June 27, 2005

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 438

APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE MEDIUM-TERM YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PLAN (MTYDP) 2005-2010

WHEREAS, Art. II, Sec. 13 of the Philippine Constitution provides that: "the State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs";

WHEREAS, the National Youth Commission (NYC) is mandated under RA 8044 also known as the "Youth in Nation Building Act of 1995" to plan, implement, and oversee a national integrated youth promotion and development program;

WHEREAS, the Social Development Committee (SDC) — Cabinet Level approved the MTYDP 2005-2010 in its 30 March 2005 meeting and issued SDC Resolution No. 1 Series of 2005, entitled "Approving the MTYDP 2005-2010 (National Framework for Youth Development)";

WHEREAS, the timely, efficient, and effective implementation of the policies, programs, and activities in the MTYDP 2005-2010 are crucial in ensuring that the vision and goals of the plan are realized and will rebound to a better quality of life of the Filipino Youth;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby approve the Medium-Term Youth Development Plan 2005-2010, hereto attached as Annex "A" and made an integral part hereof, and hereby order:

SECTION 1. The Medium-Term Youth Development Plan, hereinafter referred to as the "Plan", shall serve as the guiding framework for National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in the formulation and implementation of youth-oriented programs and policies. aCcEHS

SECTION 2. The "Plan" shall be adopted by NGAs to institutionalize youth development programs, activities, and projects in their annual planning, programming, and budgeting processes, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

SECTION 3. All LGUs are encouraged to adopt the "Plan" in their efforts to address the issues and concerns of the youth at the local level.

SECTION 4. The NYC, in coordination with concerned agencies, shall (a) monitor the implementation of the plan; and (b) conduct periodic assessment and updating of the plan every change in national leadership.

Pursuant to the foregoing, the NYC may call upon the assistance of any government agency, including, government-owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCCs), or any instrumentality, as well as existing inter-agency structures as may be necessary. NGOs and private entities are enjoined to assist and support the implementation of the MTYDP.

SECTION 5. The overall coordination of the MTYDP shall be charged against appropriations of the NYC. The cost of the programs and projects included in the MTYDP shall be charged in the respective appropriations of the lead/concerned agencies.

In view thereof, all-youth-serving agencies shall give priority in their Indicative Budget Ceiling the implementation of Section 31 of the General Appropriations Act of 2005. These agencies are hereby encouraged to include in their succeeding budget proposal, their programs in response to the needs/issues of the youth as identified in the "Plan". cCaIET

SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. — All orders, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof that are inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed and/or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. Effectivity. — This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila this 27th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Five.

ANNEX "A"

NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Foreword

It is no doubt that the youth are the hope of the future generations. Thus, it is very important to prepare them well to face the formidable challenges that may lie ahead. The development of youth's collective energies and potentials is crucial in social transformation, and in achieving a better quality of life for young people, their families and communities.

The 2005-2010 Medium-Term Youth Development Plan (MTYDP) is a product of desk reviews and a series of consultations on young Filipinos' issues and concerns with representatives of youth and youth-serving organizations. The youth's perceptions on issues that affect them have served as important inputs in the crafting of the Plan. A separate document on the National Youth Situation (titled 'Youth Attributes, Participation and Service Providers' or YAPS) is available as reference material to the current MTYDP. aSADIC

This document serves as a guiding framework for youth development and empowerment. It outlines several action steps that will help concretize what the youth themselves desire to achieve for their sector.

The Plan formulation process was highly participatory. Young Filipinos themselves were actively involved in the entire formulation process. More than 200 youth delegates from all over the country participated in the 5th National Youth Parliament (NYP), which was a culmination of a long consultation process that enabled young Filipinos from all over the country to share their views regarding what can be done and what they can do to uplift their situation. This document, therefore, echoes the voice of the Filipino youth.

The MTYDP is a continuing process. One important initial step is for agencies concerned to define and specify their targets for the period covered — which will serve as basis for determining the extent of fulfillment of the policy agenda for youth. The Plan serves as a broad guide for action. The specific steps and targets will be further defined in the initial stages of MTYDP implementation, in consultation with youth-serving government agencies and institutions.

The measure of success of any plan is on how well it is put into action. Young Filipinos play a very important role in ensuring that the recommended policies, programs, and courses of actions are carried out. Youth groups and youth-serving agencies need to adopt a more holistic, synergistic and collaborative approach in order to ensure the successful implementation of this Plan.

Glossary of Terms

Abandoned/Neglected Youth — Those who have no proper parental care or guardianship because their parents or guardians have either deserted them or have inadequately attended to their basic needs.

Abortion Rate — The number of abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 or 15-49 in a given year.

Abortion Ratio — The number of abortions per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Abused Youth — Refers to the maltreatment, whether habitual or not, of the child/youth, which includes any of the following:

• Psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment;

• Any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a human being;

• Unreasonable deprivation of one's basic needs for survival such as food and shelter; and

• Failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child/youth resulting in serious impairment of her/his growth and development or in her/is permanent incapacity or death (Section 3 (b) of Republic Act or R.A. 7610)

Age-Sex Structure — The composition of a population as determined by the number or proportion of males and females in each age category. The age-sex structure of a population is the cumulative result of past trends in fertility, mortality, and migration. Information on age-sex composition is essential for the description and analysis of many other types of demographic data. HTSAEa

Age Dependency Ratio — The ratio of persons in the ages defined as dependents (under 15 years and over 64 years) to persons in the ages defined as economically productive (15-64 years) in a population.

Cohort Survival Rate — The proportion of enrollees at the beginning grade or year who reach the final grade or year at the end of the required number of years of study.

Completion Rate — The percentage of first year entrants in a level of education who complete/finish the level in accordance with the required number of years of study.

Core Youth — Those belonging to 18-24 years age group; includes adolescents and those making the transition to adult life.

Differently-Abled Youth — Those with functional limitations or impairments in physical, mental and psychological attributes. They need consideration and, yet, equal treatment from other youth and other members of society.

Dropout Rate — The proportion of pupils/students who leave school during the year as well as those who complete the grade/year level but fail to enroll in the next grade/year level the following school year to the total number of pupils/students enrolled during the previous school year.

Drug-Dependent Youth — Those who need guidance and alternative ways of dealing with problems, idleness, and the tendency to seek thrill and adventure.

Elementary Education — Refers to the stage of formal education primarily concerned with providing basic education and usually corresponding to six or seven grades.

Employment Rate — The ratio (in percent) of the total number of persons employed to the total number of persons in the labor force.

Exploited Youth — "Refers to any hiring, employment, persuasion, inducement, or coercion of a child/youth to perform in obscene exhibitions and indecent shows, whether live or in video or film, or to pose or act as a model in obscene publication or pornographic materials, or to sell or to distribute said materials" (Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 7610, cited by the Council for the Welfare of Children).

Functional Literacy — The ability to read and write with comprehension and to make simple arithmetical calculations.

Gross Enrolment Ratio — The total enrolment in a given level of education as a percentage of the population which according to national regulations should be enrolled at this level. It is a measure of the "capacity" of a region's elementary and secondary schools.

Health-seeking behavior — Defined as a proactive attitude in seeking information, guidance, and care towards total self-development and a healthy lifestyle.

Institutional Responses — Involves organized support systems of the youth.

Labor Force — The population 15 years old and over, whether employed or unemployed, who contribute to the production of goods and services in the country. Persons considered not in the labor force are those who are not working and are not available for work during the reference week, and persons who are not available and are not looking for work because of reasons other than those previously mentioned, (e.g., housewives, students, disabled or retired persons and seasonal workers).

Labor Force Participation Rate — Proportion, in percent, of the total number of persons in the labor force to the total household population 15 years old and over.

Life skills — Refers to a large group of psycho-social and interpersonal skills which can help people make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and develop coping and self-management skills that may help them lead a healthy and productive life. Life skills may be directed toward personal actions and actions toward others, as well as actions to change the surrounding environment to make it conducive to health. (UNICEF).

Livelihood skills — Capabilities, resources, and opportunities to pursue individual and household economic goals. Livelihood skills relate to income generation and may include technical/vocational skills (carpentry, sewing, computer programming), job seeking skills such as interviewing, business management skills, entrepreneurial skills, and skills to manage money (UNICEF).

Non-Formal Education — Any organized educational activity outside the established formal system, which is intended for specific objectives and to serve identifiable clientele.

Out-of-school youth — Those of school age from six (6) years old to thirty (30) years old who are not enrolled in any educational institution, public or private, for one reason or another, not employed, and not a tertiary level graduate (UNESCO).

Policies — Plan or course of action intended to influence and determine decisions and activities.

Principles — Fundamental rules of conduct or ethical behavior.

Reproductive Health — As a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the

reproductive system at all stages of life. (WHO)

Does not refer merely to the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes.

Risk Behavior — Refers to the youth's inclination to take chances to seek and engage in adventures.

Sangguniang Kabataan — "All citizens of the Philippines who are 15 to 21 years of age, for as long as they have been staying in a particular barangay for at least six (6) months and are duly registered in the list of the Sangguniang Kabataan or in the official barangay list of the barangay secretary." [RA 7160, 1991 Local Government Code]

School Participation Rate — The ratio between the enrollment in the school-age range to the total population of that age range.

Secondary Education — The stage of formal education following the elementary level usually corresponding to four years of school, concerned primarily with continuing basic education and expanding it to prepare the students for higher education and/or the world of work through the acquisition of employable gainful skills.

Simple Literacy — The ability to read and write with understanding a simple message in any language or dialect.

Specific Youth Group — Involves youth sub-sectors who have experienced and/or are vulnerable to experience discrimination, exploitation, abuse, and disintegration in society.

Strategies — Courses of action that can be undertaken, given internal (strengths and weaknesses), and external (opportunities and threats) environment.

Street Youth — Those who have adopted the streets as their home or source of livelihood, or both.

Vision — An image of one's ideal state, the destination that one wishes to reach in life's journey.

Young adult — Ages 25-30 who have normally reached psycho-emotional maturity.

Young Victims Of Calamities — Those who have been victims of natural and human-made tragedies and who hope to get their lives back to normal.

Youth — "The critical period in a person's growth and development, from the onset of adolescence towards the peak of mature, self-reliant and responsible adulthood; comprising considerable sector of the population from the age of 15 to 30 years." (Republic Act 8044).

Youth Child — Those belonging to 15-17 years age group; still children by legal definition and psycho-emotional characteristics.

Youth Education — Involves the knowledge, skills and learning processes of the youth.

Youth Employment — Involves the youth's engagement in economic activities.

Youth Health — Involves the intellectual, emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical well-being of the youth.

Youth In Conflict With The Law — Those who, because of social forces and economic necessity, have committed acts detrimental to themselves and to society, but who have the right to be protected and to be reintegrated to society.

Youth In Indigenous Communities — Youth belong to "a group of people or homogeneous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions and other distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, become historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos." [RA 8371, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997].

Those who belong to communities that have historically retained a strong sense of distinctive cultural heritage and identity.

Youth In Situations Of Armed Conflict — Youth whose normal life have been disrupted or troubled due to clashes between and among military and para-military forces.

Youth Participation — Youth's involvement in decisions and actions that affect their lives.

Youth Value Formation — Involves the character-building of the youth.

What is this all about?

The National Framework for Youth Development (also known as the Medium-Term Youth Development Plan (MTYDP) 2005-2010) is anchored on, and consistent with the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010 and the Philippine National Development Plan (Plan 21), which is the development plan of the Philippine national government until the year 2025. It is the result of a review of government and non-government efforts to further youth development, as well as a nationwide consultation process that sought to get the ideas and concerns of different youth-serving sectors from all over the country.

The crafting of this document began in 2004 with the conduct of the Youth Attributes, Participation, and Service-Providers (YAPS) study, and culminated in a dialogue among the delegates of the National Youth Parliament to ensure that the goals, issues, and strategies embodied here are truly representative of the youth.

National	Regional
Youth	Consultation	National	National
Assessment	cum Validation	Consultation	Youth
	Workshops	Workshop	Parliament

 

(The YAPS study)

(Held in 16 regions)

The YAPS involved youth participants and representatives of regional and local youth-serving organizations in nine regions of the country. It analyzed the social and economic characteristics of youth in the country and identified trends in youth participation, dimensions of vulnerability, and other issues confronting young Filipinos. It also assessed the services and institutional capacities of various government and non-government agencies that implement youth policies and programs. The National Framework for Youth Development takes off from issues and challenges highlighted by the YAPS.

This document should not be regarded as a sacred blueprint for youth development. Rather, it should be considered as a guiding framework for implementing strategies and activities that respond to the youth's most pressing issues, concerns and needs. This is not meant to be a comprehensive compendium of solutions, but a springboard from where local governments, enterprises, organizations and youth groups can begin to implement programs and projects that work. AEDCHc

The current Plan contains:

• A summary profile of Filipino youth
• An overview of young Filipino's issues, concerns and needs
• Policy thrusts to address these needs
• Goals, strategies and activities to fulfill the policy thrusts
• An implementation and localization guide
• Indicators for monitoring progress and evaluating/measuring success

Focus of the 2005-2010 MTYDP

What makes the current Plan different from the 1999-2004 MTYDP?

Contents of the 1999-2004 MTYDP revolved around four youth sectors: in-school, out-of-school, working youth, and youth with special needs. It identified 16 general and cross-cutting issues. It focused on socio-cultural, economic, political, and physical environment aspects that impinge on the lives of young people.

