National Service Training Program

Civic Welfare Training Service

CWTS JOURNAL
Team Helpful

Submitted by
Eloiza D. Lacno

Submitted to
Ms. Marievic Flores

A.Y 2018-2019
 JAN. 19, 2019: VSU-LOWER CAMPUS CLEAN-UP DRIVE

Objective

 To be able to reduce improper waste management within the vicinity of Visayas State

University-Lower Campus through clean-up drive.

Reflection

Community service is important for many reasons. Taking part and volunteering teaches

compassion and understanding. Through community service, one can find countless

opportunities beyond the walls of the usual classroom set-up. This is one of the reasons why I

joined Civic Welfare Training Services (CWTS) as it helps in developing the inner character of

students, unfolding us into the better version of ourselves.

In the long run of my CWTS experience, I was made known to a kind of reality where in

order to attain change, one should entail risks and keep going rather than remain passive in life.

It helped a lot in boiling my spirit of volunteerism by inculcating consciousness towards the need

within the university. Today’s activity was indeed a very rewarding experience as I was not only

able to do my responsibilities as a member of CWTS but also, I was able to contribute to the

betterment of the university. Despite of the scorching heat of the sun, I was inspired by how my

teammates manage to show their great dedication in finishing the task not for personal pursuit

but because of the drive to contribute to the cleanliness and greenness of the university. I have

realized how important for a team to be driven by the same vision that would serve in the

efficient functioning of the body as one. Despite of the fact that our team is composed of a

diverse course, we are still able to understand each other’s differences and have made use of it as

an advantage instead of allowing it to be a hindrance towards the group’s success. With a

common goal set in everyone, we are able to function in oneness, do more in oneness, and
achieve more in oneness. We are able to understand each other at the end of every

misunderstandings with enough and proper communication. All of these serve as a great tool for

us to come up with great ideas on harnessing the strengths and strengthening the weaknesses of

the team.

In general for today’s reflection, I have realized how every member of the group matters

no matter of how small one thinks of his/her self. In every way, one can help in the realization of

the group’s vision. May it be an effort that comes in big or small, success will still surely come

afterwards and I believe that’s what matters the most.

Objective

 To be able to reduce improper waste management within the vicinity of Brgy.

Pangasugan, Baybay City, Leyte through clean-up drive.

 To be able to give a brief insight about the project to be done within the barangay through

council session.

Reflection

On average, when people think about community service, they assume that volunteering

is just some hours needed to be able to graduate from National Service Training Program

(NSTP) and that’s it. Community service is more than just hours, community service are

valuable acts done to vulnerable populations with the great purpose of bringing benefits to the

target community. Some people view community service in a negative way, little did they know

that it is actually a great experience no one can afford to lose. Today’s activity was just another

proof of how community service stands as a vital force that empowers communities. My

experience today lead me to appreciate more the value of volunteerism through community

action.

Volunteering helps solve many dilemmas occurring in different community that descend

through the eyes of social agencies and even to the local leaders. I have realized today how much

needed for the youth to take part with volunteering since we are the future of tomorrow and we

will to live longer with the consequences of the unhealthy decisions done by adults in the

present. Just like the old saying goes, “If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten

your path”. This holds true with volunteerism because through volunteerism, one can not only
help others but also help themselves. Through proper communication with the authorities in

Barangay Pangasugan, we were able to learn their existing needs that have to be immediately

addressed. The team made use with these needs and done an intensive discussion regarding the

steps that are to be done. Through everyone’s cooperation, the team came up with a plan and

eventually collaborated it to the Barangay. With all these having done, it helped me to have a

great sense of accomplishment as a student. It helped me to view the world in the new light of

public service aiming to uplift the welfare of the humanity. This serves as a good training ground

and as well as a great starting point for students like me to develop a sense of consciousness

towards the needs of other people instead of just selfishly focusing on personal pursuits. Not only

that students will have the opportunity to gain experience, but also allow them to grow more

mature and exercise ourselves to becoming versatile leaders in the future.

Here in CWTS, volunteerism is highly emphasized. Helping other people is not an easy

task but it surely is a noble experience to be considered. Volunteers are not paid, not because

they are worthless but because they are priceless.

Objective

 To be able to give a brief insight about the project to be done within the barangay through

direct dissemination.

Reflection

Growing older means inevitably changing our responsibilities into the next level. All

through time, systems in various context are constantly changing resulting to the manifestation of

different roles that everyone in the community has to play. These particular roles help in

achieving positive change in the community development once effectively acted upon. Today’s

activity has made way for me to realize that each of us in the community regardless of our age,

sex, and even social class, has a role towards public development.

Through my experience in CWTS, I was able to be aware of the roles for myself and for

the community I belong. I became more exposed to a reality where in order to make change one

should entail risk and get going rather remain passive in life. We, young people, constitute a

large part of the world’s population and we will to live longer with the consequences of the

decisions being made in the present compared to our elders. After successfully finishing the task

today, I realized that as a youth, I can change the future society with my well-being and

courageous behavior. I am bound to generate decisions that will address community crises to a

large extent. My first and most important role lies on making use of the opportunity to educate

myself. Nothing is more important than having a good education. I should take education

seriously, read more, think wisely, get involved to community concerns and be found prepared.

