Scholars urged to promote Zamboanga

MAYOR Celso Lobregat has urged the City Government’s graduating academic scholars to help promote Zamboanga City.

Lobregat made the call as he addressed some 45 graduating academic scholars of the local government who are attending a three-day humanitarian ambassador’s leadership training in the city.

The training which is being held jointly by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation is set to end Wednesday, March 13, 2013.

Lobregat asked the scholars to help the City Government in informing the people about the good, the positive and the best of Zamboanga City, contrary to what the critics are saying that this city has lagged behind.

“If we will hear to our critics, there is nothing that had been done by our administration. That is why we urged you tell them that we have done so many great things for Zamboanga,” Lobregat said.

The three-day training is a fellowship activity among the City Government’s scholars who endeavor to inculcate the values of working together under the spirit of collegiality, solidarity and volunteerism as a way of giving back while instilling in them the values of moral obligation and social responsibility through various forms of activities.

Emily Delos Reyes, a staff of the City Human Resource Management Office (CHRMO) and the scholarship coordinator, said the scholars will undergo series of lectures by the PRC volunteers, stressing that the scholars are trained to become blood donors, organize regular mobile blood donation activities in their own communities and to assist in the blood services and related activities of the PRC.

Delos Reyes said that the Humanitarian Ambassador’s Program will also be launched during the three-day training.

The program is a blood recruitment advocacy program of the City Government in partnership with the PRC-Zamboanga City chapter to augment this city’s timely availability of blood supply.

The highlight of the training is the signing of a pledge of commitment by the scholars in which they vow to uphold the fundamental principles of the Red Cross Movement, which speaks of “universal voluntary service to humanity without boundaries in propagating a culture of impartial service to mankind for the protection of human life and health worldwide.” (Bong Garcia)