A gathering of 1,000 Filipino youth leaders marked the Youth Leaders' Summit 2023 held recently at the IEC Convention Center in Cebu City.

This year's summit is a collaborative effort between the Youth Leadership for Democracy (YouthLed), a joint project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Asia Foundation, and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

The Youth Leaders' Summit is an annual activity of YouthLed that brings together Filipino youth leaders across the country. It highlights the youth's vital role in strengthening democracy and empowering them to engage in different platforms for political and civic participation towards pushing their causes and advocacies.

Under the theme "ARANGKADA (Accelerate): Gearing Towards Sustainable Youth Coalitions," the summit showcased youth-led projects and initiatives in the regions for advancing their respective advocacies.

Myn Garcia, deputy country representative of The Asia Foundation, commended the accomplishments of these youth leaders and organizations. She said, "We are all here to celebrate the achievements of youth leaders and youth organizations that we have accompanied. Twelve regional clusters all over the archipelago — these groups have coalesced, have been engaged constructively in governance processes, regionally and locally, and are now key actors in the democratic landscape."

Atty. Rebekah Eubanks, Deputy Mission Director of USAID, acknowledged the role of YouthLed in strengthening leadership skills among Filipino youth, saying "YouthLed is a pivotal part of USAID's support and investment in Filipino youth leadership, playing a major role in helping advance Philippine democracy."

The summit's focal point is the imperative need for the adoption of the Philippine Youth Development Plan (PYDP) 2023-2028 as a framework for youth development programs at the local level.

Commissioner Representing Luzon Reena Vivienne Pineda of the National Youth Commission presented the development plan to the public for the first time, outlining strategies for youth organizations to actively participate in localizing the PYDP. "As youth organizations, you have a critical role of helping ensure a better future for all because you complement the efforts of our government agencies to empower our young people," she said.

The PYDP strategies are focused on awareness and advocacy, capacity building and training, and mainstreaming of youth issues in programming. They can also play a role in implementing activities such as mobilizing youth champions for involvement in community decision-making, promoting comprehensive sexuality education among young people, and enhancing youth and community responses to disasters, among other initiatives.

Throughout the summit, a series of breakout sessions delved into various facets of youth participation within the PYDP. This culminated in a unified declaration by the youth, articulating their current realities, commitments, and their calls for inclusive, participatory  and accountable governance.