“ON MY HONOR, I WILL DO MY DUTY…”

Each badge stitched by hands carved by teamwork, dedication, and passion, compounded in helping shape Cdt. GS Ai Tojo to be the person she stands before us now. On November 27th, 2025, the Chief Girl Scout Medal Scheme, the most prestigious and renowned honor a Girl Scout can receive in the Philippines, was bestowed upon her. From a fledgling Senior, to an experienced Cadet – this journey reflects her unwavering service to the Scouting Movement.

Written by: Jaysiah Batac

Layout by: Angel Marigondon

December 1, 2025 | 10:10 AM

The Chief Girl Scout Medal Scheme spans a period of 12 months, which emphasizes on improving the holistic development of the Girl Scout through projects that showcase her leadership, sense of responsibility, and resolve. 

Through these initiatives, they aim to help dozens of children, the less fortunate, and vulnerable members of local communities. In accordance, Ai Tojo likewise completed her own project in the Health Area; Before long, her name was called onstage to receive the highest recognition a Girl Scout can achieve in the Philippines.

But before the Medal, before the dependable leader we know her as today — a retrospect reveals that Ai was once an inexperienced, wide-eyed girl: eager to learn, yet afraid of making mistakes.

Inspired by her seniors and determined to rise as they once did, she embraced Scouting with an open heart. She dedicated herself to every duty, meeting, and Council event, leaving no stone unturned in her path to growth. She reflects, “Those early experiences didn’t just introduce me to Scouting — they sparked a journey of growth, courage, and self-discovery that continues to shape me.”

Little by little, with more courage than confidence, she learned how to lead, how to serve — until her endeavors were met with recognition. Yet she didn’t approach her positions with arrogance nor hubris, but with a grounded understanding that leadership is earned through action, not titles. 

But growth often comes from overcoming hardships, and Ai’s path forward was no exception.

Juggling academics, other extracurricular responsibilities, and her own personal dilemmas — as is the norm with adolescents — meant that Ai had to navigate pressure from all sides in her life.

But as they say, diamonds are made under pressure.

When the days weighed on her, she returned to the reason she began this journey, finding guidance in her steadfast faith. As per her own words, “God has shaped, nurtured, and refined me into the person I am today, and I embrace that purpose fully. [...] My strength comes from the people I've helped and the people I will help.” With this mindset, she faced each obstacle with renewed purpose, shaping the leader who would one day stand onstage to receive the highest honor of a Girl Scout.

When the fog of hardships cleared, you could see how brightly the values that Girl Scouting taught her shined.

The Girl Scout Promise and Law has become a compass that leads her in the right direction: to live by honesty, practice compassion, lead with courage, and uphold her duties with service to the community. Sculpted by her various past experiences, she learned how to stand firm in her life, yet be adaptable to change; to be as bold as fire dares to be, at the same time as resilient as our seas. 

And as these values took root in her actions, they began to ripple outward — resonating with the MCS community and externally as well. In their wake, Ai leaves a legacy that speaks not only of achievement but of genuine impact.

The Malatean Scouts of the Philippines have been one of the factions that she’s influenced the most; a member who has been guided and continues to seek guidance from Ai, reflects, “She made sure that I was guided and trained well enough in my position. She was by my side the whole time, not just as a superior officer, but also as my mentor.” Moments like these reveal that her impact reaches far beyond linear ranks, rather, it lives in the people who grew under her care.

Hearing reflections like these made me realize that she has not only impacted dozens of fellow Girl Scouts, but has played a role in my personal growth as well. She was an idol to me, an image of sincere leadership: now, I can confidently say that she’s helped me spark a fire that burns with passion within me I will carry in my day-to-day.

These impacts are not limited to the school grounds, but rather spread to the communities she’s helped in her Chief Girl Scout Medal Scheme project. The children she visited in Barangay 702 — ones that are in the most malleable part of their lives — have now been given her guidance, support, and love. Talking about these children, she recalls, “The children became my source of strength. Their smiles, their hugs, our conversations—each one made every difficult moment worth it. [...] They became my purpose, and that purpose carried me through.” When there came days when getting out of bed seemed like a Herculean task, she pushed through, for those in need, the children, and other community members: putting her duty first — not for recognition, but for a sincere desire to help others.

Through these acts of service, she has embodied the first Girl Scout Law: “A Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted.” Trusted a sister, as a mentor, and as a leader whose actions speak louder than words.

Once more, on behalf of every person you’ve changed for the better, the teachers that you’ve helped, and the people that will be proud of you forevermore, I, or rather we, say congratulations to you, Cadet Girl Scout Ai Tojo, a Chief Girl Scout Medalist of the Philippines, for achieving this extraordinary milestone in your life. You truly represent the values that Malate Catholic School dedicates itself to — Faith, in your trust and reliance on God for when you need guidance; Excellence in your constant strive to do your best in every aspect; and Service, in everything that has been previously stated in this article. 

For in all you have done and all you will still become, may God continue to be your anchor, guide, and greatest companion — and may you continue to seize the day with your unrelenting ambition.