, low energy and emotional dysregulation, further explaining the role of lifestyle medicine in maintaining effective leadership.

The physician also discussed six pillars essential to maintaining balance and well-being among student leaders: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, social connections and healthy coping mechanisms.

Interactive activities followed the discussion, including individual reflections, pair sharing and commitment-setting exercises among the participants.

Second session focused on spiritual and emotional grounding in leadership through the talk “Navigating the Deep: Spiritual Anchors of Leadership,” facilitated by representatives from the Spirituality and Formation Center (SPICE) Office.

SPICE representatives Alexis Añora and John Philip Malabarbas conducted an opening prayer and gospel reading before encouraging participants to reflect on the challenges and strengths they encounter as leaders, emphasizing trust, humility and spiritual guidance in serving others.

Participants also engaged in group reflection activities, where they illustrated their strengths and leadership struggles through symbolic drawings of boats and surrounding waves, followed by closing rituals.

Concluding the program, OSA Head Atty. Marlou Jade Eliab delivered the closing remarks, sharing that the office aims to “not simply produce students who can hold positions or lead organizations,” but individuals with “character, conviction, competence and compassion,” before certificates of appreciation were awarded to the invited speakers and facilitators.

“Titles may give you authority, but character earns trust,” Eliab emphasized.

In the aforementioned interview, Pescones shared that OSA continuously evaluates organizations and their activities to identify areas that may require further support and future formation sessions.

Moving forward, OSA aims to further strengthen its leadership development initiatives through formation programs grounded in the evolving needs of student leaders and organizations.

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