RIZAL, PHILIPPINES — Twenty campers, twenty-three staff, and one mini-camper (Total: 44) gathered at Pili Paninap Camp, July 23 to 30, for a much-anticipated reboot of CYC Philippines after a 3-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions. The camp did not disappoint as campers and staff members enjoyed fun and challenging activities while learning godly character and building close bonds with like-minded people. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The campers were organized into two dorms: a boy’s dorm & a girl’s dorm with 10 campers each, a counselor and an assistant counselor to lead them. Each day began with a Christian Living Class conducted alternately by the three elders present: David Baker, Beltran Sison, and Andrei Siopan. The classes were well received and focused on this year’s theme of “Mapping Your Future”. The campers were taught biblical principles on how to navigate their life, how to battle temptations, overcome trials, and the wonderful future God has in store for His elect. 

One of the major activities this year was the first aid training conducted by one of our staff from Visayas, Princess Ocaña. Since she was 12 years old, Princess has been an active member of the Philippine Red Cross Youth, a humanitarian organization that promotes volunteerism for disaster relief and emergency response. For a whole day, Princess gave lectures and practical exercises for campers to learn the importance of first aid and how to administer its basic skills like bandaging, CPR, wound dressing, etc. While the final part of the training was ongoing, a haunting scream outside the building halted the session; “Tulong!” or in English, “Help!”. The campers immediately sprung up to see what happened and finally saw 5 staff volunteers lying on the ground; some had fake blood sprinkled in parts of their bodies while others were pretending to either hyper-ventilate, have fractured injuries, or were simply unconscious. It was of course a surprise part of the training prepared by Princess. The campers then, who were previously grouped into 5, tended to the acting patients. They all did well and worked great as a team. There was a moment when the exercise got a bit serious; The staff volunteer acting as the hyperventilating patient acted a “little too well” in that as she increased the pace of her breathing she felt the symptoms of hyperventilation e.g. lightheadedness, dizziness, & weakness or numbness in the hands and arms. Fortunately, Princess was there to take leadership and show us in real-time the first aid response to hyperventilation. The patient was restored to good health. It was a day full of fun and learning. 

During the camp, a big challenge came our way in the form of a super typhoon named “Egay” pronounced as “Ee-guy” (International name: Doksuri). With maximum sustained winds of 185 kph near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph, Egay displaced millions and destroyed billions worth of property in mainly three countries: Philippines, Taiwan, & China. It brought heavy rains and thunderstorms throughout the week of the camp. Due to the real risk of flash floods, the boys who were staying in tents by the creek had to be transferred to a building on higher ground. We also cancelled our Mt. Daraitan hike as its river access became impassable even to 4x4 vehicles. Although it was a rainy camp, it didn’t dampen our spirits. The typhoon even taught the campers that in life we will face spiritual typhoons — things, people, and events that will challenge our faith and be out of our control. What matters, in the end, is our preparation, our conduct, how we should have unshakeable faith, and ultimately centred on our Father who guides us in our journey in the midst of tumult.  

Although we cancelled our hike to Mt. Daraitan, we found another mountain to climb — Mt. Sembrrano. In hearing post-camp reports from campers, the hike to Mt. Sembrrano was their most memorable activity. While Egay was already on its way out of the country, there were still rain spots during the day of the hike. This made the ascent quite muddy and cold. A number of campers experienced muscle cramps, and one had a sprain, but Princess was quick to tend to the injuries with the help of a number of the campers especially from the boys’ dorm. At the end of the camp, 5 of the boys were given special certificate awards for their readiness to assist and give first aid. Though it was very challenging, all our fatigue left us when we finally reached the peak and saw the beautiful scenery that awaited us. The hike lasted 9 hours in total, with a distance of 10.5km and an elevation of 745m (2,444 ft). The lessons of working together, pressing on, moving forward, and that great efforts bring the best rewards were imprinted in us. 

Friday was workshop day. The workshops presented to the campers were: Song leading (boys only), Flower Arrangements (girls only), article writing, public speaking, photography, & baking. Later on, the best participant/s for each workshop was provided with a special award certificate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Sabbath, we had a bible quiz which the boys’ dorm won. The flowers arranged by the girls the day prior made the Sabbath service extra special. Emmanuel Baylon, one of the campers, conducted the song leading; while assistant counsellor Gideon Agayo gave the sermonette and Beltran Sison gave the main message.

In line with camp tradition, the campers presented the special music from our Hymnal titled: Psalm 1. 

The last night of the camp was the dance and awards night. The campers presented a waltz dance in the instrumental tune of “Beauty and the Beast”. The staff were given certificates of appreciation while the campers were presented with certificates of attendance. Special awards were also given to campers who excelled in various areas. Some of the special awards were: Leadership, Most Encouraging, Most Improved, First Aider, Workshop awards etc. The Best Camper of the Year was given to Emmanuel Baylon from Davao City, Mindanao. After the closing remarks, the campers bid their farewells, signed and wrote messages on the uniforms of their friends and expressed their desire to see each other again in CYC 2024.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are very grateful for the support our US brethren provide to us here in the Philippines. Because of this, we are able to conduct the CYC 2023. As we move forward, closer than ever to God’s kingdom, we see the world become leaps and bounds further away from God’s ways. The worldly influence, distractions, and challenges facing our youth are rapidly increasing and intensifying. This world is a very challenging one for the youth of today. The Church’s youth camp is an invaluable program in teaching our young people godly character and the importance of having a relationship with God. It is also one of the best environments where the youth can build a network of friends not only from their fellow campers but also from the supportive and tireless staff volunteers who will encourage them and help them as they continue in their journey. These things do help our young people map their future and eventually will also help them reach it.  

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