My playing small will not serve the world. I must not just say that I will change the

world, I must do my part in changing the world and success will ultimately follow.
 FEB. 09, 2019: GENERAL MEETING

Objective

 To be able to give brief insight and suggestions about the project through conducting

general meeting within the team.

Reflection

In today’s competitive world, leadership skills are crucial for both personal and public

development. Leadership is an important function of management which helps an individual or

group to maximize efficiency and to achieve goals. Today’s activity has opened a door for me to

appreciate more the importance of leadership in driving the team towards a common vision.

Our team today conducted a general meeting in order to collaborate ideas that will greatly

help in the development of our project as a team. There are quite a number of dilemmas that our

team is facing in the present and so a discussion was done. All throughout the session, I have

witnessed the initiative from every member of the team and came to know that everyone of us

can be a leader in any way we can. The officers assigned responsibilities to the members and

helped in making the discussion more interactive in a manageable manner as possible. The

officers have indeed shown the art of influencing the team so that it will strive willingly and

enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals. By observing the team leaders, I have

realized that a leader is one whose magnetic personality innervates people for some cause, not by

words but by the transparency of their actions. Through leadership, the team is able to determine

the desires, strengths and abilities that exist within the team. We became aware towards what we

want out of the activity, know what success is for us, what are our goals and how to achieve

those goals regardless of what other people think, say or do. Along these realizations, I have also

came to understand from today’s activity that a group will not function well if only the leaders
are the ones who are actively working. No matter how leader carries out their duties, the

cooperation of the members are still necessary because personal leadership helps the team to

make the present better and shape a good future for the group in general. The group cannot

successfully complete their tasks, when the members don’t interact with the team appropriately.

Therefore, it is important to understand the respective roles in the team for the fulfillment of the

group’s success.

FEB. 16, 2019: PROJECT DISSEMINATION

Objective
  To be able to give a brief insight about the project to be done within the barangay through

direct dissemination.

Reflection

Teamwork is a group of people with various complementary skills, working together

towards a common vision. There are some tasks that cannot be done individually, but can be

easily accomplished by working in a team. Today’s activity has given me emphasis on the value

of teamwork in making the team work. What we did today has proven me how teamwork

generates performance greater than the sum of the performance of the individual members. It is

not “too many cooks spoil the soup” but rather a combination of ideas, skills, helpfulness, and

leadership.

In the long run of my experience with Team Helpful, the highs of the group project are

more motivating when we are working as one body. Teamwork compiles the ideas of several

people. Teamwork is indeed the one that enabled us to accomplish tasks faster and more

efficiently than tackling things for the project individually. Disseminating information to the

residents of Barangay Pangasugan was made easy by cooperating together on various tasks and

sharing of responsibilities which all in all reduced workloads. For this reason, team members

were given a chance to be thorough in the completion of the assigned tasks. Our team has a

diverse course, and thus, we have many intelligent minds and brains of different skills working. I

have realized that when we work together as a team, we can learn the skills and capabilities of

each other and advance our knowledge on various things. Cooperating on the project is an

opportunity for us to learn from the experiences of one another. It is also a great chance to

acquire skills that we never had beforehand. Unlike working alone, teamwork affords the team

the opportunity to challenge the ideas of each other and come up with a compromise solution that
contribute to the successful completion of the task. It has also served as an important ground for

us to bond with the rest of the team, which has improved our relations with each other. With all

these, we are able to grow with more confidence and improved attitude towards our

responsibilities in the team.

FEB. 23, 2019: CANCELLED SEMINAR

Objective
  To be able to learn unpredictable consequences and hone project stability through various

direct initiatives.

Reflection

Communication is one of the most commonly used forms of expressing thoughts. In

teamwork, communication is a great tool that helps the team achieve certain goals. Today’s

experience made me learn the value of communication wherever you are or whoever you are

with. Although our activity today was cancelled due to some unforeseen circumstances, the

realizations and the way how the team handled the situation together were still what mattered at

the end of the day.

A team communicates often for the leader to engage and motivate the team to remain

focused toward given objectives. With this, there is a challenge where the leaders have to express

themselves properly, adjust the message to ensure understanding by every member, and inspire

them to take certain actions effectively. By what happened today, I have learned how vital

communication is and how important for it to be delivered appropriately. A conflict happened

between our team and the leaders of Barangay Pangasugan that resulted to the cancellation of the

supposed seminar. There were a lot of factors that lead to the conflict but mainly it was due to

miscommunication among the involved people. I have learned that a team should foresee

potential challenges ahead in every project planning. This will allow the team to predict possible

obstacles that can prevent them from achieving the set goals. By knowing what may stay on the

way to reaching the goal, the team will be able to come up with a structured plan of

communicating necessary actions which need to be taken in that particular situation. I came to

know that we need to cooperate well, discuss amiably with one another to find a suitable solution

for some of the challenges or obstacles faced in the process of accomplishing the task assigned
among the team members. Although the team have spent quite a number of Saturdays to

disseminate our Project content to Barangay Pangasugan, we came to know that there were still a

number of residents who claimed that they were not informed. Maybe if all parties involved were

informed about the goal, challenges, action plan and possible changes along the way in the

conduct of the Project Juan, then probably things like what happened today would eventually not

occur. I learned that to ensure productive communication oriented toward goals, we need to

make sure that everyone is informed about the aspects of the project and information of the entire

work process has to provided ahead of time.

