Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday called on Southeast Asian youth to take a more active role in shaping the region’s future, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) marked its 59th founding anniversary.

In a message released by her office for ASEAN Day, Duterte said the region’s nearly 700 million people shared a common goal of creating opportunities for young people across Southeast Asia.

Regional cooperation backed

“Our shared goal is simple: to build a future where every young person can thrive, no matter where they come from,” Duterte said.

Duterte, who previously served as president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Council, said regional cooperation demonstrated the importance of collective action among ASEAN member states.

She likened ASEAN cooperation to the Filipino tradition of bayanihan, where communities work together to help one another.

“This is exactly how we must build our shared future. No country carries the weight alone. We lift each other up,” she said.

Duterte urged ASEAN youth to participate in efforts to advance the region, saying they should be “united by our shared vision, and driven by our shared purpose.”