The 2005-2010 MTYDP is more issue-focused rather than sector-focused. Issues are categorized as relating to the following: health, education, employment, values, participation, and specific youth groups (formerly named as 'youth with special needs'). Youth values and participation, as well as the steps for Plan localization, are now given emphasis — which was not the case in the previous Plan. Other additional items are the institutional responses to youth issues, case studies on youth volunteerism and participation, and monitoring and evaluation indicators.

From the previous Plan, new strategies to respond to youth issues have emerged such as: the "Bridge Program" as a response to low quality education, adolescent health to address risk behaviors, additional support to working students other than on-the-job training, presence of fast growing industries like call centers and other customer care industries, and the advocacy for the Magna Carta for student rights.

 The current Plan also highlights the roles of basic institutions in the inculcation of positive values among youth. While it focuses on the Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council), it also gives due recognition to the roles of the local youth development councils, student councils, and other youth organizations. It emphasizes the need to increase the level of participation of youth in governance and decision-making in various structures (i.e., family, school, community, political organization, among others). Equally important is the need for youth to gain a positive self-image and confidence through a life skills approach. TEcHCA

Chapter 1

Filipino Youth in Focus

1. Profile of the Filipino Youth

Different organizations and institutions use different definitions for the term "youth". While Republic Act 8044 defines "youth" as persons aged 15-30 years old, the limitation on the age groupings of population as sourced from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO) only covers 15-29 years old. With no single year population projection from which to derive those 30 years of age, sub-classifications for the youth in the LFS only covers 15-19 years old, 20-24 years old and 25-29 years old.

Presidential Decree 603 defined "youth" as persons below 21 years old. International organizations likewise have different definitions of the term "youth". The World Health Organization (WHO) and some government agencies define the youth to be those between 15 to 24 years old; while the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), define "children" as young persons falling below 18 years old.

There is also a psycho-social definition of "youth", which describes the adolescence and early adulthood phases of a young person's life. In the adolescent phase, a young person is said to already have an integrated image of himself or herself as a unique person and to be in the process of constructing his or her personal identity. It is in this phase that the value of peer groups becomes increasingly important. In the early adulthood phase, on the other hand, it is assumed that a young person has already formed himself or herself enough to form close and lasting relationships, and also to make career commitments.*

RA 8044, however, seems to be the prevailing standard by which we define "youth" in the Philippines.

Population

Republic Act 8044 declares that youth is "the critical period in a person's growth and development, from the onset of adolescence towards the peak of mature, self-reliant and responsible adulthood; comprising (a) considerable sector of the population from the age of 15 to 30 years."

The youth population in the country is estimated at 23.2 million in 2004 (or 28.3% of the total Philippine population of 82.7 million).

The number of males (50.0%) almost equals that of females (49.5%). The number of younger youth (15-19 years) is slightly higher than that of the older ones.

* Taken from E. Maslang, Presentation of the 2005-2010 Medium-Term Youth Development Plan (MTYDP) at the National Youth Parliament, October 26 to 29, 2004

Percent Distribution of National Youth Population

by Age Levels: 2004

Source: National Statistics Office (NSO), 1995 Census-Based National, Regional and Provincial Population Projections

Filipino youth are generally concentrated within or near the metropolitan areas — where they have access to services, facilities and opportunities. Youth population has been highest in Luzon areas, particularly in Southern Tagalog (15%), National Capital Region (13%) and Central Luzon (10%). cDIaAS

Life Course

Society expects young persons to go through a certain life course. This involves developments in educational level, economic or employment status and socio-political positions as a person grows older. The following table shows how young persons are grouped according to their age and expected life course in the Philippines:

Age Group	Societal Expectations (The "Normal" Path)
15-17 years old	•	Virtually still children by legal definition and psycho-emotional characteristics
•	Economically dependent Expected to be either completing secondary education or starting college
•	A member of the Katipunan ng Kabataan (KK) and can be elected into the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)
•	May be a member of a student or youth organization
18-24 years old	•	Adolescents, making the transition to adult life
•	At age 18, expected to be at least taking up his/her major in college
•	By 22, expected to have completed college education profession by 23
•	Could be married or starting a family
•	Can vote and have more legal rights
•	May be a member of a student or youth organization
25-30 years old	•	Should have reached psycho-emotional maturity
•	Completed college, may be pursuing graduate (master's) or post-graduate (doctorate) studies
•	Economically independent
•	Married with children
•	Can be elected into public office
•	May be a member of community-based or civic organization

 

The following chart illustrates the expected life course of Filipino youth.

Societal Expectations on the Life Course of the Youth in the Philippines

The YAPS study revealed that many young people have not gone through the expected youth life course. Many get sidetracked or waylaid along the way, skipping to another stage (like having a family or getting employed) either unwillingly or unprepared. According to the same study, these circumstances are brought about by young persons' personal vulnerabilities and negative environmental influences.

Women in general differ from men in certain aspects of life. Data from the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) reveal the following: 1

• Women marry at a younger age than men: the average age at first marriage of women is 23.8 years and 26.4 years for men.

• Filipino women with advanced educational attainment tend to marry at a later age.

• Life expectancy of Filipino women is higher (72.8 years) compared to men (67.5 years).

• There has been an increasing trend in the percentage of female-headed households from 1970 to 2003 (from 10.0% to 15.4%)

• Filipino women are faring slightly better than men in terms of enrolment figures for all levels (elementary, secondary and tertiary). However, enrolment for technical-vocational courses is higher for men. SDITAC

• From 2000 to 2003, women accounted for 65% of the total passers in government-sanctioned professional board examinations.

• Female labor force participation rate (LFPR) has consistently lagged behind the male LFPR from 1995 to 2004.

• Filipino women still dominate occupation groups that may be considered as extension of their reproductive roles at home while men are still largely located in mechanized and heavy industries.

• 2004 NSO data reveal that Filipino men are likely to be wage-and-salary (64%) and own-account (67%) workers and Filipino women are likely to be unpaid family workers (56%).

• Filipino women have a higher vote turnout rate and are winning in elections but still continue to have little participation as decision-makers in the public sector.

1NCRFW, Fact Sheet on Filipino Women: 10 Years After Beijing, February 2005

2. The Filipino Youth's Vision

- Dr. John C. Maxwell, best-selling author, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

A vision is an image of one's ideal state, the destination that one wishes to reach in Life's journey. Without it, all our strategies and actions would be meaningless, because what is the point in doing something that has no end, no purpose?

This is why the participants of various consultation workshops were asked to identify and agree on a common vision that will hopefully guide future policies, strategies, and activities regarding youth development in the Philippines. It is a statement of what Filipino youth desire and hope to be by 2010.

Filipino Youth's Vision for 2010

Empowered and enlightened youth

Actively participating in governance and decision-making

Globally competitive, productive, and well-informed

3. The Filipino Youth's Role in Development

To fully realize this vision, Filipino youth have to be able to exercise certain rights and fulfill certain responsibilities. In the various consultation workshops that the NYC had conducted, participants identified the following youth rights:

• The right to quality education

• The right to employment and social protection

• The right to basic health services

• The right to participate in youth policy decision-making

• The right to be free from all forms of abuse and exploitation

• The right to be free from any form of discrimination

• The right to be informed and to avail ourselves of basic services and opportunities

• The right to live in a peaceful and sound environment

• The right to privacy and freedom of choice (to practice our respective religions)

Some youth rights may overlap with children's rights (for example, the right to basic health services, right to be free from all forms of abuse and exploitation, etc.). It only shows that some rights are universal and may cut across different age groupings. They may be subsumed under the general principle of 'respect for human worth and dignity'.

As active citizens of the Philippines, young people also have responsibilities that they need to fulfill in order to actively contribute to national development. The same workshop participants identified the following as the youth's primary responsibilities:

• To perform our duties well as students, workers, etc.

• To represent the youth in policy-making bodies

• To participate in community development, and also in environment-related activities

• To establish health-seeking behavior

• To be law-abiding citizens  

• To help maintain peace and order

• To maintain a healthy lifestyle

• To develop and maximize the use of our talents and potentials

• To practice self-discipline and social responsibility

All over the world, various organizations and multilateral conventions have upheld the rights and responsibilities of young people as active participants of a global society.

The current MTYDP fully supports the relevant international and national policy instruments on youth rights, participation and empowerment, among which include the following:

A summary of international agreements on principles

Forum/ Convention	General Topic	Key Resolutions Related to Youth Participation
Convention on the Rights of the Child	Sets minimum legal and moral standards	In the Preamble: Children "should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought up in the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and particularly in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity."
•	Adopted in November 1989
		Article 12: "State parties shall assure to the child who is capable of performing his or her views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child..."
		Article 13: "The child shall have the right to freedom of expression"
World Programme of Action for	Provides policy framework and practical guidelines for action to improve the	•	Definition of youth as 15 to 24 years old
•	Adopted in1995		•	One of the 10 priority areas identified is: "the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and decision-making"
		•	Proposes action to:
			•	Develop and strengthen opportunities of youth to learn their rights and responsibilities
			•	Promote the social, political, developmental and environmental participation of young people, and remove obstacles that affect their full contribution in society
			•	Encourage youth associations and their activities through financial, educational and technical support
			•	Foster national, regional and international cooperation and exchange among youth organizations
			•	Strengthen the involvement of youth people in international fora, like considering the inclusion of youth representatives to the UN General Assembly
Braga Youth Action Plan	An agenda for youth participation	Requirements of youth participation for human development:
•	Held in Portugal from	•	Adequately financed by both government and the private sector to become full and active partners in the development process
	•	Stake in the development process should be recognized
	•	Equal participation between men and women
	•	Empowerment of young women
•	Empowerment of youth in development should be without social exclusion
	•	Participation includes decisions taken today about the resources of tomorrow
•	Participation includes political decision-making, and the youth should be enabled to organize themselves
	•	Youth issues should be mainstreamed into all policy-making efforts
Lisbon Declaration on Youth	Focused on strengthening national	•	Ensuring and encouraging the active participation of youth in all spheres of society and in decision-making processes at the national, regional and international levels
•	Adopted at the World		•	Promoting education and training in democratic processes, and the spirit of citizenship and civic responsibility of young women and young men with a view to strengthening and facilitating their commitment to, participation in, and full integration into society
		•	Facilitating access by youth to legislative and policy-making bodies
		•	Upholding and reinforcing policies that allow independent and democratic forms of associative life
		•	Giving higher priority to marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged young women and men
		•	Giving priority to the building of communication channels with youth
		•	Encouraging youth volunteerism as an important form of youth participation
The Hague Forum	Provides recommendations for the	Key Action 21 b: "Priority should be given to programmes such as education, income-generating opportunities, vocational training and health services, including those related to sexual and reproductive health. Youth should be fully involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of such programs and plans."
•	February 1999
Manila Declaration on	Provides young citizens of the ASEAN	Excerpts:
•	Adopted in Manila, Philippines	•	Improve the availability and quality of human resources training and leadership development programs designed specifically for ASEAN youth
		•	Ensure that all youth sub-sectors are given appropriate access to policy and program development both as beneficiaries and partners in sustainable employment
		•	Create a nurturing environment conducive for the development of young entrepreneurs
		•	Strengthen the participation of youth volunteer groups and organizations in the socio-economic development process so that they would be able to augment and complement government and non-government resources and efforts directed at youth development
International Conference on	Emphasizes the integral link between population and development	•	Ensures the access of adolescents to appropriate services and information related to sexual reproduction and adolescent health and youth development (AHYD)
•	Adopted in Cairo,		•	Protects and promotes the rights of adolescents to reproductive health care, education and services; seeks to greatly reduce the number of adolescent pregnancies
		•	Urges the government to collaborate with non-government organizations (NGOs) to meet the special needs of adolescents and to establish the appropriate programs to respond to these needs
UN Conference on Environment	Focuses on youth's participation in environmental preservation and	•	The policy states that:
World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002		"The creativity, ideals and courage of the youth of the world should be mobilized to forge a global partnership in order to achieve sustainable development and ensure a better future for all."
Millennium Summit, 2000	Adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration that set out a comprehensive agenda encompassing development & poverty reduction goals known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); which are quantitative targets up to year 2015.	•	Poverty reduction (employment)
•	Health
•	Gender equality & women empowerment
•	Education

 

In the Philippines, youth participation has been enshrined in the following documents:

• The Philippine Constitution (Article II, Section 13), which states that: "The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs"

• The 1991 Local Government Code, which provides for people's participation in local development and the establishment of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)

• The 1995 Youth in Nation-Building Act, which provides for a national comprehensive and coordinated program on youth development, and which established the National Youth Commission (NYC)

• The Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP), which serves as the framework for national development

• Plan 21, which is the development plan of the Philippine national government until the year 2025

• Child 21, or the Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children, 2000-2005, which serves as the framework for all programs, activities and initiatives for children. The Council for the Welfare of Children also approved the National Framework for Children's Participation: A Guide in Promoting and Upholding Children's Participation in the Philippines

Review of these policy instruments has pointed to the following common themes:

• Child & youth rights & responsibilities

• Youth participation in the life of society & decision-making

• Gender equality

• Mainstreaming youth issues into policy-making efforts

• Youth access to information, programs & services: education, health, livelihood, capability building

The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)

The direct provisions of the Local Government Code that relate to youth participation in governance are embodied in Book III, Chapter Eight, which provides for the establishment of a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in every barangay. The SK members are elected by the Katipunan ng mga Kabataan of every barangay; which is comprised of virtually all citizens of the Philippines who are 15 to 21 years of age, for as long as they have been staying in a particular barangay for at least six (6) months and are duly registered in the list of the Sangguniang Kabataan or in the official barangay list of the barangay secretary.

