17th ILC Baguio 2010: To the MAX!

CEBU, Philippines - Another great time of the year has come for the annual Couples for Christ-Youth for Christ International Leaders’ Conference which was held last April 9-11 at the Athletic Bowl, Baguio City.

“To the Max” taken from the passage Col. 2:6-7, was the theme of the said event and gathered around 10, 500 YFCs, couple coordinators and delegates who swarmed the City of Pines this summer. Last year’s ILC was held in Cebu City’s Abellana Sports Complex with utmost 10, 000 delegates.

Delegates from Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog, Eastern, Central and Western Visayas, Northeastern and North Central Mindanao regions were just some of the few excited delegates who attended the ILC 2010.

Jeremy Borlongan, a YFC from Iloilo shared that he has been attending ILCs for the past 5 years and still thrives to attend more in his lifetime serving as a Campus head in their area. “Every conference is different. This year was great; ang daming natutuhan and it was very spiritual. This conference dealt more with being in a relationship with God.”

Foreign delegates from Qatar, United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore also came to experience the fullness in Christ. Some of these delegates shared a part of their lives among the thousands of YFCs within a series of talk sessions.

Cheerdance, band, acapella and sports competitions were also some of the highlights of the 3-day conference which showcased the YFCs God-given talents. Central Visayas garnered awards from these competitions such as YFC On-film, Cheerdance, Volleyball (women) and Soccer (men).

Accommodations and transportations of the delegates were well attended to as the Baguio City National High School and Quezon Elementary School offered to lodge some of the youth for free.

“Baguio City never fails to make me freeze in cold. Yet more than that, nothing beats the experience I have here with my fellow YFCs. God’s warmth is present here in Baguio”, John Maspara, a YFC-Cebu, said.

Workshops and talks, with exceptionally well-rounded youth speakers from the community, also took place to add up insights to the delegates and to know the real essence of the said conference. A 4-minute fireworks display was also presented after the praise-fest which delighted the young delegates.

Shayne Funcion, a fulltime pastoral worker for YFC, said when asked about how long the preparation was done, “Fulltime pastoral workers were already here 4 to 5 months ago for the technical preps. 6 months was allocated for marketing. The concept as well as the promotion was being processed all through out last year and within the first quarter of this year.”

The International Youth Conference is a yearly event organized by YFC’s in the Philippines which started in Manila last April 1993. Fulltime workers and mission volunteers from different parts of the country gathered and brainstormed for this great activity to be realized. 

Belle Maglasang, a Cebu couple coordinator also shares her support to the YFCs. “This year’s ILC was great. Ni-fit gyud ang theme sa trials and triumphs nga naagi-an. I wouldn’t have been an efficient coordinator if I have not garnered this inspiration from these youth. In all the conferences, the couple coordinators would always find ways to help these kids experience every worthwhile conference they deserve.”

Looking forward for the next ILC which will be held in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental on April 2011, organizers promised to make every conference a unique experience with a full-blast.

As for the Cebu delegates, another convention awaits them as the Provincial Youth Conference will be held in Bantayan which is coming back to its peak this summer in May.