“The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.” -Warren Bennis

I was not ready to assume the position last year. Many wereasking what I could do. Some were asking what I will do. There was only onevision: to put YEARN beyond what is expected of/from it and to continuouslychallenge the status quo.

We started small with a measly amount of money to get theball rolling. The first semester was allotted for team building, small outreachprograms, growth in terms of membership, and income generation to make theorganization financially stable.

We’ve began several initiatives including our DisasterAwareness and Preparedness Program named “In Case of Emergency” orICE. We initiated donation collection drives for the victims of calamities.Under the same program, we’ve provided health and disaster-related publicitymaterials that were disseminated online.

We’ve also introduced FUEL this year. FUEL is a leadershipseminar that was planned to be an annual event (sana nga maulit). It wasattended by UPCN, FEU and PUP student leaders with Ang NARS Party-listCongresswoman Leah Primitiva Paquiz as one of the speakers.

Not to brag, but there were a lot of “firsts”under our term. We were the first to put up Facebook and Twitter accounts atthe start of the year to reach more advocates online. The org shirt, which wasin dreams for several years, was made possible this year. On November 2013,YEARN was the first and only UPCN-based organization registered to the NationalYouth Commission’s Youth Organization Registration Program (NYC-YORP). The saidregistration allowed 5 members of our Executive Committee join the NationalYouth Congress held last December at GK Enchanted Farm, Bulacan. YEARN was theonly organization from UP Manila.

Just recently, YEARN was accepted as partner organization ofthe FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) a network of student organizations/formations advocatingfor the passage of the FOI Bill. During the Nightingale Awards last December,YEARN was named “Organization of the Year”. On the same night, I got the “StudentLeader of the Year” Award.

I cannot help but be proud whenever my friends from othercolleges tell me how great and accomplished YEARN is. They always congratulateme for striving on and keeping up with the standards (maybe my standards). ButI always tell them that it was not I who made these things possible. It was theExecutive Committee and the whole organization.

To the Executive Committee, I am and will always be proudand grateful that I worked with you. You are awesome! Ayan, nasa kwento na ngbuhay natin ang YEARN at ganun din tayo sa history ng YEARN. Salamat sa lahat.Oo, huwag na nating itanggi na na-toxic tayo. Pero hindi naman yun angmahalaga. Naging masaya tayo. Higit pa nga ata doon e. Natuto ako sa inyo. Sanakayo rin 😉

Kay Vice-President Inna Agoncillo, salamat dahil palagi kangnandyan. Naging mainam siguro na pareho tayo ng route pauwi dahil madalas sa FXat jeep tayo nagpaplano, nangangarap para sa org, namomoroblema o kaya’t nagsasaya atnagkekwentuhan lang. Matuto tayo sa mga naging pagkakamali at pagkukulangnatin.  Good luck sa NSC!

Kay Sec-Gen Jessica Ranola, salamat. Lagi kitang kinukulitna iupdate yung dropbox, yung list ng members, i-audit yung finances, at magsetng meeting (na madalas sa McDo nagaganap HAHA). Bukod sa maayos mong nagampananang trabaho bilang Sec-Gen, masaya ako dahil mas nakilala kita Jess. Ikaw yunghindi marunong tumanggi at tingin ko hindi ko naman inabuso yan. Hehe. salamat!

Kay Treasure Charles Alvarez, salamat. Minsan wala ka sa mgameeting? or late? OO. Wag mo itanggi. HAHA. Pero natuwa ako dahil maayos yung financialreport at bumabawi ka naman sa pagliban mo. Hindi ko alam kung saan huhugot ngpera kung wala ka. So proud na ikaw na ang VC ng NSC. Galingan!

Kay Ate Mira Manayon, salamat. Nahihiya ako sayo nung una.Ikaw lang kasi yung 4^th year satin. Hesitant akong i-approach kadati. Pero ikaw na yung lumapit at nagsabing ready ka sa mga magaganap ; nasabihan lang kita kung ano ang dapat gawin. Sayang nga at hindi tayonakapag-bond pa. Graduate ka na at malapit nang maging Med Student! Goodluck!!!

Kay Jahzeel Huyo, salamat. Ikaw yung laging nagreremind sakinto keep cool. Simula noon, sinubukan kong maging mahinahon sa lahat ngpagkakataon. 😀 Thank you sa pagiging isang magaling na batch representative!

Kay Flo Adalin, galing! VP na oh. Alam kong sobrang daminyong magagawa at higit pa siguro yan sa mga nagawa natin. Ikaw yung madalastahimik lang (or tingin ko lang tahimik) sa meeting pero pag nagsalita ka na,agree na kaming lahat sa fresh suggestions mo. Isa ka sa laging nagpapatawa saExeComm. Laging light lang ang meeting pag nandun ka. Good luck VP!

At syempre kay Paola Torres na baby ng ExeComm noon,congratulations! Huwag kang matakot. Sobrang nagagalak kami kasi ang laki (figurative)mo na. Alam kong mahihigitan nyo yung mga nagawa natin. Sana na-train ka naming ngmaayos. Sabi sayo ikaw ang mananalo e. HAHA. Nagdilang anghel ba ako? Gaya nglagi kong sinasabi, I am proud of you. Keep up!

Sa YEARN, salamat sa pagtitiwala at paniniwala. Sana aynaging masaya tayong lahat sa nakalipas na taon. Asahan ninyong hindi ritomatatapos ang serbisyo para sa kolehiyo, para sa bayan. 😉

Muli, salamat.

To a year that was and to another year that will be, cheers!

I am Reiner Lorenzo J. Tamayo, YEARN President A.Y.2013-2014, now officially signing off.