During the last SK elections, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) passed a resolution changing the age range of the Katipunan ng Kabataan (KK), as well as the SK, to 15 to below 18 years old. IDSaTE

The key functions of the SK as provided in the Code are the following:

• To promulgate resolutions necessary to carry out the objectives of the youth in barangays

• To initiate programs designed to enhance the social, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, moral, spiritual and physical development of members

Other tasks related to the two above are: fundraising and coordination with barangay officials, other youth organizations, and national agencies with programs regarding youth development.

(Taken from the summary shown in the YAPS 2004, in the chapter on Youth Participation)

4.The Youth's Issues and Concerns (An Overview)

Young Filipinos' aspirations, priorities and challenges revolve around themselves, their families and their immediate environment.

Access to education and the quality of education are key issues among school-going age groups. The problem is more acute for those who are in the tertiary-level age group, as universities and colleges are concentrated in more urbanized areas and are generally not accessible to all income levels.

Employment is mostly a problem of the 18-24-year-olds who enter the labor force. However, it is also an issue for 15-17-year-old youth who are employed and who are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Employment issues revolve around the need to find decent work and the lack of employability and employment opportunities in the country. This has been underscored by the large numbers of overseas Filipino workers, most of which fall within the youth age brackets.

The youth are also concerned with issues related to sexual risk behavior (pre-marital sex, unwanted pregnancy, abortion) and drug and substance abuse, which are often connected to the risk-taking behavior of the youth and to family and societal dysfunctions. Media has also been a considerable influence in these areas.

Defining Young Filipinos' Issues and Concerns

Education — Involves the knowledge, skills and learning processes of the youth

Employment — Involves the youth's engagement in economic activities

Health — Involves the intellectual, emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical well-being of the youth

Specific Youth Groups (SYGs) — Involves youth sub-sectors who have experienced and/or are vulnerable to experience discrimination, exploitation, abuse and disintegration in society.

Participation — Involves the youth's involvement in decisions and actions that affect their lives

Values Formation — Involves the character-building of the youth

Institutional Responses — Involves organized support systems of the youth

There are also specific youth groups who are most vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and abuse. They have distinct situations and concerns that should be mainstreamed in the youth development process, specifically:

• Youth in indigenous communities, or those who belong to communities that have historically retained a strong sense of distinctive cultural heritage and identity. Their issues are related to land rights, discrimination and equal opportunities;

• Abused and exploited youth, or those who have been deliberately inflicted with physical injuries or who are unreasonably deprived of basic needs for survival. Their psycho-emotional needs have to be addressed;

• Differently-abled youth, or those with functional limitations or impairments in physical, mental and psychological attributes. They need consideration and, yet, equal treatment from other youth and other members of society;

• Youth in conflict with the law and juvenile delinquents, or those who, because of social forces and economic necessity, have committed acts detrimental to themselves and to society, but who have the right to be protected and to be reintegrated to society;

• Drug-dependent youth, or those who need guidance and alternative ways of dealing with problems, idleness, and the tendency to seek thrill and adventure;

• Abandoned/neglected youth, or those who have no proper parental care or guardianship because their parents or guardians have either deserted them or have inadequately attended to their basic needs; and street youth, or those who have adopted the streets as their home or source of livelihood, or both. Both groups need nurturance, love and support that families and homes can give;

• Young victims of calamities, or those who have been victims of natural and human-made tragedies; and

• Youth in situations of armed conflict, or those who have been displaced or who have been forced or obliged to flee or leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict (DSWD).

Youth Participation

Key to youth participation and empowerment is access: young people should be provided with equal access to opportunities (such as education and employment), services (such as health care) and information.

Another key to youth participation and empowerment is equity: all youth should be able to participate. Involving youth in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluating of youth-related policies, programs and services makes them more relevant, efficient and effective!

Levels of Participation

• Level 1 Information providing: youth are informed of the policy and activities that have been decided on by adults.

• Level 2 Consulting, adult-initiated: adults decide when and on which topics youth are consulted.

• Level 3 Consulting, youth initiated: youth can put subjects forward; but have no decision-making powers.

• Level 4 Shared decision-making: adults and young people share decision-making powers.

• Level 5 Autonomy: young people take initiative and conduct projects themselves.

(Taken from Making Commitments Matter — A Toolkit for Young People to Evaluate National Youth Policy)

Young Filipinos, in general, feel that they are adequately involved in decisions that affect their lives. The youth — regardless of gender and type of residence — are involved in, and have significant influence in, key activities and decisions that affect their lives at home, in school, and in the organizations to which they belong. What they severely lack is involvement and influence in community and local affairs.

Although the youth participate in government programs and projects during the implementation stages they are not involved in the more crucial stages of program/project development, such as in project identification and selection, project planning and evaluation. Moreover, youth in younger age groups are not as aware of social issues as youth in higher older age groups.

Organized youth groups involve themselves in addressing a variety of issues, such as: students' rights, human rights, graft and corruption, and change in governance, among others. They have responded to these issues through different ways, ranging from more conservative approaches like changing the system from within through peaceful means, to seeking to overthrow the system by joining the armed struggle. In the middle of the spectrum, there are school- and community-based volunteer youth groups that spend their time, energy and resources engaging in social action.

And though the youth's responses are varied, there is a common call: Young Filipinos have to become active stakeholders in their development. Government, private sector and civil society all have their own roles to play in youth development, but the youth must take it upon themselves to be the stewards of their causes. They must be vigilant in monitoring the progress of their identified issues, and proactive in creating and adopting means to address these. Every positive action, large or small, helps to make an impact in the quality of young people's lives. DcITaC

Chapter 2

Principles, Policies and Programs

- The Philippine Constitution (Article II, Section 13)

The policies, strategies and courses of action proposed in this document have to conform with certain key principles in order to be fully responsive to the needs of the Filipino youth. They are the following *:

• Proposed policies, strategies and courses of action must be age-specific

• They must also be gender-sensitive and responsive to each gender's specific needs

• Proposed policies, strategies and courses of action must be culturally sensitive, considering the different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds that young Filipinos represent

• They must also be based on, and adhere to, human rights

• Finally, they must be values-driven, and should promote in young Filipinos a positive and health self-image, the love of God, family, and country, as well as social responsibility

Integrative Strategies

After considering all the issues, concerns, and needs of young Filipinos that have been brought forth in the various consultation workshops, the courses of action identified in this document may be categorized into the following integrative strategies:

Building youth-caring communities where:

• Youth are valued and respected in society

• Opportunities are equally provided for the youth (regardless of gender, culture or faith) to engage in activities that enhance life skills and livelihood skills

• Families, schools, religious organizations and other civil society groups work together in cultivating environments that support the youth

• Government organizations integrate youth concerns in their structures, plans and programs

• Business groups view the youth not just as potential market segments but also as co-investors in the future

* These key principles were agreed upon by participants of the Roundtable Discussion held on 23 November 2004 between the National Youth Commission, representatives of various youth-serving government organizations (NEDA, POPCOM, DILG, DOLE, NCIP, NCWDP, CHED, DOH, TESDA, NYC), and the Youth Development Welfare Bureau (YDWB).

Developing community-caring youth by.

• Affirming and rewarding youth-initiated community development efforts

• Raising young Filipinos' awareness on social issues caTIDE

• Providing opportunities for the youth to engage in community/socio-civic activities according to their individual and collective capacities and interests

 Re-engineering the mechanisms through which youth services are delivered by:

• Designing hip or cool youth-oriented programs and approaches to service-delivery

• Strengthening youth-organizations and youth-serving organizations

• Creating synergy among youth service providers (national government agencies, local government units, non-government organizations, people's organizations)

• Localizing youth development efforts

• Having a better and deeper understanding of the youth and their development concerns

Becoming more responsive to the needs of specific youth groups (SYGs), which include:

• Youth in indigenous communities

• Abused and exploited youth

• Differently-abled youth

• Youth in conflict with the law and juvenile delinquents

• Drug-dependent youth aScIAC

• Abandoned/neglected youth

• Street youth

• Young victims of natural calamities

• Youth in situation of armed conflict

All these must be done through crisis-response, curative, preventive and developmental interventions.

Policy Agenda Statements

On Youth Education

1. Enable access to quality and responsive education at all levels

2. Develop globally competitive youth

On Youth Employment

3. Decrease youth unemployment and underemployment

4. Prevent the exploitation of young workers and working children

On Youth Health

5. Ensure the acceptability, accessibility, availability and affordability of cultural- and gender sensitive and responsive and user-friendly health services and facilities for adolescents and youth, especially in regard to adolescent health and youth development (AHYD) DHTECc

6. Reduce the adverse effects of risk behavior among Filipino youth

On Youth Participation

7. Strengthen youth participation in community and youth development activities, such as in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating youth programs and projects

8. Integrate the youth agenda and concerns in local and national development plans

On Specific Youth Groups

9. Eliminate all forms of discrimination and abuse against youth

On Youth Values

10. Promote a positive and healthy self-image, critical thinking, love of country, social responsibility and the spirit of volunteerism among youth

Policy Agenda:

1. Enable access to quality and responsive education at all levels.

2. Develop globally competitive youth.

Education remains to be a key concern among young Filipinos, especially in the face of continued poverty, rising unemployment, and the challenges and threats of globalization.

When young Filipinos were asked to identify their general issues and concerns regarding education in the Philippines, they answered the following:

• Limited access to quality education and training, specifically in regard to information technology

• The increasing number of out-of-school youth (OSY) and the lack of educational and scholarship opportunities for them

• Low educational attainment among the youth

• The high cost of education

• Limited government funding for education and education-related concerns

Related to these are the following sub-issues:

• The high incidence of impoverished Filipino youth being pulled out of school and not completing their education to help their families earn a living

• The poor performance of Filipino students vis-a-vis students of other countries

• The decreasing number of competent teachers and education professionals

• The lack of information regarding the environment and environmental issues, as well as the youth's low involvement in environmental preservation efforts

• The need for special education programs for specific youth groups (SYGs) and the youth's lack of knowledge on local culture and history

Did you know...?

From 1999 to 2001, only less than a fifth (20%) of those who enrolled in tertiary (college-level) education actually graduated.

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) have even more data to show that many Filipino students across the different school levels may not have the competencies required for them to advance to the next educational level, or to handle the challenges of employment.

• According to diagnostic tests conducted by the DepEd in 2002, only 40% of students in Grade Three have mastered the competencies in English, Science, and Math for that year level. Grade Six students also performed poorly, with only 30% mastering English, Science, and Math competencies for their grade level. English, Math, and Science are considered to be the basic subjects, and students' competencies on these are usually the ones measured in standardized tests and school entrance exams.

• On 24 May 2004, the DepEd administered the High School Readiness test to almost 1.4 million incoming public high school students. The large majority (91.7%) scored 50% or less on this test, revealing that they are not yet adequately prepared to tackle the high school curriculum, especially in terms of Reading Comprehension (English), Science, and Math.

• A CHED memorandum states that the drop out rate for tertiary-level studies is 20.8%, with more poor students (30.8%) dropping out of school than non-poor students (16.8%). Moreover, it claims that "A large number of baccalaureate (college or university) graduates in the Philippines are regarded as unqualified or under qualified to handle professional work." ASHECD

Clearly, the issues surrounding education in the Philippines not only revolve around access, but quality as well.

Government Efforts to Address Youth Education Issues and Concerns

The Philippine government recognizes that education is crucial to the development of the Filipino and, as such, has actively created policies and implemented programs that would improve the access to and quality of education in the country. It has focused not only on improving formal education, but also sought ways to introduce non-formal educational methods to a wider audience. More than these, the government has also recognized the important part that families, communities, and other organizations play in an individual's intellectual growth and development.

A whole chapter on education and youth opportunity can be found in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan 2004-2010. The highlights of education goals for the national government are as follows:

For Early Childhood Education

1. Expand present Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) coverage to reach all 5-year olds

2. Adopt the Standard School of Readiness Assessment to determine the readiness of 5-year olds to enter Grade 1

3. Implement Early Childhood Education in Teacher Education curricula

4. Provide health and nutrition services as part of daycare, pre-school, elementary and high school

For Basic Education

1. Close the classroom gap:

Build 6,000 classrooms a year

2. Install distance learning in conflict areas

3. Provide computers in every high school

4. Upgrade Math, Science, and English teaching and learning

5. Institutionalize values formation in daycare, preparatory and basic education

6. Implement the optional bridge program

7. Strengthen madrasah and indigenous people's education

8. Upgrade the quality of training for teachers

9. Promote school-based management and governance

10. Rationalize the basic education budget through more collaborative partnership with the private sector CSIDEc

For Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

1. Ladderize interface of TVET to college

2. Provide scholarships for TVET students

3. Institutionalize job-skill matching

4. Intensify and expand enterprise-based training

5. Intensify availability of skill-specific training for domestic and overseas labor market

6. Establish community colleges

For Higher Education

1. Provide scholarship/financial assistance for college students

2. Institutionalize the pre-baccalaureate program as a bridging program to college

3. Institutionalize a system for articulation/recognition of prior learning within the Philippine

4. Qualifications Framework thru ladderization and equivalency

5. Upgrade the quality of higher education curriculum

6. Institutionalize governance and financing for higher education institutions

Department of Education's 12+3 Point Agenda

According to the 2004 Youth Assessment Report, the Department of Education has formed a "12+3 Point Agenda" to meet the challenges of education in the Philippines. These Agenda revolved around four major area strategies and nine action priorities.

