KC Gesilva
Oct 9, 2026
By Keisha Caoimhe Gesilva
Source: Minutes of the Proceedings by Raine Velasco and Vera Velarde
Photos by: Kai Ng
On the morning of September 8, 2026, the 6th Floor Youth Center at GCF-ICS transformed into a space of thoughtful dialogue and civic purpose. Gathered under the guidance of facilitator Mrs. Ruby Del Rosario, the Grade 12 students met with a leader whose daily work shapes the very neighborhood surrounding their campus: Barangay Captain Thomas Raymond Lising of Barangay San Antonio, Pasig City. This was an immersion activity for the subject, Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion, a Research pre-requisite subject.
The engagement, centered around the theme "Sustaining a Greener Path Together," was designed not merely as a lecture, but as an invitation. It called on the youth, often hailed as the promise of the future, to step out of the classroom, observe the living pulse of their local community, and actively take part in answering its challenges.
Grounding Sustainability in Everyday Action
Taking the stage, Captain Lising demystified what it means to build a sustainable sanctuary within a bustling urban concrete jungle. Far from abstract environmental jargon, he illustrated how small, consistent personal choices aggregate into meaningful change.
He highlighted Barangay San Antonio’s flagship environmental frameworks, demonstrating how civic design can turn waste management into amazing collective design care. Among these is the BSA Urban Garden, a Hall of fame, grand winner, and multi-awarded community project born during the height of organic produce and vibrant green spaces that can flourish towers.
Beyond the garden’s quiet canopy, the barangay’s ecological vision extends into the subtler, often overlooked rhythms of urban life. To tackle waste at its source, local frameworks quietly transform everyday domestic remnants into instruments of environmental renewal. Beneath the surface of daily household routines lies a specialized upcycling system that intercepts used cooking oil before it can trace its way into city drains, quietly redirecting it to private partners who refine the heavy liquid into clean biofuel. One of their most delicate challenges requires continuous effort to break through public taboo and overcome advertising hurdles–it stands as a testament to the barangay’s persistent pursuit of circular living.
Where policy meets the pavement, community initiatives turn environmental stewardship into a shared, living practice. Through shortlisted programs like a city-wide sustainability yard sale and morning clean up drives, the boundaries between public servants and private citizens dissolve. Side by side, local street sweepers, youth volunteers, and neighborhood residents gather along the avenues, turning routine sweeping into a collective effort that diverts tons of recyclable material away from sprawling city landfills.
Leadership Through Humility and Innovation
As the session transitioned into an open forum, the dialogue shifted from local environmental policy to the personal realities of public administration. Reflecting on his journey, Captain Lising shared how his path into governance was anything but planned. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs and holding a degree in Business Management from University of Asia & the Pacific (UA&P), a time during which he built a strong network with peers who are now prominent business leaders–he admitted with warm candor that entering public service in 2007 was accidental. Swept into office during a rising wave of young leaders, he recalled with humor, “Nabudol lang akong tumakbo”.
Voices to the floor, An exchange of minds
As the room settled, the presentation gave way to a fluid, two way dialogue. The initial silence dissolved as Grade 12 students raised their hands and voices, turning present abstract governance concepts into quiet, earnest inquiries.
When asked whether his past leadership of the Health and Nutrition Committee influenced his most current green vision, Captain Lising reflected on the structural constraints of municipal budgets. He noted that government agencies can quickly become trapped within boxed ideas, making external linkages essential. “We're lucky that our partnerships with the academe, NGOs, and local organizations, are the ones giving us bright ideas," he shared, highlighting how youth energy brings fresh concepts that public servants can tweak for real-world impact.
The conversation eventually shifted to the urban environment around the campus. With Ortigas Center being such a crowded and highly developed area, students asked how they could help with problems like overpopulation, heavy traffic, and the constant demand for more infrastructure. Captain Lising answered honestly that these are things students cannot really control. Instead, he emphasized that the environment is where young people can actually make a difference. As he said, “Sa kalinisan at kalikasan, doon ang malaking maitutulong ng ating mga kabataan,” showing that taking care of nature is one of the most meaningful ways students can contribute.
