BUTUAN  CITY (PIA) -- “Youth, you are our future leaders. The future of the province and of the country lies in your hands,” said Governor Ma. Angelica Rosedell M. Amante of the province of Agusan del Norte during the recent conduct of the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) .

The activity gathered all leaders of the Sangguniang Kabataan and other youth organizations from the 10 municipalities and lone city of the province of Agusan del Norte.

The YLS is a program of the provincial government of Agusan del Norte, 29th Infantry Battalion (29IB) of the Philippine Army and other stakeholders, as an initiative under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to protect the youth from the communist terrorist groups. 

It is designed to empower the next generation of leaders through the conduct of various workshops, seminars, and team-building activities that enhanced their leadership skills, promoted teamwork and fostered a sense of civic responsibility. 

Amante further encouraged the participants to embrace their roles as future leaders with integrity and dedication. She emphasized the power of young voices in shaping the future and urged them to be catalysts for positive change in their communities.

“Let us work together for the development of our community and our country, do not be deceived by the ideology of the New People’s Army (NPA),” the governor reiterated.

Rubygiene Vertudazo, Sangguniang Kabataan president of Tubay town and the president of Young Matatag, a group of youth leaders organized by the 29IB, is grateful to the 29IB for organizing the YLS.

“The YLS is very important to us youth because it enhances our interpersonal skills and it teaches us to become a better person to our families and to the community,” she said.

“We learned a lot from the YLS. The summit was a venue for us to learn about the government programs and projects, especially for the young people like livelihood trainings, scholarships,  among others,” Vertudazo added.

In response to the call of the provincial government, Vertudazo committed to unite all youth leaders in the province and support the peace advocacy of the government. She also emphasized to invite the remaining youth to participate in the upcoming YLS activities so they may be part and instruments in the attainment of peace in the province  and of the whole country.

“The YLS features dynamic discussions, interactive workshops and has inspirational speakers who will motivate and empower the participants to explore innovative solutions to pressing challenges in their sector. They will also explore entrepreneurial and leadership opportunities, fostering economic development within their communities,” said 29IB Commanding Officer, LtCol. Cresencio C. Gargar.

“With the firm commitment to creating a peaceful and prosperous environment, the summit also focuses on preventing the recruitment efforts of groups like the Communist-NPA-Terrorist (CNT), ensuring that the youth remain focused on positive avenues for personal and community growth,” Gargar added. (NCLM/PIA Agusan del Norte)