GIRL Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) is one of the oldest and most popular organizations in the country that is especially geared towards training the youth, specifically girls, in taking part in the community for character development and service.
At some point in their lives, the women in our family have joined GSP in school or know someone who did. GSP was founded in 1939 by women’s rights advocate Josefa Llanes Escoda after coming back to the Philippines from learning basic scouting in the United States of America. GSP had been through a lot, had trained tens of thousands of women, their children, and their grandchildren. It continues to be an avenue for learning and self-improvement for young women. The specifics of the advocacy may have changed with the times but it continues to lean towards empowering women as young as they are and making them good leaders of the community.
From September 19 to 25, 2021, GSP celebrated its annual Girl Scout Week. In Davao Region, GSP chapters continue to be active despite the limitations of the pandemic. The most exciting part is GSP Davao does not stop training young women but continues to welcome older women who may or may not be girl scouts when they were younger. That only proves that it doesn’t matter whether you’re young or young at heart when you want to serve the community through GSP.
In celebration of the GSP week, we asked some of the GSP Davao members about their stories of leadership, initiative, and service through the years:
Virginia Europa
I got involved with the Girl Scouts Council Board upon the invitation of the late Judge Milagros Nartatez who was then the Council President. From the time I joined the board, I got hooked until I eventually became the Council President myself. I served for two consecutive terms for a total of six years. Mainly our thrust was leadership development among the girls. We trained them not only in the field of communications but in leadership skills as well. It’s fulfilling to see the girls mature into responsible citizens. It was likewise a fulfilling task for me. The camping activities of the girls are what I will cherish the most. There is nothing to compare with their happy faces.
All the activities trained not only the girls but us, adult leaders, who were serious in our commitment to develop good citizens. The National Board recognized my efforts and gave me the prestigious Service Award together with Bishop Socrates Villegas during its anniversary celebrations. I am so proud of that award.
Lourfamay G. Dologan
I started my girl scouting journey as a Star Scout in grade one. It was initially my mother who wanted me to be part of the organization. I can still recall it was one sunny Saturday, I found myself wearing the cute GSP type B uniform with my mom at school. I remained as one and experienced transitioning every scarf color a growing girl scout would go through. From the Star Scout’s yellow scarf, Junior’s golden-yellow scarf, Senior’s tangerine to Cadet’s purple scarf.
In my current years as a Cadet girl scout, in my 12th Grade, I became the Davao del Norte Council Girl Representative at the same time elected as the Alternate Girl Representative of Eastern Mindanao Region to the Central Board, as well as the Vice-Chairperson of the Senior & Cadet Planning Board Eastern Mindanao Region, all for the Triennium 2021-2024. I still couldn’t believe it, and that very lesson I learned is that never forget where you came from and always bring honor with you wherever you may go. I also represented my country in the WAGGGS’ Global Campfire that happened last July 31, 2021 where I sang the classic campfire song “Make New Friends” and the new song “Share the Light.” I went from last year as "that girl who watches from the screen" to this year as "that girl who performs on screen." It was forever my childhood dream -- sing for the people and sing for the world. After that event I was one among the few girls chosen to participate in the 18th International E-Camp hosted by the Girl Scouts of Korea, my first International Camp. Although it was just virtually we still got to experience getting along with the girls from all over the globe. And in my recent events, I have transitioned from planning the council activities to being one of the National Core Team planning the events for the girls across the country.
Charita Puentespina (05L-JPA3)
Unlike many of the youth today, I did not join the scouting movement during my school days. It was, in my time, a luxury. I would have needed to stay in school longer for meetings, needed extra expenses for activities and uniforms, extra funds for jamborees, and out-of-town competitions. Those were luxuries my family cannot afford back then. I would have wanted to join as I love challenges, training, disciplines, and competitions, as I know girl scouting is all about. Let us just say, I started late. But just like the young girls in scouting, I learned a lot from the scouting movement. The Girl Scouts gives everyone the opportunity to work with other women leaders and it helps develop young women into independent, skilled, and thoughtful members of society. I had enjoyed being able to give these young women the means to reach their full potential through the teachings of the girl scouting movement.
My two terms as president -2009 to 2015, 2 triennial terms – had been very exciting. The most challenging project was the development of Camp Corazon at Bangkas Heights, a four-hectare piece of land donated by Mrs. Corazon Malanyaon. At that time, the main camp being used was Camp Alano, however this was a camp for the whole of Eastern Mindanao. There was no specific campsite in Davao City. Getting the property titles, land titles, and other certification was quite the challenge. It took many persistent negotiations but we finally had it towards the final year of my second term.
Up to this day, I still remain active in the scouting movement, hoping that the work we put in as the Davao Council opens doors to young women. We hope that girl scouting can become an avenue for these young women to excel and to form strong leaders. Serving the Girl Scouts of the Philippines has become for me more than memorizing the Girl Scout Promise and following the Girl Scout laws, it has allowed me to live them and together with my advocacies in
agriculture, I was able to help mold young women to be independent, thoughtful and skilled, ready to face the challenges, ready to lead.
Michelle Angela Ucab (05L-JPA4)
Joining the GSP movement is an opportunity for personal growth and an avenue to immerse oneself in the community and the world that every girl and young woman can partake in and contribute to make this world a better place. In 2015, I was elected as the Girl Representative of Davao Council for Triennium 2015-2018. It propelled me to participate in various relevant and timely advocacies, projects, and events of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). In the same year, I worked on a community project at Purok Baybay, Lanang, Davao City, gearing on health and sanitation. In 2016, I was awarded as one of the Chief Girl Scout Medalists at PICC, Manila. In 2017, I was nominated as the Outstanding Girl Scout of Davao Council and Eastern Mindanao Region and became one of the National Outstanding Girl Scouts in the Philippines. This gave me an opportunity to join an international camp in 2018 in London, United Kingdom, which is the Journey Through London.
One of the events conducted by the Davao Council in 2017 was the workshop seminar on the Free Being Me (FBM) advocacy of WAGGGS. I was part of the pioneering batch that joined the workshop seminar at Tagaytay in 2017. Together with the other girl scouts who have joined the regional re-echoing, we took part in the council-wide event. FBM is an advocacy campaign of WAGGGS that aims to empower girls and young women through body confidence and self-esteem. Having a strong body confidence enables one to build self-esteem and empower girls and young women leaders of tomorrow to take action. This program really hits close to home as it addresses issues that I and most young women experience at a certain phase in their lives, especially the adolescent stage. It helped me deal and manage personal issues, confront and become unfettered from the image myths that society imposes, and involve oneself in opportunities for growth and helping communities. To conquer oneself in order to conquer the world, as they say.
Laura Elmido
My mother granted my request to join GSP when I was in Grade 4, 5 and 6. Those were three beautiful years of my young life spiced with active participation in events where I proudly wore my GS uniform. My teacher/ troop leaders exposed me to various activities: cooking, singing, dancing, outdoor games, artwork, sewing, needlecraft, dramatics, making friends and many more. I was chosen to represent my school in contests in declamation, artwork, and dancing. I don’t remember getting first place in any of these, but I didn’t mind at all.
Today, because of the pandemic, membership to the GSP has declined, and many girls do not have the luxury of getting practical skills. Almost all our activities are done virtually – livestreamed programs/ ceremonies, training for adults and girls, online meetings, and even online campings. It is our hope that in spite of and despite this pandemic, we shall continue to teach and get the best of these young girls who will soon become our country’s next generation of citizens and leaders.
I had only three years of scouting during my elementary grades... but I continue to live by my GS Promise and Law which was instilled by my leaders in grade school.