As I write this piece, the Ombudsman Strategic Planning session is at full throttle here in Baguio. Teams from across the country are in the same room, wrestling with hard questions about reform, relevance, and responsibility. This matters, especially to young people who are thinking about public service, and the Office of the Ombudsman in particular, as a place where they can truly make a difference.

This StratPlan is not a ceremonial exercise. It is grounded on a sober understanding that corruption is not theoretical. It is experienced daily by ordinary Filipinos. It shows up in flooded streets that never seem to improve, public services that fall short, and opportunities denied because someone cut corners. The discussions in Baguio begin from that reality. The Ombudsman exists not to protect procedures, but to protect people.

One of the most important ideas emerging from the session is the commitment to engage the citizenry more deeply. Programs cannot be designed from behind desks alone. To be effective, the Office must listen to communities, understand the pervasive problems they face, and identify where government failure hurts the most.

Only then can reforms be geared toward high-impact measures that actually change lives. This is a shift toward prioritization, focus, and relevance, values that resonate strongly with a younger generation that wants results, not rhetoric.

For young people who want to join the Ombudsman, this moment is an invitation. The StratPlan envisions an institution that is evidence-based, technologically capable, and professionally rigorous. It needs people who are comfortable with data, digital investigations, and complex financial trails. It needs critical thinkers who understand that integrity today also means competence and discipline, especially in an age where technology can both expose wrongdoing and enable it.

The session in Baguio also reflects a conscious effort to open the institution to new energy. This is not an office that wants to remain insular. It recognizes that fresh perspectives are essential to confronting entrenched problems. Young Filipinos who have seen corruption up close — in their schools, communities, or local governments — bring lived experience that no manual can teach.

Working at the Ombudsman is not easy. It demands patience, resilience, and the courage to do the right thing even when recognition is scarce. But what is happening now in Baguio shows that the institution is serious about reforming itself so it can better serve the public.

For those searching for meaningful public service, this is a defining moment. The work is hard, the stakes are high, and the need is urgent. The country needs principled, capable young people to step forward. The Ombudsman is preparing for that future, right now.