The major area strategies are as follows:

• Deliver quality basic education

• Release more community-level resources

• Professionalize the DepEd organization

• Set new priorities

Among the highlights of the action strategies are the following:

• Refine the basic education curriculum

• Strengthen teacher training

• Involve the private sector in youth education

• Invest more educational resources in Mindanao

Some of the programs that have been implemented in line with these area strategies and action priorities are the following:

• Dropout Prevention Program

• Multi-Grade Program in Philippine Education

• Adopt-A-School Program EATCcI

• Projects EASE (Effective, and Affordable Secondary Education)

• Distance Learning Education Program

• Balik-Paaralan for Out of School Adults

Policy Strategies and Proposed Activities

To address the issues identified during the consultation process, and in support of government efforts to address youth education concerns, youth and other youth-serving organizations all over the country have formulated the following goals for 2005 to 2010:

• To increase the resources for education

• To improve the quality of education and make this accessible to all young Filipinos

• To decrease the number of out-of-school youth (OSY)

• To ensure the availability of opportunities for young people to develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed for employment

• To increase the youth's appreciation for the value of education

The proposed strategies and activities, as well as the responsible agency/ies are shown in the following table. The list of monitoring and evaluation indicators is found in the next chapter.

Strategies	Activities	Possible Partners
Generate more resources for	Lobby with Congress on higher	DepEd
education	budgetary & resource allocation for	CHED
	education	TESDA
		Other education-focused
	Explore alternative means of	agencies/organizations
	generating more resources for
	education, e.g. establishing ties with
	the private sector, NGOs, civic &
	religious groups, etc.
Rationalize scholarship grants to	Make available more scholarships	Schools
indigent youth & other deserving
students	Strengthen & improve the scholarship
	screening process
	Ensure that females and males have
	equal opportunities to avail
	themselves of scholarships
Support working students by	Institutionalize distance learning	DepEd
offering more flexible educational	education & digital/online instruction,	TESDA
programs and/or technical-	especially in colleges & universities	CHED
vocational courses		HEIs
	Promote on-the-job training (OJT),	NGOS
	especially among technical and
	vocational institutions
	Offer more flexible class schedules,
	courses, or educational programs
	(especially in technical and vocational
	institutions) for working students so
	that they may continue their education
	even while working
Strengthen community-based	Design & implement community-based	NGOs in partnership with
education & advocacy programs	educational programs	schools & communities
to promote the value & enhance		Parents-Teachers
the quality of education
	Implement an "adopt-a-barangay"	DepEd
	program among the private sector	TESDA
		CHED
	Conduct a public advocacy campaign
	emphasizing the importance of
	education and literacy
Strengthen the provision of	Train & deploy 'para-teachers' &	DepEd
non-formal education & life-long	mobile teaching units in depressed	TESDA
learning	communities & indigenous	NGOs
	communities.
	Create special education programs &
	alternative learning systems that
	would enable more differently-abled
	youth, OSY & other marginalized
	youth to pursue their education
	Implement a functional literacy
	program
	Ensure the availability of leadership
	and skills training programs for both
	female and male students
Develop & enhance the teaching	Strengthen the education & training	DepEd
competence of teachers & other	boards to plan for a unified, relevant &	TESDA
education professionals	efficient education & training system
	by:	With technical support from
	• Monitoring and evaluating	NGOs & fund support from
	education programs; ensuring that	the private sector
	goals, objectives, policies, and	CHED
	programs regarding education are
	gener-responsive
	• Intensifying the registration &
	accreditation of educational
	institutions
	• Conducting regular training
	session for teachers
	• Ensuring higher standards for
	screening of future teachers
	• Emphasizing and improving Math,
	Science & English education,
	especially at the elementary and
	high school levels
Promote the convergence of	Implement or support the	DepEd
education & training services	implementation of the Medium-Term	TESDA
among government agencies,	Development Plan for Higher
non-government organizations,	Education (MTDPHE) & the National	NGOs
enterprises & donors to do the	Technical Education & Skills
following:	Development Plan (NTESDP) of the	Private sector
		Department of Education, & the
• Matching school curricula	Technical Education & Skills	CHED
	with current job demands	Development Authority (TESDA), as
• Determining priority tertiary-	well as other education-focused
level courses that would suit	agencies
the industry needs
(agriculture, manufacturing,
engineering, etc.) of the	Intensify research initiatives, with
different regions	monitoring mechanism, related to
	education & youth issues; ensure that
• Providing career guidance to	these include the gender tracking of
young students	courses, as well as other gender-related
• Promoting effective	trends, developments, and
collaboration among parents,	issues
schools & concerned
government agencies &
non-government organizations	Promote educational activities and
for the holistic development	materials that are fun and
of children & youth.	entertaining, such as:
	• Essay contests to invite
	young people to express, in
	their own words, what they
	value
	• Videos, educational programs
	(on television), books,
	workbooks, and other
	educational materials
	Develop and enhance school
	curricula, textbooks, and instructional
	materials that are free of sex-role
	stereotypes and sexist concepts
	Improve the quality of parent-teacher
	conferences by providing competent
	and prominent speakers on parenting
	and new methods of learning,
	including gender orientation, etc.
Integrate specific youth concerns	Design courses/program that will	DepEd
in the school curricula:	integrate specific youth concerns	CHED
• Population education
• Cultures of indigenous
peoples
Create and implement an
acceleration program to cope
with the advanced need of gifted
students
Institutionalize youth	Advocate for the creation of localize	DepEd
participation in schools	magna carta of students	CHED
		Schools

 

Generating Resources for Education:As Easy as ABC

Meeting the educational needs of young Filipinos clearly requires more resources than educational institutions currently have — and more than the government can provide. From basic educational needs — such as school buildings, classroom facilities and equipment, books, and school supplies — to scholarship grants and financial assistance to deserving but needy students, the academe has a lot of requirements to source and account for. Clearly, this can only be done with the help of education's stakeholders: the private sector, civil society, and students themselves.

The Active Beginners' Club (ABC) of Siquijor State College (SSC) found themselves in a rather sorry state, with an enrollment of only 103 students, a lack of funding and textbooks, and the threat of the school's closure. Not wanting to sit idly and just wait for help to arrive, the students of SSC held different kinds of fundraisers to raise the resources that they needed to get a better education. They baked and made items to sell, held raffles and food sales, and mobilized their community to support the University.

Before long, ABC was able to raise enough money to donate 70 volumes of books for the library, Php20,000 in cash that the College of Maritime Education needed to purchase equipment, 170 new chairs, several electric fans, and the construction of a covered walk along the school's grounds. Later on, the students were able to raise funds for a mimeographing machine, computer units, a filing cabinet, a television set, and a fax machine for the College of Business Management. EIAScH

There are many ways to generate resources and funds for education (and for other causes) — one only needs to exercise his/her creativity and seek the support of community members. Following are some tips of fundraising in general, as stated in the magazine Youth in Action:Profiles of Youth Leading Change Around the World, a publication of the International Youth Foundation (2002):

• Hold fundraising special events (e.g. raffles lotteries, donation drives, concerts, sports activities/tournaments)

• Engage local celebrities and musicians in donating their time to perform at a special event

• Brainstorm possible income-generating activities or products that can be sold (e.g., selling home-made greeting cards with drawings by children or youth, crafts, books, CD-ROMs)

• Use office space, equipment, and staff skills to offer services to the public (e.g., a computer course, low-cost access to the Internet)

• Request that members (or beneficiaries and other community members) pay a monthly fee

• Do not forget the importance of in-kind donations of supplies and equipment, and the pro bono services of experts (e.g., accountants, lawyers, public relations professionals)

The DepEd and CHED: Bridging education gaps

The poor performance of Filipino students on standardized aptitude tests underscores the urgent need to improve the educational system in the country. It may also indicate the need to expand the current basic education (elementary and high school) program, since the Philippines is the only country in the world with a 10-year basic education curriculum.

One measure that both the DepEd and CHED have proposed to improve the quality of education in the country is a "Bridge Program" — an intensive, one-year program offered in both the high school and tertiary levels that would equip students with the required English, Math and Science competencies for their respective levels.

Under this program, students who fail to meet the quota in standardized tests (the High School Readiness Test for elementary students and the National Scholastic Aptitude Test for high school students) will be offered an extra year for them to gain the required English, Science and Math skills that they would need to pass the normal high school curriculum. The Bridge Program would help them prepare themselves for the next educational level, and also increase their chances of future success in school and at work.

Supplementing classroom education

The Bridge Program proposed by the DepEd and CHED is an example of institutional efforts to improve students' performance in basic education. An alternative to this is the now-popular tutorial and review classes, which high school students usually take to prepare themselves for college entrance exams. However, because of the price of such review classes — which can go for as high as Php12,000 for a program of 12 sessions — only students from the middle to upper socio-economic classes may avail themselves of the benefits of these supplementary programs. ECAaTS

Two youth organizations have worked to supplement students' classroom education, and have both been awarded as one of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in 2003 and 2004.

The University of the Philippines-Industrial Engineering Club (UP-IE), which was one of the TAYO winners in 2003, held a project dubbed as the College Jump-Start Seminar (CJSS). It offered review classes, a mock entrance exam similar to the ones being given by universities, talks on college life and degree options, and college scholarships, and has successfully prepared public high school students from Quezon City for university studies. Of the 95 participants to the program, 27 passed entrance exams for the different University of the Philippines campuses.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños Chemical Society (ChemSoc), on the other hand, was a TAYO finalist in 2004 because of its work in reviving students' interest in Chemistry and the sciences. It holds Chemistry review classes, university-wide quiz competitions, and a national Chemistry fair that attracts hundreds of school-participants each year. Because of its good work, the number of Chemistry majors is expected to rise in the coming years.

Both programs have been successfully run by students and have also garnered the interest and participation of supporters from the government and private sector. They are outstanding examples of what can happen when young Filipinos take the initiative to advance their own education and mobilize their own communities for positive actions that yield real results.

Take it from them!

Tuklas Katutubo: Educating and empowering indigenous youth.

Tuklas Katutubo, one of the winners of the 2004 Search for the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO), prides itself for being the first national indigenous youth organization in the Philippines. It has over 3,000 members nationwide and works to serve the needs of the country's 110 tribes. CAScIH

Balik Tribo, its project entry to the TAYO search, is a comprehensive community empowerment and educational immersion program that brings together indigenous youth for a five-day workshop that teaches them the value of peace and culture, environment, health, and education. People from various sectors are also invited to participate in Balik Tribo, as this gives them a chance to interact with their tribal peers, exchange ideas, and understand and appreciate life in tribal communities.

Aside from Balik Tribo, Tuklas Katutubo has pioneered many programs and initiatives for the country's indigenous youth. It undertakes research and documentation activities on indigenous peoples' culture and heritage, conducts leadership training and capability building seminars for its constituents, offers livelihood and recruitment programs for IP community members, conducts cultural presentations to different communities around the country, and also holds medical missions and relief service operations to IP communities in need.

For their outstanding work in promoting the cause of indigenous youth in the country, Tuklas Katutubo has been awarded The Outstanding Youth Service Award (TOYS) by the United Nations and UNESCO, and has also been appointed the IP representative of both the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Roles of the various stakeholders in advancing youth education

• Youth

• Program partner and implementer

• Advocate for educational reform and improvement

• Monitor and evaluator of educational policies and programs

• Government

• Policy reviewer, formulator, and advocate

• Trainer and provider of technical assistance

• Program implementer

• Evaluator of activities and programs

• Academe

• Main program partner and implementer

• Researcher and collector of relevant and important data on youth education

• Private sector and NGOs

• Supporter of programs involving youth education

• Provider of technical assistance, scholarship grants, and other education-related resources

• Consultant and resource sector, especially regarding curriculum formulation towards values formation and future employment

• Family

• Program partner

• Provider of financial, psychological, and emotional support for their children's educational activities

• Monitor and evaluator of educational policies and programs

Policy Agenda:

3. Decrease youth unemployment and underemployment.

4. Prevent the exploitation of young workers and working children.

Unemployment is a reality for many young Filipinos. Many of them leave school early to look for work and help their families, yet a number still cannot find suitable employment. Even those who have completed college or who have gone to technical/vocational schools are not assured of jobs.

The Youth in the Labor Market 2

Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that in 2004, the country's working-age population (persons 15 years old and over) on the average grew by 2.6% (1.35 million) to reach 53.1 million. The size of the labor force also expanded but at a much faster pace, increasing by 3.7 percent (1.3 million) to reach 35.9 million. This upward trend is reflected by the rise in the labor force participation rate (LFPR) to 67.5% from 66.7%. Increases in LFPR were most notable among the youth 15-24 years of age (from 50.9% in 2003 to 52.2% in 2004) and among men (from 82.2% in 2003 to 83.9% in 2004).

Overall, the youth comprised 23.4 percent or 8.4 million of the total labor force. The number of new entrants aged 15-24 years old reached to 378,000. In terms of proportion to total employed, young workers comprise 20.3%, or 6.4 million.

Unemployment is pronounced among young workers due to their lack of skills and work experience. Unemployment among young workers was 23.9 percent, which is twice that of the national unemployment rate (11.8%).

In a study commissioned by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Union — Asian and Pacific Regional Organization (ICFTU-APRO) on "Problems Faced by Young Filipino Workers," the results reveal the following:

• Almost 65% of unemployed young workers have at least completed high school; Young workers who are college graduates have the highest unemployment rate (over 26%), while high school graduates have the second highest unemployment proportion (13.6%);

• General skepticism among young workers over finding a job is significant (44%). Those who are unemployed because they are waiting for "job recall or rehire" represent more than 25% of all unemployed. The latter represent the population of "rotating" young workers who live from one contractual employment episode to another.

• Workers have problems relating to contractualization (18% in garment factories, 10% in others), maltreatment by supervisors (30%), and non-remittance of SSS contributions (27%), among others.

