Filipino scouts come together for SDGs, sustainable future

The National Eagle Scouts Association of the Philippines recently held the Scouts for Sustainable Development Goals 2023 Summit at the Knights of Rizal International Headquarters in Manila.

Over 150 Scouts and Scouters from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines attended sessions and worked out action plans under the theme "Transforming Today for Tomorrow."

Addressing the gathering was Bukidnon 1st District Representative Jose Manuel Alba, who sits as vice chair of the House SDGs Committee and is also vice president for Mindanao of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. Alba is known for promoting sustainable bamboo products.

A session by Movers-Philippines aimed to cultivate a framework for action and enhance self-awareness of SDGs among the participants. The second session, conducted by summit director and NESAPh national secretary Karl Lyel Lim, focused on the interconnections between Scouting and SDGs, nurturing youth leadership and formulating a roadmap to bolster the Scouts' contributions toward achieving the SDGs.

Another session saw historian Michael Charleston "Xiao" Chua draw inspiration from Jose Rizal's exile in Dapitan to encourage youth leadership and civic engagement among the attendees.

"This summit represents a pivotal juncture in our journey toward a sustainable future. Through the passionate participation of our scouts and scouters, we are forging paths of transformative actions that resonate with the global SDGs. We are not just envisioning a future, we are meticulously crafting the steps to manifest it," said Mark Roy Boado, national president of NESAPh.