15/08/2026
𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗘
𝘙𝘩𝘢𝘲𝘺𝘴𝘩𝘢 “𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘺” 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘰: 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦
At 16, Rhaqysha “Rocky” K-szer P. Clavano spends her Saturdays at a place where children learn to read and count, finding in their progress a reason to keep coming back.
Clavano, a Grade 11 STEM student at Binalbagan National High School (BNHS), serves as Hope Builders Organization Negros Island’s (HBONI) Area Coordinator for Binalbagan, Publicity Head for Pagbasa: May Pag-asa sa Pagbasa, and Copy Editor and Writer for The Borderline, HBONI’s official publication.
Her involvement with HBONI began in late 2025 after she met its founder and chief executive officer, Kenneth Bacala, who spoke at a leadership training at her former school, Binalbagan Catholic College (BCC).
She later became involved in Pagbasa, where her first volunteer experience took her to Libacao.
What started as something new and unfamiliar soon became an experience she wanted to repeat.
She later joined a Dagyaw activity in Isabela, a community volunteer effort that brings people together to help address local needs. Despite the distance and heavy rain, the experience became one of the moments that encouraged her to become more involved in community work.
“I enjoyed being with them, I enjoyed being myself, and I was able to explore and reflect too,” Clavano said.
Her regular involvement in Pagbasa eventually made the Saturday sessions something she looked forward to. The people she worked with became familiar, and the team, she said, began to feel like a family.
One of the experiences she remembers was participating in a strategic planning activity in Himamaylan after a Pagbasa session in Libacao, a village in Himamaylan City.
The activity gave her an opportunity to meet and work with other Hope Builders and strengthen her connection with the organization.
But what keeps her involved are the children.
For Clavano, seeing them gradually learn, hearing their laughter, and receiving a simple “Thank you, Manang” are among the most meaningful parts of volunteering.
“Seeing that they are slowly learning makes me happy that at some point—I brought hope for these children,” she said.
Through Pagbasa, Clavano helps children develop literacy and numeracy skills while encouraging greater confidence in learning.
Her experience has also shaped her view of leadership.
She said being a leader is not simply about leading others but also about listening, observing, and sharing ideas. “Being a leader does not mean you will lead, but also that you need to listen, observe, and share your own thoughts and ideas.”
Her responsibilities in HBONI have also helped her discover abilities she did not know she had. The challenges she encountered allowed her to become more confident in what she could accomplish.
She describes HBONI as a “stepping stone into becoming who I really want to be.”
Clavano believes young people should experience community work firsthand.
For her, volunteering is not merely about joining activities or going somewhere for “lagaw” (wander).
It allows young people to see communities and situations different from their own.
“The participation is not just ‘lagaw’ but an eye-opener,” she said.
She said such experiences can help young people better understand community needs and their responsibility to contribute to positive change.
Clavano’s own understanding of being a Hope Builder comes from the words themselves.
“Hope is pag-asa, and builder is the one who builds something. We are building pag-asa to everyone, especially to those people who lost it,” she said.
Beyond her volunteer work, Rocky remains focused on her studies and enjoys spending time with family and friends, participating in school activities, learning new skills, and exploring new experiences.
She hopes to finish her studies, build a successful career, make a positive difference in other people’s lives, and continue serving her community, particularly by helping children gain better opportunities.
For now, Clavano continues to show up, one Saturday at a time.
And for young people who may still be hesitant to volunteer, Clavano said, “Just try it once, cause once you try it, there’s no turning back.”
She added that volunteering is a chance for her to meet people, see things from a different perspective, and learn from others’ experiences.
As one of the younger members of HBONI, Clavano said she knows what it feels like to be the youngest in the room.
“Sometimes, being the youngest in the room is a blessing in disguise. Don’t be scared to try because that’s how things started. And it begins simply with the willingness to show up, learn, listen, and serve,” she added.
