YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDEE. Kizziah Ella Claveria of the St. John’s Cathedral School in Dagupan City during the awarding of the ‘Mga Bagong Rizal: Pag-asa ng Bayan’ Award in Quezon City on November 29, 2019. She is one of the 17 winners of the prestigious award, representing the Ilocos region. (Photo courtesy of Vox Scholae's Facebook page)
DAGUPAN CITY -- Kizziah Ella Claveria of the St. John’s Cathedral School here, who is among the 17 winners of the prestigious ‘Mga Bagong Rizal: Pag-asa ng Bayan’ award, is encouraging fellow youths to serve their community amid their young age.
“I am planning to have more community services and socialization, especially with my fellow youth, to encourage them to be responsible citizens, and to touch hearts to serve our brethren,” the 18-year old Grade 12 student said in an interview Thursday.
She bagged the award last November 29 in Quezon City.
She served as the young city mayor in the Manlingkor ya Kalangweran (Youth in Service) program of the city government. She is also a student leader in her school, and a consistent achiever.
Claveria said her experience in the MYK program under the tutelage of former mayor Belen Fernandez further stretched her interest in serving the public.
“It played a huge part of my training ground to what kind of catalyst I am now. I saw the needs of my fellow Dagupeños. And through the experiences I had, it ignited my love for our country,” she said.
Despite achieving much in her youth, Claveria humbly accepts more challenges to serve, making the award her stepping stone in reaching out to other people.
“Many more things and activities to serve our fellow countrymen are yet to be done, as this award is not just a recognition but is a great weight of responsibility ahead,” she said.
Claveria is set to conduct a storytelling activity and outreach program in an orphanage in Barangay Bonuan Binloc here this December.
Claveria is a Dagupeña hailing from Barangay Bacayao Sur. She is the daughter of Ronie Claveria and Catherine Mariñas, and the granddaughter of a former barangay captain.
In its official Facebook page, Mga Bagong Rizal: Pag-asa ng Bayan is a biennial search organized by the Philippine Center for Gifted Education Inc. for 17 young Filipinos, one from each region, who demonstrate extraordinary abilities and gifts in various fields while exemplifying love for country reflective of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal’s virtues.
Claveria is the third awardee from Dagupan City, succeeding Erson Paulo Muyalde in 2015, and Anjanette Cayabyab in 2017. (PNA)