MARCH 23, 2019: GARDEN PLOTTING

 To be able to grow perennial crops through basic gardening procedures.

Reflection

Improving and maintaining the earth’s environment is becoming a more important task

and due to ignorance and frequent carelessness, this important task is quickly becoming a critical

one. We take so much from the world every day. The plants, the animals, the air we breathe are

all crucial to our everyday lives. Because of this, we are deeply responsible of taking better care

of the place where we live. In response to this, our team conducted a garden plotting as today’s

activity.

Community gardens are becoming more common and sought after by both residents and

city officials because they provide a variety of functions within a community that society values.

These gardens are often promoted as having economic advantages, providing health benefits,

offering educational opportunities, and reducing food deserts. In particular, community

supported agriculture theoretically could address inequalities about food security by increasing

accessibility to fresh produce. Today’s activity made me realize that people have had to adjust to

adjust to a different way of living by growing gardens which helps with both unhealthy eating

habit and the failing economy. It is beneficial as it also saves people money on their grocery bills

and could serve as a means for people to exercise.

The little things that people could take the time to do seem useless, but they do add up.

The environment is a very precious part of our lives. If we ruin it, it’s not going to magically

become better again. It’s up to us to fix the damage we’ve done and people need to start doing

something now.

APRIL 06, 2019: GARDEN PLANTING

 To be able to grow perennial crops through basic gardening procedures.

Reflection

A sustainable community garden is when a group of people in a certain neighborhood or

community come together and create a garden using tools that don’t affect the earth in a bad

way. The community acts as one to help sustain in the garden and help the garden to grow to

create produce that is natural to the environment to consume what is grown. There is nothing

much that we did today, the team just continued the task on planting the perennial crops in the

garden.

Gardens contain plants as well as nutritious types of food. These types of planting must

be watched closely, watered daily, and sunlight must be efficient. Most people would think that

gardening is an easy job, but gardening is most definitely hard. Individuals participating in

community gardening all should have certain roles. One must turn over the compost, water the

plants, mow the lawn, watch over the plants, and the likes. These are some roles that one must

pay attention to because if one thing goes wrong, the whole garden will most likely suffer.

Community gardening takes plenty of work, I learned this through several weeks of working in a

community garden together with my team. Nevertheless, the benefits are also many to consider.

It can be beneficial for households that have low income. It helps with social development by

having to interact with a diverse group of individuals. With a diverse group of people,

individuals may learn different cultures values. These community gardens help educate the

public about how much pollution and wasters there are in the world and environment in which

people are currently living in.

APRIL 13, 2019: CULMINATION DAY

 To be able to understand, apply, initiate the whole concept of the project done.

Reflection

Success is a very powerful word. Many of us run behind it, most of us want to conquer it.

It is much more than riches, power or fame and is simply the feeling of satisfaction and

happiness one gets just like we are feeling today as we mark the end of our CWTS journey in

Barangay Pangasugan.

In the long run of my CWTS journey in Barangay Pangasugan together with Team

Helpful, I have come to learn a lot of things that helped me become a better version of myself.

My experience has lead me to several doors of realizations and made me see the world in a new

light of humanitarian service. I learned to appreciate the value of leadership and teamwork to

make the team work. We wouldn’t have reached this far if it weren’t because of the cooperation

and the love of everyone for community service. I came to understand that respect is a very

important characteristic of an effective team because if members of the team disrespect each

other and put down team member’s ideas, productivity could possibly slow down because team

member’s willingness to contribute ideas and solutions might diminish due to disrespectful

communication between members. Among all my realizations from our humanitarian experience,

the greatest thing I learned from CWTS is my role as a youth. I came to understand that as a

youth, I am ought to make use of my energy in participating more leadership programs and

provide leadership to empower other young people. It is high time for me to help in analyzing

the needs in my community and decide what the true priorities are. I believe it is about time we

realize that change will not come any time soon unless we ourselves bring about that change. It is

no longer time to sit back and expect things to change themselves. My playing small will not
serve the world. I must not just say that I will change the world, I must do my part in changing

the world and success will ultimately follow. If I am determined to bring about the change, my

efforts are bound to be recognized.

One of the most important recipes of success is determination and it might as well be the

most important secret of success. It is necessary to never give up until the aim of happiness and

satisfaction in life is fully met. Fight for the things that sets your soul on fire.