Un-Pied Pypers: A Piper-in-Training at AYLC for the First Time

Robert Browning’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an all-too familiar tale of a two-faced man with a magic pipe used to lure the rats (and eventually the children when he was refused pay) to a drowning death out of town. Since then, the term “pied piper” is used to denote a person who is easy to follow but may not have the best intentions in mind. Among the many pied pipers marching around stands Kuya Pypers – a 23 year old, 4th year BS Information Technology (BSIT) student who will stray from the name and set an example of what a leader is meant to be like.

Josh Pypers Macalintal is a household name in DWCC. Some may know him from his hosting gigs or hear his name as part of Team Hiraya – DWCC’s IT victors in the three-day StartUp Writeshop conducted by the ICT Industry Development Bureau of DICT Region IV-B last August 23-25 via Zoom. But best of all, he is known for his leadership. Kuya Pypers is the SIT’s president for 2 years, spanning from 2020-2022. He, then on, was elected as the Junior Philippine Computer Society (JPCS)-DWCC Chapter president of 2022-2023, and later, its national president until the present time.

With rows of achievements attached to his name, one may think that he gets what he wants on the first try. Reality says otherwise. This is his second attempt at getting in and like all things that are meant to happen, it led to his first experience at the Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC). Coincidentally, this blessing aligned with the quarter-milestone of said event.

Ay, Ala! AYLC?!

AYLC is a big deal for all Filipino student leaders. Launched by Ayala in 1998, it targets youth engagement and leadership with the view of developing “a critical mass of servant leaders in various sectors of society who can leverage their leadership ability to serve and improve the lives of their fellow Filipinos.” This leadership summit unites 84 leaders from various local universities and colleges and this year, runs by the theme of Kasama Ka! for its 25th founding anniversary.

His brother, Lorenzo Macalintal – a professor under DWCC SLA-SCJ – is one of its alumni. From there, Kuya Pypers had always wanted to experience such a prestigious event. Being the first Divinista, he sees this as a great first step of recognition for the institution in the field of leadership.

YOU in Youth

From more than a thousand applicants, down to 200 interviewees, to finally being part of the chosen 84, Kuya Pypers stands out by being who he is.

He retells the story of his acceptance process with the first step of application (compiling one’s achievements, events, acts, volunteer works, programs) and the second step of interview. It was the Human Resource (HR) of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), HR of the group, and an alumna of AYLC who assessed him virtually.

Kuya Pypers mentions that it is with his traits from his background as a Divinista that he was chosen. It is with sincerity and dedication, as evident by his role model: his father who as an educator, is very motivated to teach and lead his students – that he grabbed one of the toughest slots.

It was on May 19 that he found out he was

REIZELLE MAE BELLEZA, LYNETH JOY DE VELA

in. Kuya Pypers narrated that he was chilling in the faculty room when suddenly, his brother busted through the doors. Apparently, the results had been posted on the official page that morning.

Learning Leaders Leading Learners

From June 20-24, 8am to 10pm, Kuya Pypers is fully-booked. With his long-awaited wish granted, he decides to make the most of his first time.

However, as with all things, he admitted that it was a challenge to reach the congress as he had accidentally booked a flight at Occidental Mindoro to Manila. From his hometown, he had to travel 6 more hours to reach it. Then, from Manila, he needed to get to Malvar, Batangas. A small meet-up with other candidates at the Ayala Museum was the reward that greeted him at the end.

During his stay, he also became his group’s convenor. With a variety of indoor and outdoor programs, opportunities to talk, listen, and reflect, and moments of socialization, he makes memories with the added benefit of networking and practicality for his future career.

Among a plethora of online activities, media and life reflections, lifelines, Kuya Pypers finds the Clifton strength test on being a leader as what amazes and grounds him the most. His results perfectly align with who he is and what he hopes to be which arw: Belief, Adaptability, Restorative, and Positivity.

Community-core Calling

With his motto being: “lagi’t lagi para sa Diyos at sa kanyang bayan”, he hopes for every leader out there to (1) believe in themselves and their abilities and (2) be empath and walk in the shoes of others. He recalls that the reason he became a leader in the first place was because he saw a need in the community: a need to live, a need to help, a need to lead. By that, Kuya Pypers promote a selfless servant-leadership that is inclusive.

Kuya Pypers is in no way pied, but he is a piper – a leader in his own right. He’s the first Divinista leader in the room, a proof of right timing and fated second chances. From one student leader to another, he wishes to impart: “No matter what your background is or your impact in the community, as long as you have the guts to serve, pwede ka dito.”