"Now is the time to speak up. Now is the time to make a stand."

This is what Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said as he challenged the youth to make agrarian reform and agricultural issues viral on social media.

“Use your voice – social media. Support causes that you believe should be supported. Fight disinformation because it is being spread until now," Pangilinan said in a mix of Filipino and English in a forum at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Pangilinan also reminded the youth not to underestimate their influence in challenging the status quo. He says that the younger generation should use their social media savviness to get their messages across, as politicians cannot turn a blind eye to public perception.

The senator also encouraged Filipino youth to demand accountability for the corruption issues that plague the country.

“So, in the end, you want justice in the sector of agriculture, then we have to come together and realize that we all have roles to play. But the ranks of students and youth, you play a special role in the unfolding of events in the Philippine society," he said.

Calling the youth “catalysts of change,” he explained how they can trigger a “socio-political upheaval.”

"When the youth and students take action, take part, stand up, the socio-political upheaval follows. It's all you," he added.

“So, ask yourselves: In the end, history will judge all of us. The question is: When it is time to act, what do you do?"