Theme: “CESAFI: A Medium in Fostering Global Ties”

Title: A Rippling Effect

By the time many of us reach high school, we are put into categories in which we should excel in:

physical and mental. Of course, most schools try to balance out the two to give their students a holistic

experience and excel in both physical and mental attributes. But most of the time that is not the case,

some choose to hone their physical attributes and take part in sports such as basketball and others take

the different path and choose to hone their mental attributes such as their mastery in the field of math.

I never had the trouble of choosing which part I should focus on because I was never the fastest or the

strongest in any sports event, that doesn’t mean I didn’t try, but sooner or later I realized that my

talents lay elsewhere and eventually I focused on the things I was truly good at. But without the avenue

to hone this talent, my body and mind started to get rusty and soon it was demoted to pastime and

hobby that didn’t develop any further. At first I was okay with it, after all I never really saw the benefit of

honing a talent such as this. It was a shame, I awed and cooed at the talents of my classmates who could

play the guitar or draw a portrait of my teacher—all while thinking my talent held no value because no

one cooed and awed over my ability to create stories and poetry. Not everyone can play guitar and

create stunning drawings but I thought that anyone could create stories and poetry thus leaving my

talent as something generic and not at all unique to only myself.

Competitions such as CESAFI, proved me wrong in my convictions. It is a place for students to master the

talents that were given to them while they are still young, showing them that the talents they possessed

were not just pastimes and hobbies but rather a vital part of them that they can use later on in their life.

It prompts healthy competitions that place skilled people against others that will not only help them

realize their weakness but also their strengths so that by the time they enter the workforce and

continue on with their adult life, they are more than equipped to handle the obstacles that will greet
them. It develops them holistically and provides them the avenue the need to show off their hard work

that results in making them feel that they belong somewhere and that they can make a change.

The knowledge that they can make a change is very empowering to young people. Because with this

knowledge, we gain confidence, we push ourselves even more and we excel. But of course, in gaining

this, it’s always going to be a hit and miss. We will stumble, we will fail and sometimes we will feel like

quitting but sooner or later we rise up again and we learn to do things differently the next time around.

CESAFI is the water that we need to nourish the seed of our talents and this will slowly grow even

though we are not aware of it. Many of us will go off and become doctors, lawyers, ambassadors,

teachers and much more—not only in our country but in the country of others. We will graduate in our

different fields and yes, we are able to stand on stage because of our hard work and sleepless nights but

we are able to walk out of the school grounds because of values we gained and our experiences in

CESAFI. Thus, creating a rippling effect that started out so small and went as far as touching the edges of

the lake, molding experiences and bonds that none of us, people who came from different schools and

had different reasons for being here, ever expected make.

When this competition ends, the high will certainly die down and some will be basking in their victory

and the others will be sighing at their loss. I will be among them, either cheering or crying, yet deep

down we know that we did not only walk out of CESAFI with just medals and certificates but we all

walked out with shields made of the people we met and swords that was forged in the days of our

training—necessary tools, for the challenges that we will face beyond the boundaries of the 7,000 isles

of the Philippines.