CALAMBA CITY,
Laguna (PIA) – Close to
7,000 youngsters gathered during the World
Youth Day-Laguna (WYD)
2023 on August 5 and
shared stories of faith and
acts of service.
To Sophia Isabel
Dapilaga of San Agustin
Parish, Poblacion, Bay,
Laguna, attending the
World Youth Day made
her more devoted to serving the church and her fellow youth.
“Dahil po sa
World Youth Day-Laguna,
nagkaroon po ako ng mas
malalim na dedication na
maglingkod sa simbahan
at sa mga kapwa ko kabataan,” she said.
Dapilaga was
a first-time participant of
World Youth Day-Laguna
with the theme “Tumindig,
Humayo, Arats Na” held
on August 5 to 6, 2023 at
Colegio de San Juan de
Letran-Calamba.
World Youth
Day-Laguna is a pilgrimage, a youth celebration, a
representation of the universal Church, and a deep
evangelization opportunity
for the youth.
The once in every three years event, organized by the Diocese
of San Pablo and San
Pablo Youth Commission,
brought together the youth
from Laguna and neighboring provinces.
Dapilaga said her
first WYD experience was
the best, despite having
the responsibility of leading her fellow youth as the
delegation head in their
parish.
“The best po
yung naging experience
ko sa first time kong pag
attend sa WYD [Laguna]. Although kabado and
pressured ako… (dahil)
paano ko po imamanage
ang mga bata and the
preparations before the
program,” she said in an
interview with PIA Calabarzon.
“Grabe po yung
dedication ng mga participants na mag lakad kahit
gaano pa po kalayo [pilgrim walk]. Ang daming
daing na mainit, pagod na
ako, at di ko kaya. Pero
still, nag-enjoy po ako personally pati na rin po yung
mga bata sa experience
po na yon,” she added.
Calamba City
Councilor Moises Morales
acknowledged everyone
involved in the activity and
encouraged them to set a
positive example by taking
quick action to improve the
lives of their fellow youth.
“Sana maging
aral ‘yan [WYD-Laguna]
sa inyong mga kabataan,
[na] you must be a good
example because kayo
ang mga susunod na henerasyon at yung pagtugon
nyo sa misyon na agaran
at mabilis. Kagaya nung
tema nyo na “Arats na,
Arats na” ibig sabihin mabilis. Sana mabilis rin ang
mangyayari na mababago
nyo ang takbo ng buhay ng
mga kabataan at kayo ang
mangunguna lalo [na] ang
mga participants dito sa
5th Word Youth Day-Laguna,” Morales said in his
video message during the
WYD-Laguna.
He added the Laguna youth were lucky for
being chosen as servants
of the Lord and having experienced the local WYD.
“Napaka-blessed
nyo because for so many
[youth] you are chosen.
Ibig sabihin, kung ang
pag-uusapan ay kabataan, napakaraming kabataan sa Laguna pero napakapalad nyo kasi isa kayo
sa mga bumubuo at gumaganap at sumama dito
sa ginaganap na Local
WYD-Laguna,” he added.
Michael Angelo
Valencia, event director,
cited the importance of
WYD-Laguna as a coming
together of the youth as
the instruments of the Lord
in supporting the Catholic
Church.
“It’s very important na magkaroon
ng World Youth Day local celebration, kasi hindi
lamang ito pagtitipon ng
mga kabataan sa buong
Laguna. Tayo ay mga kabataan na may magagawa
in the future. The Church
really needs us [youth] at
napakahalaga na maintindihan ng mga kabataan
na ang local celebration
ay hindi lamang pagtitipon
kung hindi ito ay pagsasama-sama ng mga kabataan na may iisang adhikain,
ang magmalakaya at magpakalat ng salita ng Diyos
because we are all instruments of God,” Valencia
said.
Valencia encouraged the youth not to be
afraid of their missions because it will lead them to
grow as a person and as a
servant of the Lord.
“Ang mensahe
ko sa mga kabataan ng
Laguna ay wag matakot
umoo sa kanilang misyon,
every day is a mission to
succeed. God does not
want us to fail but God really want us to grow, as a
person and as a servant,”
he added. (AM, PIA-4A)
