Bringing out the best of young talents
THE Spotlight Workshops 2014, dubbed as “Choose your Own Summer Adventure,” hit the city for the fourth time in a bid to help young people build selfconfidence by personality empowering activities.
The workshop, which started in 2011, offers lessons in Leadership Training, Confidence Building, TV Hosting, Print/Ramp Modeling, Radio DJ-ing, Event Emceeing, Basic Acting, Fashion and Make-up. It was founded by an educator and film producer Ms. Jill Villanueva-Palarca, a victim of bullying herself when she was young. She values the importance of self-empowerment because she believes that everyone is God’s beautiful creation, and thus worthy of acceptance.
Spotlighters, as the trainees were called, showcased all they have learned during their live recital called “Campus Spotlight with Zoofari: A Back 2 School Bash”, held last May 29 at the SM City Davao, Annex Atrium with their parents, friends, and mentors supporting them.
The DIRECTOR
“This is not your typical personality development class,” Palarca said. “This is more than just a beauty boot camp which tends to focus more on the person’s exterior qualities and not so much on the inner value. Instead, we practice, personality empowerment in which we encourage them to embrace their body shapes and sizes; by opening their hearts and minds to the world around them; by coaching them how to speak well and think creatively; and by nurturing their talents to bring out the finest traits of their “real” personalities, and most of all to be centered on God. We have an advocacy on building self-confidence within our students especially those who have experienced BULLYING.”
Palarca said she is very proud of what her students have become after the month-long workshops. She also said the entire month has been a tough journey for her, but seeing her Spotlighters enjoy and learn makes the difference.
The PARENTS
No one can be as proud as the parents witnessing what their children have become.
Daisy Flores, an accounting staff and one of the mothers, said the time her daughter spent in the workshop was worth it. Her daughter, Des, 12, has improved her self-confidence.
Businesswoman Jennifer Lawas, who is the mother of Guile, 13, was appreciative of her daughter’s milestones in speech communication.
Marriz Lat saw the potentials of her daughter Sophia, 8, as a successor of her Lolo Peter Philip Lat, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) coordinator in Davao City.
Anna Salinas, the grandmother of Sakura Magbuna, 7, shared how her Sakura was bullied. “They used to call her Negra, and she doesn’t want to get out of the house and mingle with her peers because of this criticism.
The SPOLIGHTERS batch 2014
The workshop was about helping them get back on their fit, recover and heal the wounds caused by unpleasant experiences with the bullies.
Denise Gabriel said it was fun, especially the knowledge shared by Palarca. Unlike ebforShe added that unlike before she lacks confidence to perform up in stage and amid the workshop she got surprised for doing things she thought she cannot do.
She said, “My friends used to call me “champorado” because of my skin color. But I don’t care! I would just laugh in to it.
Another spotlighter is Geena Cajeta, said, “At first, everyone was having their own negative perspective. They were so scared of meeting new people and afraid of getting judged. But it all turned out good after we have introduced ourselves, sharing each other what we have been through and that includes our bad memories that we had since most of us were bullied. I was judged for being fat when I was young younger and some people told me I’m ugly because I’m fat. Spotlight enables us to create the new “us”, it’s like rebirth.”
Every year, the workshop attracts girls and boys even from outside Metro Davao such as Cebu, Ozamis, Cotabato, Iligan, Agusan, and even Jakarta, Indonesia and Korea.
This year, Spotlight Workshops partnered with Zoofari-Kids Adventure, The Edge Radio Davao, M Magazine, Beautiful Day Salon, Clothes Bar, and Treasure Trove Boutique.