#SUWomenLeaders: Lois T. Olladas
#SUWomenLeaders: Lois T. Olladas
#SUWomenLeaders Series for National Women’s Month 2021 – In celebration of National Women’s Month, Silliman University features its women leaders whose initiatives contributed to the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the community, and women who remain unstoppable in the face of the pandemic as leaders in their respective fields.
Lois T. Olladas
Fifth-year Civil Engineering student
Chair, Dorm Life Committee of the SU Student Government
Being a student during this pandemic comes with its own challenges, but being a student leader would mean taking on more.
Olladas didn’t plan on being a leader, but her eyes were open to the needs of people around her. She saw her community and decided that she wanted to do something to help. She made this decision in small but consistent steps, in the Siliman environment that opens doors for collaboration and volunteerism, and eventually, in those doors, Olladas found herself becoming a leader.
Her passion to serve was kindled by a donation drive last August 2020 for the inmates and personnel of the Dumaguete City Women’s Jail. As the SUSG Dorm Life Committee chair, she spearheaded “Project Pag-abot: 119 kits for our 119th” with the SUSG Infomedia Committee and Miss Silliman Committee under the “11 Days of Sharing” program, a collaborative effort of the SUSG and the Office of Student Services done every year in celebration of SU Founder’s Day.
They had a simple goal for the project, and that was to provide hygiene kits. While the path to that goal was not without hurdles, Olladas said their team was able to provide a total of 211 kits and even added biscuit buckets by December, when they decided to do the donation drive for a second time.
“Honestly, I was really afraid and skeptical if we [would] be able to accomplish this project [because] we experienced a lot of difficulties during this event. Everybody was still adjusting to the online setup and there were only a number of students [and] staff who [could] do the leg work for this event, but with God’s grace, it was one of the greatest accomplishments that I had the opportunity to be part of. We were able to distribute 121 kits to the inmates and personnel last September 2020 and also conduct part two of this drive held last December 2020 where we donated 90 kits and pails of biscuits to the same sector. We were surprised by the number of people who helped us throughout this project and of course the overflowing amount of donations that were made by the SU alumni and anonymous donors,” Olladas said.
It turns out that their simple goal made an impact on their beneficiaries.
“I never understood the depth and impact of this project ‘til I read a Facebook post from a family member of an inmate thanking the Silliman family for having the initiative to make this project happen. I cannot describe the feeling of joy I felt after reading the post. It was life-changing for me and I hope that we will continue doing projects like this,” she added.
Her drive to give back and help her community was set in motion.
In August, Olladas also led “Project Sanina,” under her committee. For the whole semester, the Dorm Life Committee sold their own merchandise to raise funds for Christmas packages which they distributed to dormitory personnel who were affected by the pandemic. A dormer since her first year in college, Olladas said dormers consider dormitory staff and personnel as their second family, and the project was a way for dormers to thank them for the care that they give and work that they do.
When Typhoon Ulysses struck areas in Luzon last November 2020, Olladas was one of the SUSG members who led “The Silliman Initiative,” a relief effort that aimed to unite the Silliman community in donating to the families affected by the typhoon. This was a cause that was close to her heart, because Olladas still remembers the trauma of experiencing a typhoon as someone who had been affected by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
“I actually grew up in Marikina City, which was one of the cities affected. Back in 2009, I did personally experience the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy, which was a very traumatic experience. Typhoon Ulysses brought back those painful memories of my early teenage years and I can’t imagine how hard the struggle was after hearing that this typhoon was even more disastrous than Ondoy. I automatically volunteered to be part of this project to help not just my fellow Marikenos but all Filipinos who suffered because of the typhoon,” shared Olladas.
Aside from donation drives, Olladas helped spearhead webinars for her fellow students: the “Kaagapay: Coping with the New Normal” webinar last September, which informed students about the ways they can take care of their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health; and the ongoing #InTheMaking Webinar Series, which aims to inspire, guide, and equip students as they navigate through young adulthood by teaching them about topics like applying for a job, preparing for employment, financial literacy, and organization.
She also helped spearhead the “Take Cover” virtual singing competition last December to encourage students to share their talent and helped initiate the “Clean and Green Revolution” with the SUSG Environment Committee last month, which promotes gardening among students through a competition wherein participants are entrusted with a plant.
“This project was greatly inspired by our Silliman University President who promotes an environmentally friendly community and our SUSG President who is an agriculture major. It aims to promote organic gardening to students, for them to be aware of its importance and health benefits, especially during this season…The second cycle is still ongoing but for the first one which was held last semester, we were able to have a total of 12 participants who showcased their healthy and beautiful plants,” Olladas said.
