CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) — The National Youth Commission (NYC) seeks to strengthen the capabilities and knowledge of the youth in the Calabarzon region by providing various programs and training opportunities designed to enhance their leadership skills.
Amerson Aguinaldo, National Youth Commission Calabarzon Regional area officer said that the agency is committed to offering training programs, capability-building initiatives and localized national programs to reach more youth at the grassroots level.
One of the commission’s guides in its programs is the Philippine Youth Development Plan (PYDP), which serves as a comprehensive roadmap to encourage young people to take ownership and lead change in their local communities.
“The essence of the PYDP is youth participation, so we highly encourage young people to get involved in various youth programs, from the local government units to the barangays. We have the Sangguniang Kabataan, the Local Youth Development Council and the Local Youth Development Offices. Through these, we localize programs and policies from the National Youth Commission,” Aguinaldo explained.
He added that the commission’s major program, the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program, allows selected participants in the country to board a ship to engage in cultural exchange programs with youth leaders from different countries.
NYC sees this as an opportunity to broaden youth perspectives and strengthen their spirit of international cooperation.
Other programs of the commission include Youth in Climate Action, National Students Day, National Youth Convention and the National Youth Commission Mental Health Youth Hub.
Aguinaldo said that the commission continues to encourage youth leaders to register in their Youth Organization Registration Program to receive benefits such as exchange programs, training and endorsement from the NYC.
Although the NYC is limited to instituting programs as a policy-making agency, Aguinaldo emphasized the importance of active coordination and partnership with Department of the Interior and Local Government field offices, Local Youth Development Offices and Sangguniang Kabataan to further promote and implement their programs.
“It is also within the function of the National Youth Commission to involve various stakeholders, including national and nongovernment agencies, to expand our reach to the youth. We genuinely appreciate partnerships, because at times, the National Youth Commission faces challenges in implementing programs due to our limited resources compared to other government agencies.”
Despite this challenge, the National Youth Commission urged the youth in Calabarzon to partner with their regional office and become one of their program beneficiaries. By doing so, they can receive training, enhance their skills and develop into the leaders the future needs. (CO, SI/PIA-4A)
