Blessed with beauty and even more blessed with a heart for the community, this stunner from Surigao del Norte is our featured alumni for this week coming from the first batch of Up2Youth Tech Campers.

Dechelle is a 3rd year Ecological Tourism student in Mindanao State University-Main Campus. She is a student youth leader and a volunteer who advocates for youth leadership, education, peace and environmental sustainability.

During the Marawi Siege, she worked with different organizations in relief operations as well as medical and dental missions with the PNP SAF and volunteers to teach IDP children every Saturday in Saguiaran. She continues to participate in fund-raising initiatives for the Marawi Siege victims.

Recently, she was labeled as the Marawi Peace Hero in an interview in S'bang ka Marawi and represented BARMM in the One Mindanao Youth Parliament in South Cotabato and won the most Outstanding Ordinance on the OMYP 2019. Her most recent feather on her cap is winning the MPower Award 2019 for the Student Leader Category.

Hangang-hanga kami sa iyo, Dechelle! Padayon sa pagsilbi sa iyong komunidad!

Our featured Tech Camper for the week is a literal TECH genius! Hamdan Guro, or Dan, is a graduate of the most recent OURmindaNOW Tech Camp Batch 2.

Dan's interest for information technology sparked in high school in Dubai, U.A.E. Before college, he had already completed a graphic design course by the Filipino Association for Computer Excellence (FACE). Dan holds two degrees: Information Technology from AMA Computer College and Business Administration from Adiong Memorial Polytechnic State College. He's currently taking his Master's in Information Technology at the AMA Online Education System.

In 2018, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) named Dan as the Regional Startup Champion from BARMM, with the title of "Rainmaker." This project identifies 18 Rainmakers from the Philippines who have the capacity and commitment to build their local startup communities and support them through training, exposure, and introductions to existing startup ecosystem stakeholders.

Dan is part of the Lanao group who launched their OMN Online Campaign, iCaretan, promoting child care through online awareness.

This week’s featured Tech Camper hails from the cool ranges of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. Delilah Luzon, better known to friends as Delai, attended the first ever OURmindaNOW Tech Camp and has since continued to promote peace in her innovative ways!

Delai finished a Chemistry degree at University of Science and Technology of the Southern Philippines (USTP) in Cagayan de Oro City and went on to work as a laboratory analyst and quality control officer in food manufacturing plants and environmental laboratories. It didn’t take long for her to find her true purpose, though. From the science field she shifted into the world of travel and tourism and is now building her own business as the General Manager of the Probinsyana Travel and Tours.

She was one of the Philippine delegates of the ASEAN Youth Community Training of Trainers held in Singapore and is the newly appointed Provincial Coordinator for Bukidnon by the Global Institute for Youth Development (GIYD).

Because of her love for responsible tourism and regional community engagement coupled with the commitment of making positive changes in the grassroots level, Delai was selected to be one of only 14 Peace Promotion Fellows by EAI-PH. As a fellow, she is now pursuing her Peace Tourism Project, “BukidKnown,” which aims to raise awareness on responsible tourism and create a platform for intercultural exchange that fosters understanding of co-existence and social cohesion as a method in preventing violent extremism in the indigenous community of her home province, Bukidnon.

Truly an inspiration to many! Padayon, Delai!

This week’s featured Tech Camper is currently taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English at Hinatuan Southern College, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. He serves as the President of the Student Action Force of the Hinatuan chapter. Last October 19, Jhon led in the re-echoing of his insights and lessons learned from the #Up2Youth Tech Camp through a one-day seminar in their hometown in Hinatuan.

Participated by around 40 members of the Student Action Force - Hinatuan Chapter, the Up2Youth Re-Echo seminar patterned the tech camp modules and culminated with an elevator pitching of their peace projects.

The seminar included 5 sessions: Defining Peace and Violent Extremism, Defining Empowerment and Radicalization, the Use of Social Media for Social Change, Review of Violent Extremism Environment Maps, and the History of Conflict in Mindanao.

After this project, Cuyacot plans to bring the one-day module to other schools and communities such as the Hinatuan National Comprehensive High School and Barangay Sto. Nino in Hinatuan where he hopes to reach the out-of-school youth (OSY) in the area.

“We need to arouse OSYs and help them realize their potential to affect change in their community, and not be deceived by malicious situations and circumstance that they are in,” Cuyacot said.

Thank you for your passion and service, Jhon!