On top of her involvement in the SUSG, she is also an active member of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers-SU Student Chapter (PICE-SUSC). Olladas said her fellow members organized events that focused on supporting the well-being of Civil Engineering students: webinars and events about mental health awareness, enhancement of leadership skills, and other engineering-related topics; virtual game nights; and online, benefit concerts.
“The PICE-SUSC family is really working hard to be able to come up with alternative events to make the students see that things may be different from what we’re used to, but there are still things we can look forward to. These projects aim to give hope to our fellow students and community and show them that we can have fun and educational activities despite the sudden shift of learning platform,” said Olladas.
Olladas doesn’t mind the extra challenge, extra responsibility, and extra effort of being a student leader, because she finds fulfillment in helping others in the ways that she can.
As a leader, Olladas may not be the authoritative kind but her brand of leadership shows that there is strength in collaboration, empathy, and simple acts of service with sincere intentions.
Her heart for service naturally directed her to take on active roles in projects, programs, and activities despite her busy schedule as a senior student. Through this, she has contributed to the upliftment for her fellow students, responded to the needs of her community, and extended service to communities outside Silliman.
For all of these, she has made a difference.
This is what happens #WhenWomenLead in Silliman University.
In the following interview with Lois T. Olladas, she talked about being a student leader in a time of uncertainty and a woman in light of National Women’s Month:
- It can be quite challenging to be both a student and a leader at the same time, especially now that there are extra challenges for students because of the shift to full ODL. What motivates you to keep going as a student leader?
I am very blessed to be surrounded by great teams with awesome people who share the same passion as mine so balancing my academics and co-curricular activities is easier to manage.
Thinking about it now, I believe that I developed a desire for the younger Silliman students to have their fair share of life-changing experiences [as] I had during my entire journey in the University (since I’m a “big sis” now). I want them to see the beauty and privilege of being a Sillimanian and for them to love, discover and treasure the precious memories and opportunities that we can gain from our University.
Just a short back story, God amazingly brought me to this University and provided me with my closest friends and loving second family and home. He gave me a new perspective about different cultures and unique diversities and I really did fall in love with it. Aside from that, I’m really thankful for my dad for convincing me to choose his alma mater overall the NCR schools that I could’ve gotten into. I’m also grateful to my Big Sisters and Big Bros during my freshman year who did their best in providing me with something to look forward to as I journeyed my first year in a completely different and unfamiliar place. I owe it to all of them and they are the reason why I was able to make it this far.
- It seems that there is no going back to how our world used to be before the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have to adapt to the changes it has brought to our lives and communities. What do you think is the biggest challenge for women in this “new normal”? How do you think it can be addressed?
For me it’s “taking the first step” in making our ideas and creativity come to life, may it be as simple as applying for a job or as big as establishing a community-wide project. There’s a list of fears incorporated in this “first step” that makes us anxious enough to back out. And it takes a lot of courage to be able to start something especially in this new normal which actually left us vulnerable in the sense that most of the conventional and traditional ways of doing things are changed.
I think this problem could be addressed through having a good and healthy state of well-being. Personally, I start it with holding on to my life verse which is, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” II Timothy 1:7 and other quotes from my favorite authors and influencers. These words keep me motivated and fueled with hope and courage to keep on reminding myself about the goals I want to accomplish not just for me but also for my community and my country.
- Describe your ideal “new normal” for our community (at least one sentence).
My ideal “new normal” is a self-sustaining community. A place with sustainable innovations, projects, and systems built by united citizens who take [into] consideration the welfare of each other and their environment.
- One woman you look up to and why.
My mother. She will always be my number one. I cannot fathom how she was able to be a hands-on mom for 5 children while juggling house chores and her work as a nurse. Indeed, mothers are superhumans. Other than that I believe that my mom is the epitome of grace and selflessness. She will always be my biggest role model because she made me see and believe that a person is capable of overflowing amounts of this beautiful thing called love despite all
the hardships and challenges of life. Moreover, my mom is not just my mother but also my best friend, number one fan, book buddy, counselor, teacher, travel buddy… my everything. She is
the bravest, most patient, and understanding person I know. She taught me how to treasure people and see them as equals. She taught me how to smile and she taught me that it is okay to cry. She taught me how to love and how to endure the pain. But of all these, the greatest treasure she ever gave me is sharing Who God is and the importance of having Him always with me.