• Housing is a common problem among Metro Manila-based young workers, since almost 50% of the general population are considered "squatters."

2. Source: Department of Labor and Employment, 2005

Root Causes of Unemployment Among Young Workers

Last year, the DOLE tried to examine the root causes of unemployment among young workers, particularly fresh graduates from colleges and universities as well as those coming from the vocational-technical education institutions. In analyzing the job vacancies posted in the classified ads sections of two major newspapers over a two-month period, the observation was that the bulk of personnel requirements are mostly for accountancy-related fields, medical-related fields which were mostly care-givers, doctors and nurses, engineering and IT-related positions and for graduates of vocational, automotive, and IT-related courses. One can easily assume that these job vacancies could easily be filled-up considering the numerous graduates of finance, medicine, engineering and information technology courses. However, this is not the case. CAIHaE

A mini-survey which the Department also conducted among 50 employers who used PhilJobnet for their hiring requirements offers some explanations. It was found out that despite the preliminary matches between a jobseeker and a potential job, most applicants did not get the job due to the following reasons: 1) failure in the exam or interview; 2) poor communication skills; 3) lack of extensive work experience; 4) applicant's residence is far from the jobsite; and 5) inconsistency of submitted information or documents and the responses of the applicants during the interviews.

These survey results indicate that jobseekers do not have the basic requirements for employability, communication skills and relevant work experience. Ideally, a student while attending school should have gained these skills requirements. Absence of such skills, therefore, points to the fact that the current education and training system does not adequately prepare students to get a job or at least to successfully pass through screening procedures. Hence, the work at hand is to re-assess the country's education and training sector so that priority is given towards enhancing the student's readiness to venture into the job market.

Moreover, the job-content analysis of the classified ads of two-widely circulated newspapers revealed that the minimum entry-level requirement now for most jobs requires at least six months working experience. The present requirement of 120 hours of on-the-job training, therefore, no longer responds to the present market requirement.

The Effects of Labor Migration on Filipino Youth

The country's current inability to absorb its potential workforce, because of either the lack of qualified and competent professionals, or the lack of job opportunities to suit its current crop of jobseekers, has resulted in what can be called a mass exodus of the country's labor force, onto countries with more job opportunities and better wages and benefits for workers and professionals. HSTAcI

While this trend clearly affects young jobseekers and professionals, it also affects children and young persons with migrant parents. Although not all of the effects of migration are disabling and disadvantageous to young persons, these are still worth looking into, for all sectors of society to be more responsive to the needs of young Filipinos and their families.

The 2003 Children and Families Study reveal the following about children of migrant families:

• Parental absence creates displacements, disruptions, and changes in caregiving arrangements among families with one or more migrant parents. However, this does not necessarily produce negative effects, as children are usually attended to by other family members who are present.

• Children of migrants are markedly better off compared to children of non-migrants: more children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are enrolled in private schools; they generally belong to higher sections, earn higher grades; and receive more school awards — especially in the elementary level. It was also noted that there is a possibility of the better economic status of migrant families contributing to the better health outcomes observed among OFW children.

• Children of OFWs have higher church or mosque attendance than non-OFW children.

• Children of OFWs, even at an early age, are already entertaining thoughts of migrating and working abroad, and their career plans are very much shaped by what they would possibly achieve out of the country. This implies that the upward trend in migration is likely to continue.

Government Efforts to Address Youth Employment Issues and Concerns

The Philippine government recognizes the role that working youth play in the development of the country's growing economy. As such, it has actively promoted, enacted, and implemented policies, legislation and programs that support young Filipino workers and professionals.

DOLE's Policies and Programs on Youth Employment

Programs seeking to facilitate ease of entry to the labor market complement the DOLE's advocacy toward employability of young workers. These include holding of jobs fair, providing vital labor market information on job vacancies, extending referrals or job introduction to potential employers, skills training and upgrading to enable the labor force to meet the training requirements for wage employment, and to shift to alternative employment or even entrepreneurship activities. These services could be availed at the DOLE Regional and Provincial Offices and through the network of Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) located in strategic part of the country.

• Improving Access to Labor Market Information

To speed up access to labor market information, jobseekers can now access to PhilJobnet, a computerized job-matching system designed to assist a wide variety of clients in the labor market through the Internet. It serves as a virtual meeting place for jobseekers and employers that enables applicants and job vacancies to be electronically matched. It speeds up the matching process, thereby shortening both the unemployment period of the job applicants and the filling up of vacancies by the establishments. At the moment, there is an idea of placing the PhilJobnet services in SMS format so that job seekers who reside in far-flung areas can avail themselves of such service through their mobile phones. PhilJobnet website is http://www.dole.gov.ph.

• Employment Counseling and Guidance Service

The local PESOS also provide career guidance and counseling. This service facility helps in acquiring information on the in-demand occupations or skills, and in assessing the readiness of job applicants to vie for a certain job.

• The Apprenticeship and Employment Program

The apprenticeship and employment program is another avenue to enrich the skills of young workers. This program is adopted to provide new entrants to the labor force with opportunity to acquire basic skills and work experience, which are of prime importance to employers in hiring new employees. It aims to ensure the availability of qualified skilled workers based on industry needs and requirements, as well as facilitate and speed up the matching of jobseekers with available jobs.

This program is a joint responsibility of the DOLE and TESDA. Any unemployed person 15 years old and above may apply for apprenticeship with any participating enterprise. DHaEAS

• Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES)

Aside from the apprenticeship program, the students can also acquire and upgrade their skills through the Special Program for Employment Students (SPES) rendered by the local PESOs. The primary purpose of SPES is to help poor and deserving students to pursue their education through wages earned by working during summer and Christmas vacations. It serves two benefits — to help them self-finance their school expenses and at the same time expose themselves to the working environment. Recently, some lawmakers have proposed some amendments to strengthen the program. These include: ensuring relevance of work acquired with the course of the student, and employment of students not only during the summer and/or Christmas vacations but for the whole year.

• Expanding Period of the On-the-job-Training

To address the issue of lack of work experience among fresh graduates, the DOLE is advocating for an increase in the number of OJT hours equivalent to 6 months. Meanwhile, to shorten the duration of job search among young workers, the DOLE is encouraging schools, universities and training institutions to undertake a proactive employment counseling and guidance/job search program. The De La Salle University, Ateneo University and University of the Philippines are now experimenting on such scheme. And to date, graduates of these universities are reportedly experiencing short job search duration.

The same issues enumerated earlier were expressed by the youth participants during the consultation workshops:

• The increasing number of youth, specifically college graduates between 20 and 24 years old, who are either unemployed or underemployed because of a lack of employment opportunities or the mismatch between graduates' competencies and industry needs

• Lack of competencies, skills and positive work attitudes among jobseekers

• Low appreciation of technical/vocational courses among employers

• The prevalence of discrimination in employee recruitment, particularly among women, gays and lesbians, SYGs, youth from indigenous and ethnic groups and religious affiliations — particularly Muslims

• The prevalence of youth engaged in temporary employment that is characterized by a lack of security of tenure, subcontracting, a lack of access to social security and protection, poor bargaining power and limited protection by unions, and being paid less than their adult counterparts for the same amount of work

Did you know...?

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that not all youth who should be active in the labor force are actively seeking jobs because "most of them do not possess the required qualifications for jobs that are available in the labor market."

Related to these are the following sub-issues:

• The prevalence of child labor and children/youth engaged in hazardous occupations

• The increasing incidence of young workers' exploitation by employers, especially of young female OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and victims of human trafficking

Brain drain, or the migration of youth to other countries to seek attractive job opportunities, was also identified as an issue, although it has also been acknowledged to contribute greatly to Philippine economy. News reports have said that, in 2004, OFWs from around the world brought in approximately $8.5 billion in remittances. Clearly, this figure cannot be overlooked, and the government will have to find a balance between keeping Filipino talent within the country through attractive local job opportunities, and supporting those who wish to find employment abroad.

NCRFW data reveal an increase of 31% in the number of overseas Filipino workers from 1995 to 2002. Further, that while women and men almost have an equal level of participation in overseas work, the context of their participation is very much different. In 2002, more women than men ended up in jobs that are low-paying and often unprotected. Three in five women who went abroad for work are laborers and unskilled workers.

The following table summarizes the existing policies and legislation:

Policy/Legislation	Instrument/s	Brief Description
Promotion of the youth as the main national asset	Philippine Constitution, 1987	Guarantees the promotion and protection of working youth
	Examples
	•	Protection against exploitation
	Philippine Labor Code	•	Access to education
	ILO Conventions
	UN Conventions on the Human Rights of the Child
Elimination of discrimination against young women workers	ILO Convention No. 100, 111	Guarantees equal pay for work of equal value
		Examples
	Labor Code Articles 135, 136,137	•	Equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation
	New Family Code Art. 73	•	Women are to be paid wages equal to those of men for work of equal value
		•	Women need to have equal opportunities in promotion, training and scholarship
		•	It is unlawful to require women workers not to get married
Maternity Protection	RA 9208	"Anti-trafficking in Persons Act of 2003"
	ILO Convention 110	Guarantees maternity benefits for women workers
		Examples
	Social Securities Law Sections14, 18	•	The provision of medical benefits
		•	Women are provided a 45-day maternity leave for childbirth, abortion and miscarriage
	•	Women are provided prenatal, confinement, and post natal care
Protection for the vulnerable	ILO Convention No. 89	Guarantees special provisions for women
		Example
	Labor Code Art. 130/131	Women may not be compelled to work during the night with certain expectations
Minimum age of admission to employment	ILO Convention No. 59, No. 138,	Guarantees special provisions for young workers
		Examples
	Labor Article 139	•	Children under 16 may not be compelled to work at night
		•	Children under 15 may not be employed
		•	Children under 18 may not be employed unless permitted by the DOLE Secretary
		•	The minimum age for work is 18 if the job is hazardous to one's health, safety, or morals
Provision of education	ILO Resolution, 1965	Guarantees special provisions for domestic helpers
		Examples
	Labor Code, Ch. 3 Book III	•	The provision of universal education in the elementary and secondary levels
		•	Domestic helpers under 18 years old may be given the opportunity for at least an elementary-level education
		•	Children of school age are given by pre-college schooling by the State
Establishment of minimum compensation of work		Guarantees minimum wages
		Example
		Workers are to be paid a minimum hourly wage
Assurance of decent working conditions	ILO Convention No. 190	Guarantees maximum work hours and a minimum age for apprenticeship
	Women and Child Labor Law	Examples
		•	Children below 16 years old are not permitted to work for more than seven hours a day
	Labor Code Art. 150	•	No children below 14 years old are allowed to be apprentices
	Republic Act (RA) 9231	Sets the minimum age of admission to employment, and provides assurance of decent working conditions
Protection of workers' rights	ILO Convention No. 87	Guarantees the right to associate and organize, the right to collective bargaining, and the right to engage in industrial action
		Examples
		•	Young workers can join trade unions
		•	Unions can negotiate wages and working conditions with employers
		•	Young workers can join strikes to achieve union demands
Abolition of the worst forms of child labor	ILO Convention No. 182	Guarantees the immediate elimination of child labor in hazardous workplaces, as well as the elimination of child trafficking, prostitution, etc.
	RA 9231 & RA 7658	Prohibits the employment of children below 15 years of age

 

In line with the Medium-Term Youth Development Plan 1999-2004, the national government has undertaken programs in the area of youth employment. The following table briefly describes each:

Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE)
Program Title	Brief Description
Working Youth	Aimed at strengthening working youth organizations to increase their level of
Center (WYC)	awareness on matters affecting workers and to develop their skills to equip them for
	employment
Special Program for	Helps poor but deserving students and OSYs pursue their education by providing or
Employment of	augmenting their income by encouraging their employment during summer and/or
Students (SPES)	Christmas vacation.
	From year 2000-2004, a total of 425,875 students were placed by the 16 regional
	offices during Summer and Christmas vacations.
Work Appreciation	Its main objective is to develop work values, work appreciation and work ethic
Program (WAP)	among the youths by exposing them to actual work situations
	The payment of a private employer is not less than 75% of the prevailing minimum
	wage to youth participants.
	Over a five (5)-year period, WAP has assisted 45,571 youths.
Career Guidance	Conducts guidance counseling for youth aged 18 to 25 years, to assist them in
Day	choosing a career after graduation
Kasanayan at	Objective: To provide new entrants to the labor force and the unemployed with
Hanapbuhay Program	opportunity to acquire work experience and/or enhance/upgrade their skills which
	are of prime importance to employers in hiring new employees. On the other hand,
Components:	this will serve as a venue for private companies to demonstrate their corporate
apprenticeship	social responsibility and at the same time contribute to the development of the
	country's human resources.
Legal Basis: DO No.
68-04 s. 2004	Target: 200,000 apprentices trained annually
	Target Beneficiaries: any unemployed person 15 years old and above
Emergency	Objective: This is an emergency employment project for the out-of-school youth
Employment for Out-	(OWYs/OSYs) which was developed in response to Pres. GMAs directive to focus
of-School Youth/Out-	national government efforts on creating jobs and livelihood opportunities for the
of-Work in Metro	vulnerable groups. KKK project is the youth component of the Kabuhayan 2003
Manila	program of the Department of Labor and Employment and shall be implemented in
	Metro Manila from 2005 onwards.
Components:
emergency	Target: 6,000 out-of-school youth/out-of-work youth hired in emergency
employment	employment for 2005-2010.
Legal Basis: DO No.	Target Beneficiaries: out-of-school youth/out-of-work youth (OSYs/OWYs)
43-03 s. 2003.
Community Sala'am	The Community Sala'am (Peace) Corp Project II was developed to provide the
(Peace) Corp Project	Muslim youth an option that is more positive and productive other than the armed
II	conflict.
	Under this project, 300 beneficiaries from the Province of Maguindanao will be
	provided with counseling services and education/training grants. Out of 300
	children/youth, 120 will be provided with educational grants and the other 180 will
	undergo vocational skills training. This will be conducted for a period of twenty-four
	(24) months. Partner agencies in the implementation of the project are the ARMM
	and Region XII Offices of DepEd, CHED, TESDA, DTU, DSWD, DOH and the
	PNP of the ARMM.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Program Title	Brief Description
The Unlad Kabataan	Geared towards the total development of the disadvantaged youth in terms of
Program for Youths	his/her spiritual, economic, physical, psychological, cultural and social development.
	It seeks to promote the development the development of the out-of-school youth
	and other disadvantaged youth to become self-reliant, economically productive, and
	socially responsible citizens able to contribute to the development of their family
	and community.
	Its targets are the out-of-school youth and other disadvantaged youth who are aged
	15 to 24 years old and single.
Working Street	Aimed at rescuing working children and youth from exploitative and hazardous
Youth (WSY)	occupations and reintegrated them with their families and communities.
Program
Immersion and	A series of activities where OSY volunteers are assigned in depressed barangays
Outreach Program	or centers/institutions to undertake activities, such as assisting in the organization of
(IOP)	Pag-asa Youth Associations (PYAs) and initiating peer counseling, leadership
	training, sports, socio-cultural and recreational activities
Community Building	Organizes OSY volunteers to undertake community projects, such as tree planting,
Project	the repainting of facilities such as recreational and sports centers, etc.
Other Government Agencies
Program Title	Brief Description
Farm Youth	Aimed at developing young farm entrepreneurs by offering both training and
Development	livelihood support
Program (FYDP)
	Involved the training on integrated farming, entrepreneurial and cooperative
Department of	management skills training, as well as other activities including international
Agriculture (DA)	exchange programs and demonstration farms
Youth in Plant	Involves the youth in productive and constructive activities relating to plant nursery
Nursery	development for the production of good quality planting materials, through training
Development	in the maintenance and supervision of nurseries, enabling them to create income
(YPND)	generating projects to support their educational and career development needs
DA
Young Filipino	Financed enterprise training through industry immersion and on-the-job training in
Entrepreneur (YFE)	Taiwan
Program
	Also provided seed funding for trainees to start small enterprises on completion of
Department of Trade	training
and Industry (DTI)
Government	There are two categories of clientele under GIP: college/vocational and high school
Internship Program	students; and out-of-school youth (OSYs)
(GIP)
	The participants are given a stipend of not more than 75% of the government
NYC	minimum wage
	The agencies accommodate youth for a minimum of two months and maximum of
	three months
Youth	Enables the youth to become entrepreneurs through business training and mentoring
Entrepreneurship	and the provision of a loan facility to pave the way for the development of more
Program (YEP)	young entrepreneurs in the countryside
NYC
President's Youth	Year-round implementation of the component programs of the President's Summer
Work Program	Youth Work Program (PSYWP)
(PSYWP)
Youth in Infrastructure	Trains and involves the youth in labor intensive
Development (YID)	infrastructure projects in their own respective
	localities
Department of Public
Works and Highways
(DPWH)
	Through hands-on training, they are introduced to
	the value of discipline, hard work and labor, thus
	exposing them to actual work situations
	OSYs and students (aged 18 to 25) who are in
	technical-vocational courses are given priority for
	hiring
Cleanliness and Street
Maintenance Drive
	Conducts clean-ups of major thoroughfares in Metro
DPWH	Manila and all regions of the country
Tourism Training and
Appreciation Program	A series of tour programs that focus on the country's
(TTAP)	culture and natural heritage
Department of Tourism
(DOT)
	Imbibes youth with a sense of nationalism, discipline
	and concern for the preservation of our national
	heritage and the conservation of the environment
Health Outreach
Program (HOP)	Involves young Filipinos in medical missions and
	campaign programs of the DOH in the various
	municipalities and barangays all over the country
Department of Health
(DOH)
	Develops a strong sense of commitment and
	dedication to the importance of community
	volunteerism and service
Kabataan Reforestation	The program develops a sense of awareness on
Program (KRP)	environmental issues and problems, and the
Department of	government's response to address these issues
Environment and
Natural Resources
DENR)
	Implemented nationwide with the assistance of the
	SKs
	The DENR field office allocates at least 25% of their
	seedling production contracts to bonafide groups
Tree Planting Program	Provides seedlings and the guidance needed for
	young people to properly implement the program
DENR
	DENR identifies specific sites for the tree planting
	activities nationwide
Media Services for	Provides development communication services for
the Youth (MSY)	the youth through community and puppet theatre
Philippine Information	roadshows and theatre production
Agency (PIA)	services/workshops.
Youth in Infrastructure	Trains and involves the youth in labor intensive infrastructure
Development (YID)	projects in their own respective localities
DPWH	Through hands-on training, they are introduced to the value of
	discipline, hard work and labor, thus exposing them to actual work
	situations
	OSYs and students (aged 18 to 25) who are in technical-vocational
	courses are given priority for hiring
Youth Action For	Seeks to expose students and OSYs alike to the rudiments of
Sustainable	entrepreneurship, cooperativism, science, culture and arts, and
Development (YASD)	allows them to practice these in their respective communities
Department of
Education (DepEd)
Weekend Youth	A low-cost but high impact youth program of the various government
Brigade (WYB)	agencies and local government units, implemented during
	weekends.
	Private sector enterprises and organizations sponsor some aspects
	of the program, specifically the weekend tree planting and the
	weekend cleanliness drive

 

Policy Strategies and Proposed Activities

To address the issues identified by young Filipinos during the consultation process, and in support of government efforts to address youth employment concerns, youth and other youth-serving organizations all over the country have formulated the following youth employment goals for 2005 to 2010: (DoLE has specified targets for some items, please refer to Annex A)

• To decrease youth unemployment and underemployment

• To strengthen local job and enterprise creation and encourage more young Filipinos to take advantage of local job opportunities, while continuing to support young Filipinos who wish to take advantage of foreign job opportunities aAcDSC

• To provide opportunities to both schooled and out-of-school youth for the development of their skills, knowledge, and attitudes for livelihood

• To eradicate employment discrimination

• To eradicate child labor

• To develop awareness of and concern for OFW issues, and to provide support systems, structures, and programs for migrant workers and children of OFWs

Take it from them!

Livelihood Program for Out-of-School Youth:Project OYSTER

The Out-of-school Youth Servicing Towards Economic Recovery (OYSTER) project, initiated by the Philippine National Police (PNP), is an emergency economic assistance and development effort designed to provide gainful activities for out-of-school youth.

Its components include: Emergency work placement, skills development/training and educational assistance and socio-cultural activities.

The PNP in collaboration with various National Government Agencies and the Private sector work closely to fulfill the project's mission as a crime prevention strategy and as a mechanism for economic development.

The proposed strategies for achieving these are as follows:

Strategies	Activities	Possible Partners
Ensure youth employment via	Provide career guidance to young	DoLE
skills development, and career	students; ensure that career guidance	LGUs
guidance, etc.	counseling for students present non-	NGOs
	sexist/non-stereotype choices, especially	DepEd
	for female youth	TESDA
		CHED
Inculcate positive work values in	Design & implement education/training
school & training curricula	courses on enhancing positive work
	values
Institutionalize intensive training	Conduct training programs on emerging	DoLE
programs, such as those offered	employment trends; ensure that both	LGUs
in the call center and customer	females and males have equal access to	NGOs
care industry	and opportunities for training	Private sector
	Provide community-based computer
	centers and provide computer literacy &
	customer service training for youth
Strengthen employment creation	Conduct training programs on	DoLE
by promoting and developing	entrepreneurship	LGUs
comprehensive youth		Private sector
entrepreneurship programs and	Organize youth cooperatives	NGOs
marketing support for these		TESDA
	Establish credit facilities for young
	entrepreneurs
	Enable youth to participate in income-
	generating activities, especially those
	focused on agriculture
	Provide livelihood programs for young
	parents and parents of impoverished
	children and youth.
Intensify the implementation of	SPES	WAP and WYC at the
DoLE Youth Programs (NPACL)		provincial and
		municipal levels
Increase the availability of	Implement the Government Internship	DoLE
summer jobs and internships for	Program (GIP), or its equivalent, in all	Government agencies
students in both government	government institutions	Private sector
offices and private enterprises		LGUs
	Implement internship programs in private
	corporations and institutions
Conduct awareness campaigns	Conduct surveys, research and industry	DoLE
on available local job opportunities	consultations to get updates on the	LGUs
	human power needs of industries	NGOs
	Conduct job application seminars,
	workshops and tours (job fairs)
Strengthen advocacy efforts to	Advocate for improved salaries and	DOLE
protect the rights of young	benefits (e.g., at least minimum wage) to	Youth Org.
workers	encourage young people to take	NYC
	advantage of local job opportunities	SK
	Review, enhance, and monitor the
	implementation of labor policies to
	eliminate gender discrimination and
	provide safety nets to prevent the
	exploitation of young workers, especially
	those of females
	Conduct awareness campaigns on
	young workers' rights through symposia
	and other information dissemination
	activities
	Monitor and review existing labor
	policies
	Tap the social security system (SSS)
	and PhilHealth to provide information on
	social security protection for youth
	Monitor and review existing policies on
	the rights of youth workers.
	Strengthen anti-child labor task forces at
	provincial and municipal levels
Provide support/incentives to	Recognize outstanding employers,	DOLE
young entrepreneurs/workers	employees and young entrepreneurs	Private Sector
		OWWA
	Provide more support services (such as	CHED
	counseling sessions) for young OFWs	DFA-CFO
	Enable working students to continue
	working and studying at the same time,
	by providing them with flexible class
	schedules, or by making late-afternoon/night
	classes available
	Provide support for female youth with
	multiple responsibilities (e.g., working
	mothers), such as daycare centers,
	flexi-time schedules, among others
Support and protect migrant	Create and develop mass media	DOLE
workers and their families	programs that will inform and educate	Private Sector
	OFWs, their families, and other Filipinos	OWWA
	about the issues of migrant workers all	CHED
	over the world	DFA-CFO
		PIA
	Involve local governments, government	DepEd
	agencies, private enterprises, civil	LGUs
	society organizations, and educational	Civil Society
	institutions in promoting the welfare of	Organizations
	OFW families
	Build partnerships with private
	enterprises, especially
	telecommunications firms and those in
	the Information and Communication
	Technology (ICT) industry, to provide
	more avenues for communication
	between migrant workers and their
	families

 

Advancing Youth Employment in the Philippines

A sustainable livelihood is important for a young person's development and economic growth, as a steady, stable source of income allows him or her to be an active contributor to the national economy. Unfortunately, the employment outlook in the country is not so bright for many young Filipinos.

Because of this, the Philippine Youth Employment Network (PYEN) was established after the first Youth Employment Summit (YES) in Alexandria, Egypt. A non-profit, non-government organization with a vision of "an integrated, youth-led, multi-stakeholder of local, national and international organizations, both government and non-government, working for sustainable community-based livelihood for the Filipino youth nationwide", the PYEN aims to: create sustainable livelihood for Filipino youth in local communities nationwide; increase the capacity of local youth groups to undertake poverty alleviation programs; and build a strong and effective nationwide network of youth groups for monitoring and evaluation, as well as for advocacy activities.

Through partnerships with the ILO, the Consuelo Foundation, the DOLE, the NYC, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the Philippine Youth for Business Foundation (PYBF), the Employers' Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the PYEN successfully held the first National Convention on Youth Employment in May 2004, and has also piloted the Community-based Youth Entrepreneurship Program (CYEP).

The CYEP aims to harness the power of youth volunteerism by providing young Filipinos with skills and enterprise development training, access to micro-credit, and linkages to business mentors. Its pilot runs in Barangay San Vicente, Quezon City successfully trained 15 young entrepreneurs, who have each developed their own business plans. From this, PYEN is taking the CYEP to Tondo, Taguig, and later on in Regions IV, V, VII, IX, and XI. It will also hold the second National Convention on Youth Employment in 2005.

The Working Youth Center (WYC) is a program of the Bureau of Women and Young Workers, Department of Labor and Employment (BWYW-DOLE) which is being implemented nationwide (except in ARMM) by the DOLE Regional Offices to help all working youth between the ages of 15 to 30 years to organize themselves for their protection and benefit, receive training programs and employment opportunities, and be informed of government laws and regulations regarding employment. It also mobilizes different sectors to generate resources for youth employment programs. EaCDAT

To empower young Filipinos to be stakeholders in their own employment, the WYC also assists in the formation and operation of Working Youth Clubs around the country. These are groups of young employees and entrepreneurs who come together to develop and implement livelihood projects and advocacy and awareness programs for their communities. The WYC empowers the members of these Clubs to carry out their tasks through training programs that build their leadership and project management skills. cASEDC

As of 4th quarter of 2004, the WYC Program had already facilitated organization of 2,043 working youth associations/clubs, with a total of 57,172 members nationwide. It had conducted 5,060 capability building activities, benefiting 131,435 working youth participants, and had assisted 776 livelihood projects with 5,283 beneficiaries. The WYC has also linked the national government to the people, translating national programs, projects, and policy thrusts into grassroots-level projects and programs from which young workers from all over the country may benefit. Its efforts have earned the recognition of government agencies, LGUs and NGOs around the country, attracting partners from these sectors as resource persons and providers of technical and livelihood assistance where needed.

