ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--The Ilaw Shared Community Association, Inc. expressed its gratitude for bagging the Outstanding Youth Organization under the humanitarian service category together with the Rotaract Club of Iligan Bay during the Serbisyo Awards 2020 Friday, June 25.

“We are really happy because we were not expecting na mudaog mi [that we would win] because there are a lot of youth organizations na dagko kaayo, mga banggiitan kaayo [that are very big, that are really great] and we are just merely youth who are passionate about our own advocacy on HIV and AIDS awareness,” said Jhune Ace Lubang of the Ilaw Shared Community Association, Inc.

He said they have just given justice to the nomination done by the Youth Affairs Office as they have successfully surpassed all levels to win the award.

Lubang stressed that what they achieved is not just about the recognition per se, rather, it is about the genuine reason why the award was granted to the rightful recipients.

“This award is not just about the plaque but it is actually about the advocacies that we are taking. It is not just an award as a special recognition but this is actually an avenue for us to inspire other youth organizations to fight for their advocacies because we come here not as individuals but we come here as an organization that is passionate about the advocacies that we have,” he said.

Lubang hoped that their accomplishment would bring inspiration to other youth organizations to become the light to people who are in need of their help as humanitarian organizations.

The Youth Advocators Productive Integrated Service (YAPIS) in partnership with the Office of Councilor Sol Bacsarpa (OCSB),  city government of Iligan, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), and Youth Affairs Office majorly spearheaded the first-ever Serbisyo Awards 2020 honoring 15 awardees of different categories with local prestigious awards including Outstanding Non-Teaching/Support Personnel, Outstanding Educator and Outstanding School Leader all under the school category, Outstanding Barangay Kagawad and Outstanding Punong Barangay belonging to the Lingkod Bayan category, and Outstanding Humanitarian/Volunteer Group of the humanitarian service category. (Claire R. Gigje/PIA-10/ICIC Lanao del Norte)