Students also asked about the long-term sustainability of the Basura to Ayuda program and whether giving rice every month would really be enough to keep people participating. Captain Lising explained that although the rice serves as an immediate incentive, the bigger purpose of the program is to build a habit. After running for six years, the program has slowly encouraged people to participate even without depending completely on the reward. Many regular participants now even invite their friends and neighbors to join. Captain Lising also pointed out that the program still has a lot of potential and encouraged institutions like GCF-ICS and UA&P to work alongside corporate partners such as Cyber Alpha and Beta to help it grow further.
The discussion also moved toward the students’ own ambitions and future careers. When asked about his Business Management background, Captain Lising explained that his degree became useful in helping him manage and work with different teams in the municipality. However, he jokingly advised the students to not choose Business Management just because it seems like the easier or more convenient option. He also shared how the pandemic showed him the importance of having a stable and meaningful profession, since many businesses struggled while essential workers and frontline services continued to operate. Because of this, he encouraged the students to take their studies seriously, aim high, and work toward becoming licensed professionals.
As he looked back on his own experience at UA&P, Captain Lising also shared how his educational journey did not exactly go as expected, but eventually led him to meet people who would later become leaders in the business sector. His story showed that even when things do not go according to plan, resilience and faith can still lead people toward opportunities they never expected.
As the Q&A went on further, students probed into strand-specific possibilities, asking how HUMSS and ABM disciplines could address real-world community gaps as the STEM students will already cover the environmental sustainability aspects:
Mental Wellness & Community Spaces (HUMSS Strand Focus): In response to queries about third places and mental health support, Captain Lising welcomed non-medical intervention frameworks designed by students. While the barangay partners with the National Center for Mental Health and Rizal Medical Center, he encouraged the students to craft creative, non-medical wellness protocols, pointing to quiet green retreats like Greenway Park or community mini-gardens as spaces to unwind.
Social Enterprise & MSME Support (ABM Strand Focus): When an ABM student proposed upcycling waste materials into products crafted by individuals seeking employment, Captain Lising commended the initiative. Noting, however, that while local unemployment remains relatively low here, tap-in labor projects for stay-at-home mothers present a meaningful avenue for social enterprise. He further highlighted how the barangay continuously shields small micro-enterprises from being swallowed by corporate giants, hosting monthly weekend markets and art workshops every last Saturday to showcase local artisans.
Grounding Its Craft: Governance as the Character
Beyond policy frameworks and municipal logistics, Captain Lising redirected the dialogue toward the silent, internal architecture of leadership. He grounded his address in two quiet imperatives, patience and humility. True governance, he noted, is not measured by administrative flair, but by the steady prioritization of the collective good over self-serving demands. “We can’t please everyone, but as long as your intentions are good and you do your best, that is what matters,” he reflected. Managing the needs of thousands of households without losing perspective requires surrounding oneself with capable, empowered team members, while personal resilience during low points stems from a simple, grounded sequence: prayer, family, and steadfast friendships.
The “Anatomy” of a local solution
The morning’s dialogue was never intended to remain confined within the walls of the Youth Center; it serves as the foundation for an upcoming collaborative initiative. As Grade 12 students transition from passive listeners to active co-creators of public solutions, their ideas will undergo a four-stage refinement process. Drawing from their respective academic strands, student groups will first observe their local environments, isolate tangible community issues, and draft initial project proposals. Next, these conceptualized initiatives will be formally presented during a pitch session before a panel of teachers and community leaders. Captain Lising and faculty members will then offer constructive critiques, lending real-world feedback to refine the students' concepts into practical, workable models. The most promising, high-impact projects will move into an implementation strategy phase, where possibilities for actual execution and integration within Barangay San Antonio will be explored.
As the clock neared 11:37 AM, Captain Lising closed the talk with a gentle, enduring invitation. He urged the batch to step outside institutional boundaries and truly immerse themselves in the living rhythm of their barangay, reminding them that genuine empathy for a community only takes root through presence. His call to quiet service brought to mind Shakespeare’s reflection in The Merchant of Venice: "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." Leaving the students with a final compass for their own futures, he reminded the room that no matter the field they choose to pursue, leadership remains an extension of human goodness: “Continue to be kind, humble, and if you want to be a public servant, it is important to be a good person and serve sincerely.” With shared gratitude between the speaker, the teacher, and the batch, the room adjourned, leaving behind not just filled notebooks, but the quiet blueprint of a partnership between GCF-ICS and the community it calls home.