Eradicating Child Labor

Child labor is another employment issue in the country that needs to be addressed right away. Children are usually subjected to the worst of circumstances — from child slavery, forced labor, trafficking, debt bondage, and serfdom, to prostitution, pornography, and other forms of dangerous and abusive work. Because of this, the National Program Against Child Labor (NPACL) was established with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as the lead agency, and with the support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) thru the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Economic and Development Authority), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), National Council for Social Development (NCSD), and National Statistics Office (NSO). In 1993, these groups formed the Sagip Batang Manggagawa Quick Action Team.

The Sagip Batang Manggagawa (SBM) Project has worked to establish community-based mechanisms for detecting, monitoring and reporting the most hazardous forms of child labor, and it has also established Quick Action Team (QAT) Network Centers to immediately respond to these cases. More than these, it has provided physical and psychosocial services to child labor victims, technical assistance for the handling of both administrative and criminal cases against erring employers and recruitment agencies, and rescue and relief operations involving child laborers. It also facilitates the return of child laborers to their parents or guardians, and monitors and documents child labor cases in the country. From the time of its inception, the SBM Project has already rescued over 2,000 child laborers and over 1,300 adult workers and has conducted around 400 capability-building workshops that have benefited over 14,000 young workers nationwide.

Did you know...?

4Es of youth employment

• Employability Education and training, support in transition work

• Employment Creation Job-led economic growth, micro-enterprises and micro-credit

• Equity

Equal access to opportunities for all, especially for the marginalized

• Entrepreneurship Harness the creativity of youth entrepreneurs

- From the Youth Employment Network (YEN), an initiative of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations (UN), and the World Bank (WB)

Roles of the various stakeholders in advancing youth employment

• Youth

• Program partner

• Program monitor

• Policy Advocate

• Implementer, especially of youth entrepreneurship programs

• Young Filipinos need to be vigilant in ensuring that the proposed policies, programs, and courses of action are carried out. They need to be active advocates, program partners, and implementers — participating where they can, identifying entrepreneurial opportunities that they may carry out regardless of their educational background and social status, and not just waiting for other sectors to implement employment programs. They must actively contribute to the development of the Philippine economy whenever and wherever they can, maximizing their skills, talents and knowledge to uplift themselves and their fellow Filipinos.

• Government

• Convener of all concerned sectors

• Implementer of the Government Internship Program (GIP)

• Implementer and evaluator of training programs

• Provider of incentives to private sector firms that can provide credit facilities to young entrepreneurs

• Steward of youth workers' rights for the prevention of discrimination and abuse

• Private sector

• Implementer of internship programs

• Implementer and evaluator of training programs

• Provider of credit facilities to young entrepreneurs and promoter of youth entrepreneurship

• Provider of technical assistance and relevant training regarding entrepreneurship

• Implementer of labor laws, policies, and programs

• Program partner EaDATc

• NGOs

• Trainer and mentor of young people and youth groups for employment and/or entrepreneurship

• Policy advocate

• Academe

• Provider of incentives to working students and young people with entrepreneurial capabilities

• Program partner

• Trainer and provider of technical assistance

• Researcher

• Media

• Advocate

• Family

• Mentor and counselor, especially when it comes to helping young Filipinos make sound career and/or business decisions

• Provider of financial, psychological, and emotional support for their children's entrepreneurial activities, to ensure that young people's business activities become fruitful and lead to a young person's personal and professional growth

• Monitor and evaluator of employment/entrepreneurial policies and programs

Policy Agenda:

5. Ensure the acceptability, accessibility, availability and affordability of cultural- and gender- sensitive/responsive health services and facilities for adolescents and youth, especially in regard to adolescent health and youth development (AHYD)

6. Reduce the adverse effects of risk behavior among Filipino youth such as drug/substance abuse.

When it comes to health, young Filipinos are concerned about negative risk behaviors, both non-sexual and sexual. Prominent among these are drug dependence and engaging in pre-marital sex that may result in teen pregnancies, early marriages, abortion and sexually transmitted infections.

The latest data on youth sex and risk behaviors come from the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS3). According to this, the Philippines had 3.4million drug dependents as of 2002. More than half of these drug dependents were within 15 to 27 years old. That means almost two million young people in this country have tried illegal substances — and this number may have already substantially risen as of this document's publication. Moreover, it has been discovered that more males than females are victims of substance abuse; and that illegal drug use is closely associated with low standard of living, poverty, unemployment, idleness, disasters, armed conflicts, violence and lack of education, among others.

Moreover, drug use and abuse has also been linked to such chronic illnesses, like tuberculosis and mental disorder, as well as high-profile crimes, such as rape, incest and murder. The fact that the Philippines is "geographically vulnerable" to the entry of illegal drugs because of its numerous shorelines poses even greater risks to Filipino youth.

Aside from being dependent on drugs, many young Filipinos are also involved in two or more risk behaviors, with smoking and drinking being the top "risk behavior tandem". The YAFS3 data show that 86% of young Filipinos had tried smoking, drinking, or taking drugs at least once. Of this number, 5 out of 6 adolescents smoke and drink regularly. The remaining 14% is involved in smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use. CcaASE

Did you know...?

Of the 16.5 million young people in the Philippines as of 2002...

• 1.8 million have tried using dangerous drugs

• 9.2 million have tried smoking

• 11.6 million have drunk alcoholic beverages

Young Filipinos are also actively engaged in sexual risk behaviors, such as pre-marital sex, commercial sex activity or sexual activity with pay, and extra-marital sexual activity. The same study quoted above revealed that 23.1% of all youth respondents have had pre-marital sex, with more males (31.3%) having done so than females (15.7%).

Moreover, YAFS3 also revealed the following:

• Twenty-one percent practiced contraception during their first premarital sexual intercourse

• A third (34.8%) have had sex with more than one partner

• Four percent approves of abortion

• Twelve percent has, at one time or another, thought of committing suicide

• The incidence of pre-marital sexual activity remained higher among males and among members of the older age group (20-24 years)

This study also showed that situations or characteristics that contribute to such risk behaviors are: low educational attainment, being out of school, and being in unstable marital conditions (such as having been in a live-in marital arrangement, separated or widowed).

These figures verify the issues and concerns that young Filipinos have identified for themselves:

• The increasing number of young people exposed to illegal drug and substance abuse (specifically shabu, marijuana and rugby)

• The increasing prevalence of other sexual and non-sexual risk behaviors, such as pre-marital sex, smoking and excessive drinking

• The increasing number of youth exposed to or affected by HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

• The increasing number of teenage pregnancies

• The increasing prevalence of abortion

• The increasing number of maternal deaths among young mothers

• The increasing prevalence of suicide

According to the YAPS 2004 study, the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) in 2003 conducted another study that supports the above figures. It reveals that 62% of reported STI cases and 29% of HIV/AIDS cases involved the youth. Furthermore, youth pregnancies accounted for 30% of all births, 6% of spontaneous abortions, and 3 out of 4 maternal deaths.

These figures underscore the need for young Filipinos to be more aware of health issues, develop a healthy sense of self-respect, and understand the possible consequences of their risk behaviors. More than engaging in sports and other leisurely activities to distract themselves from drugs and other risk behaviors, young Filipinos must learn to make healthy decisions and actively pursue a positive lifestyle that contributes to their overall health development.

Did you know...?

• 3.8 million young Filipinos have engaged in pre-marital sex, with almost 80 percent of them practicing unprotected sex

 • 2 million young Filipinos have thought of committing suicide

In view of the stated facts, emerging issues and problems on health development are the following:

• The lack of basic health services and access to health facilities

• The lack of information on health concerns among the youth

Related to these are the following sub-issues:

• The increasing number of cases of violence against children (e.g., rape)

• The increasing number of commercialized sexually exploited teenagers

• The conservative stance of some responsible sectors with regard to sex education

• Limited funds for youth health projects and the lack of LGU-funded adolescent and youth health development projects

• Limited access to potable water

• For the 15-to-17-year-olds, an important concern is the need for quality education and training in regard to reproductive health education and the effective implementation of the Population Education Program

• The 1993-1998 data on nutrition pointed to the prevalence of thinness as increasing by 4.0 percentage points and to overweight by 0.5 percentage points for both male and female adolescents, aged 11-19 years. Over a period of 5 years, the prevalence of overweight among male adolescents decreased by 1.4 percentage points and among female adolescents it increased by 2.5 percentage points (Food and Nutrition Research Institute).

Reproductive health rights surfaced as an issue during the various regional consultations for the National Framework for Youth Development. This issue deepened the discussion on youth sexual risk behaviors and raised various responses. In fact, heated debates would rage on whether the correct approach would be to promote abstinence from sex or to promote safe sex, or the use of contraceptives. And though no compromise was ever reached, the only common ground between the groups involved was that this issue was too pressing to be ignored and that a values-based approach should be taken.

Government Efforts to Address Youth Health Issues and Concerns

The Department of Health (DOH) is the principal government agency responsible for the development of health policies, guidelines and standards. Most health services have been devolved to the local government units as provided for in the 1991 Local Government Code. ETCcSa

Since 2001, the DOH has been implementing the Adolescent and Youth Health and Development Program (AYHDP). The program's interventions are focused on the following youth issues:

• Reproductive health (RH)-related problems, such as: unwanted teenage pregnancy; STI/HIV/AIDS, abortion

• Substance use/abuse

• Mental health problems

• Intentional/unintentional injuries

• Nutrition problems

To address these issues, the DOH undertook the following activities from 2000 to 2004:

• Developed the first adolescent and youth health policy (2000)

• Developed, reproduced and disseminated the guidebook on the AYHDP to CHDs and LGU health offices

• Issued a Department Circular on the celebration of National Youth Day

• Developed an AYHDP training program for health and non-health service providers

• Installed the DOH-AYHDP website HAICET

• Conducted fertility awareness orientations among high school students in selected schools in Metro Manila

• Developed and disseminated a manual of compilation of health messages for adolescents

• Conducted an Adolescent Health Forum for managers and health providers

• Developed the first draft of clinical guidelines for adolescents (DOH-AYHDP Report, 2004)

The DOH was able to source funds for its AYHD Program from international agencies such as the UNFPA, World Health Organization and the UNICEF.

Aside from the abovementioned programs, the DOH, in cooperation with other government agencies and LGUs, has also developed policies to improve the overall health situation in the Philippines. These policies have the following features:

• They are community-based, more localized approaches to health service delivery.

• They mobilize the support and participation of private individuals and organizations in health programs and activities.

• They are integrated and responsive health service delivery mechanisms, based on the life cycle approach.

A summary of these is found in the table below:

POLICY INITIATIVE	DESCRIPTION
Alma Ata Declaration on	Forms the basis for the promotion and devolution of health
Primary Health Care (1978)	services towards a community-based approach
International Conference on	Signals the Philippines' commitment to strengthening
Population and Development	reproductive health strategies, with youth as a special focus
Programme for Action (1994)	for action
Lisbon Declaration of Youth	Ensures that national youth policy formulation,
Policies and Programmes	implementation and follow-up processes are accorded the
(1998)	highest political priorities — which includes the provision of
	adequate resources for health and drug substance abuse
Proclamation No. 603, Child	The Code provides for the promotion of the child's welfare
and Youth Welfare Code	and the enhancement of her/his opportunities for a useful
	and happy life
Philippine Medium-Term	Contains sub-sectoral policies and strategies relating to
Development Plan (PMTDP)	health, nutrition and population. Central to the PMTDP is the
1999-2004	devolution strategy, which aimed to shift the focus of the
	health care system away from the national level towards the
	district and provincial levels
	It also focuses on increasing public participation in health
	and nutrition activities, and in improving access to, and
	quality of, reproductive health services.
Philippine Medium-Term	Facilitated by the National Youth Commission, the Plan is
Youth Development Plan	based on the PMTDP, and identifies common issues of drug
(PMTYDP) 1999-2004	abuse, physical abuse and violence against women, among
	others
National Plan for Health 1995-2020	Consists of national health strategies, as follows:
	establishing a referral system; mobilizing NGOs and the
	private sector; increasing program accessibility; creating
	'one-stop-shops' for teenagers; designing programs to
	address psychological and social aspects of adolescent
	stress; initiating a national 'Health Programme Hot Line'; and
	recruiting and training health workers to deal with adolescent
	clients
National Health Objectives	Contains a national strategy for improving the health of the
1999-2004	Filipinos. It adopts a life cycle approach and lists adolescent
	and youth health as a special target category under the
	national goal of promoting the health and nutrition of
	families. The following package of services has been
	recommended: illness management; counseling on
	substance abuse, sexuality and reproductive tract infections;
	nutrition and diet counseling; mental health; and family
	planning and responsible sexual behavior

 

Policy Strategies and Proposed Activities

To address the issues identified by young Filipinos during the consultation process, and in support of government efforts to address youth health concerns, youth and other youth-serving organizations all over the country have formulated the following health goals for 2005 to 2010:

• To make potable water more accessible to young people and communities

• To provide at least 50 percent of the targeted youth in each region with basic health services and information, including on AHYD

• To decrease the number of youth exposed to illegal drug and substance abuse, specifically shabu, marijuana, and rugby

• To decrease the prevalence of other sexual and non-sexual risk behaviors among the youth, and therefore decrease the number of HIV/AIDS and STI cases, teenage pregnancies, abortions and other related cases.

• To increase the youth's awareness of the disadvantages of the identified risk behaviors (i.e., smoking, drinking, taking illegal drugs, pre-marital sex) SCEDaT

• To address the lack of LGU funding for youth health-related projects by seeking partnerships with private corporations, NGOs, SK units and other institutions that may be able to support localized youth health projects

• To produce accurate, relevant, and interesting educational and advocacy materials on AHYD and other crucial health issues that will help young Filipinos understand and respond to these issues

The proposed strategies and activities to achieve these are as follows:

Strategies	Activities	Possible Partners
Increase budgetary support for	Enact local policies to allocate budgetary	LGUs
youth health	support for youth health programs and projects	Private Sector
		DOH
Provide access to basic health	Mobilize SK funds for basic health programs	DepED/CHED
services and information among	for young people, including programs on	Senate/Congress
youth	adolescent and youth health development	DENR
		SK
Ensure the strict implementation of	Effectively tap government, non-government	PIA
solid waste management programs	and private funding for health projects	POPCOM
at the school and barangay levels
	Strengthen inter-agency linkages and
Strengthen linkages/partnerships	coordination for the effective delivery of health
among concerned government	services and advocacy on health and
agencies, LGUs, NGOs, people's	environment-related issues
organizations (POs) and faith-based
sectors to effect policy	Institutionalize functional guidance counseling
support and allocation of resources	services at the secondary and tertiary levels of
for youth basic health & AHYD	education
programs
	Strengthen advocacy efforts for the provision of
Strengthen and reinforce the	adolescent health services, including sexuality
implementation of the existing	education or counseling
policies and laws on AHYD
	Intensify advocacy efforts to sensitize national
	and local policy-makers and stakeholders to
	generate their commitment and support to the
	AHYD program
	Enact laws and policies on adolescent health to
	ensure that they have access to information on
	health and sexuality, education, communication
	and comprehensive reproductive health
	services
Establish and improve user-friendly,	Identify health services and create health	DOH
culturally sensitive and	packages that are suitable to young persons	POPCOM
gender sensitive/responsive		LGUs
adolescent/youth centers	Establish health facilities and centers catering	NGOs
	especially to young people, and to address their	SK
Integrate youth psychological	identified youth issues	PIA
health services in local health		Youth Orgs.
centers	Establish networks of teen centers and
	rehabilitation centers
	Provide community-based peer-counseling
	services, especially for youth at risk, similar to
	that being done by the Peer Counselors' Circle
	of Foundation University; ensure that counseling
	given to young persons are gender-sensitive
	and gender-responsive
	Ensure that information and communication
	materials that will be produced related to these
	issues are youth-friendly and relevant to the
	target audiences
	Promote affordable and quality child/youth care
	services that will provide parents (especially
	young parents) with more choices to balance
	work and family life and promote the overall
	health of young persons, families, and
	communities
Strengthen efforts to reduce the	Strengthen anti-drug advocacy efforts	PDEA
demand for illegal drugs &		DOH
substance use	Implement tighter measures to prohibit tobacco,	DDB
	alcohol and illegal substance use among youth	DSWD
		PNP
	Collaborate with parents, schools, religious	LGUs
	groups and communities, as well as with other	PIA
	youth-serving organizations, to successfully	SK
	implement community-based programs and	Youth Orgs.
	advocacy efforts
	Strictly implement the no-smoking policy in
	public places, especially near schools and other
	areas frequented by young people
Design and implement monitoring	Establish monitoring and evaluation systems	DOH
tools for youth health, particularly	and processes related to these issues,	LGUs
relating to these issues and youth	especially at the community level	PNP
behaviors		POPCOM
	Establish a databank to document cases and	PSC
	success stories related to these issues; enable
	access to relevant information on how to
	address youth health issues at the community
	level; and encourage local governments and
	communities to replicate successful programs or
	projects
Promote positive values on health	Promote a holistic healthy lifestyle that goes	DOH
among youth	beyond sports and physical fitness	NGOs
		LGUs
	Develop youth programs that focus on building	SK
	and strengthening life skills and value formation	PIA
		MTRCB
Advocate for responsible media	Regulate media exposure of sexual exploitation	PIA
	and other related risk behaviors among youth	MTRCB
		OMB
		Private Sector
		Youth Org.
		NGOs
Empower young women through	Promote programs for women and men to	DOH
effective information and	address issues of gender sensitivity, adolescent	POPCOM
educational campaigns or social	health and the prevention of violence against	DSWD
support services (e.g., PhilHealth	women and children	PNP
insurance) for wider access and to		NCRFW
and effective use of available		SK
services.
Strengthen anti-drug advocacy	Conduct anti-drug advocacy campaigns for	DOH
efforts	youth	POPCOM
		DSWD
	Information-education-communication (IEC)	PNP
	production & distribution	PDEA
		DDB
	Conduct training on life skills	NGOs
		Private Sector
		DILG
		Youth Org.

 

Mobilizing communities and youth volunteers for quality health care

Aside from inadequate hospitals and health care facilities and equipment, the country also has to grapple with the rising number of health care professionals who leave the country in search of greener pastures. For years now, the Philippines has been sending doctors, nurses, physical therapists, caregivers and other health care professionals abroad, leaving Filipinos back home with less access to quality health care. ITAaHc

One viable solution to this problem is to mobilize medical students, youth volunteers and medical organizations to help communities with no access to quality health care facilities. Two entries to the TAYO search in 2003 and 2004 were recognized for having done just that.

Kapansan ay Akibat sa Kaunlaran ng Bayan (KAAKBAY), a winner of the TAYO search in 2003, was established in the late 90s by Michael Velilla, a licensed physical therapist from Davao Doctor's College, who saw that only a small number of Filipinos had access to rehabilitation services. Velilla sought the help of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Socio-Economic Development Foundation (SALORSED), an NGO based in Davao City, as well as of other medical professionals in the area, for him to be able to practice his profession for the benefit of under-resourced communities. Soon after, other licensed Physical Therapists and interns from Cagayan Capitol College and Davao Doctors' College joined his cause.

This led to the formation of the KAAKBAY Rehabilitation Center, which provides physical therapy treatment and other related services to marginalized communities in and around Davao City. With the support of the SALORSED, the New Zealand Embassy, and other physical therapy and caregiver schools, KAAKBAY has been able to treat thousands of patients in the area.

The Mu Sigma Phi Fraternity of the University of the Philippines-Manila, a finalist to the 2004 TAYO search, has a similar mission, but its members provide medical care to far-flung communities outside of Manila. From its inception in 1933, the fraternity's medical students had been conducting medical missions within Metro Manila, but that changed when a member from Oriental Mindoro encouraged the group to look beyond the metropolis. In his province, people had very little access to health care; children had insufficient immunization; the incidence of miscarriage was high; young individuals frequently suffered from intestinal parasitism; and there was no functioning health center nearby that could attend to Mindoro residents' and native Mangyans' medical and emergency needs.

The first medical mission, in Mindoro, done in coordination with a local NGO and with donations from various groups, treated around 1,300 patients. For the second medical mission, Mu Sigma Phi not only treated 1,700 patients, but its members also offered health education to the local community health workers and barangay councils. Since then, the fraternity has adopted communities in Oriental Mindoro for its projects and has treated over 3,600 patients more.

Saying "no", in kids' voices

The power of peer counseling is that young people are educated and counseled on sensitive issues by fellow youth with whom they can relate and in whom they trust, in a language and voice that is familiar to them. They are not given the "during-my-time" sermons frequently used by the elders; and they are not condemned outright for engaging in risk behavior. When young people counsel their fellow peers, they understand the feeling, thoughts, and motivations behind the actions. CTAIHc

The Jordan Youth Movement of Guimaras province recognized this and established a program to help young people in their community cope with challenging life issues. Aside from being in a child-friendly municipality in the first place (Jordan has been declared a child-friendly municipality by the UNICEF, and even has its own Children's Code that looks after children's rights and development), the Jordan Youth Movement has emphasized the rights and responsibilities of young community members, and has mobilized Jordan's youth to look after their own.

Its flagship program, Advocate Children on Trends and Issues that Value Education (ACTIVE), was a series of talks and dialogues that discussed a wide range of topics, from leadership and communication, to adolescent reproductive health, AIDS, teenage pregnancy, and early marriage. What made the forum unique was that its facilitators and resource speakers were all trained youth leaders who spoke to the audience in their language, and on their terms. To be a self-perpetuating community, ACTIVE "alumni" are trained to be future facilitators, moderators, and resource speakers.

Jordan Youth Movement and Peer Counselors Circle are only two of the many youth organizations that provide peer counseling services to veer young Filipinos away from risk behavior. Certainly, there are many more out there whose efforts are just as laudable. What is important is for communities and peer groups (barkadas) to recognize the roles that they play in shaping youth attitudes, and their responsibility in correcting risky behavior. By stepping up to this challenge, young people will be able to form communities that stand up for and protect each other from the dangers of youth risk behavior.

Take it from them!

Peer Counselors Circle of Foundation University:

Peer Pleasure

An excerpt from TAYO 2, the official publication of the second TAYO Search (2004)

In the Foundation University of Dumaguete City, the problem was that there were not enough people to listen to all the problems of the vast student populace. There were only two counselors available to lend a sympathetic ear to over 3,000 students.

The Peer Counselors Circle was thus born in 2000 after several responsible, sincere, and committed students were called upon to form the core of the new group.

The club's Vice-President, Sheila Tuale, recalls of that time, "The school had a problem. Dropout cases had increased; there were unwanted student pregnancies and even suicide cases." Those who answered the call to help their peers jumped in head-first and dove immediately into guidance and counseling training. Before long, they began to counsel the students.

These peer counselors who were talking the talk were soon walking the walk. They became instrumental and vital in the school's guidance program. Aside from facilitating the guidance classes of all the freshmen students, they have also assisted in teaching the school's sex education program. They have also conducted research, study habits, and goal setting seminars, as well as values clarification, decision making, and human resources training. As if that were not enough, the Peer Counselors Circle even conducts outreach programs off-campus by visiting barangays and offering counseling services.

Roles of the various stakeholders

     • Youth

• Program partner

• Program monitor

• Policy Advocate

• Implementer, especially of peer counseling programs, anti-drug programs and reproductive health programs for schools, peer groups, and youth organizations

• Youth health is an area that touches on many sensitive issues, especially among adolescents and young adults. The primary health concerns — especially regarding sexual and non-sexual risk behaviors — may only be addressed with the support and active participation of young people themselves.

Here, the barkada or peer group plays an important role in influencing young people to be proactive in safeguarding their health and in adopting a healthy lifestyle that encompasses physical, emotional/psychological, and even spiritual health.

• Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)

• Program implementer, especially of advocacy efforts, peer counseling programs, etc.

• Policy reviewer and advocate

• Government

• Policy maker, reviewer, and advocate

• Program implementer, as in the case of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

• Provider of technical assistance and research, as in the case of the Population Commission (POPCOM) and the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI)

• Civil society (including NGOs, the academe, and faith-based groups)

• Program implementer

• Policy advocate

• Community educator and mobilizer

• Media

• Disseminator of information and advocate

• Program partner

• Private sector

• Advocate

• Supporter of media and other programs that educate youth consumers regarding the identified issues

• Program partner

• Family

• Program partner

• Advocate

• Mentor and counselor

• Provider of financial, psychological, and emotional support especially when a young person is having difficulty coping with life issues that may cause him/her to turn to risk behaviors as a form of distraction. More than the barkada or peer group, it is the family's support, guidance and vigilance that will ultimately further adolescent and youth health development in the country.

• Monitor and evaluator of health policies and programs

Policy Agenda:

7. Strengthen youth participation in community and youth development activities, such as in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating youth programs and projects.

8. Integrate the youth agenda and concerns in local and national development plans. DCISAE

Young Filipinos, in general, feel that they are adequately involved in decisions that affect their lives. The youth — regardless of gender and type of residence — are involved in, and have significant influence in, key activities and decisions that affect their lives at home, in school, and in the organizations to which they belong. What they severely lack is involvement and influence in community and local affairs.

Although the youth participate in government programs and projects during the implementation stages, they are not involved in the more crucial stages of program/project development, such as in project identification and selection, project planning, and evaluation. Moreover, youth in younger age groups are not as aware of social issues as youth in older age groups.

The YAPS study says the following about youth participation:

". . . FGDs conducted reveal that the Filipino youth have (a) significant and high level of participation at home, in school, and in their organizations. . . Youth organizations have been responding to a wide array of issues. These issues cover concerns of the youth, as well as broader national concerns. They have participated in conventional and radical actions in addressing these issues. . . The challenge is to institutionalize support for these organizations and weave their individual experiences that can support and spur initiatives throughout the country."

When asked to identify their issues and concerns regarding youth participation, participants of the consultation workshops stated the following:

• Growing apathy among the youth regarding national issues and other community affairs

• The low participation of youth in community development activities, and in environmental and cultural preservation and protection

• Lack of awareness on laws and policies concerning youth participation at the international level

• The limited participation of the youth in the planning and evaluation stages of local government projects

• The widespread perception of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) as an inactive/non-performing entity

• The weak governance of student councils regarding the implementation of student's rights and welfare

For their part, national government agencies have programs and services that address the different needs and problems of the youth. However, much should still be done to strengthen institutional support for youth participation. Adequate financial, physical, and human resources for youth development interventions must be provided. Inter-agency coordination and collaboration, especially regarding youth-centered programs, should be further promoted. The potential resources and expertise that can be accessed through the private sector and civil society have yet to be maximized.

The YAPS study reveals the following information about institutional responses to youth concerns:

• There is a gap in service provision, regulatory function and national planning in addressing youth participation

• There is a need for mechanisms that would institutionalize effective coordination and collaboration among the agencies

• There is a need for strategies to enhance youth participation in all government programs, projects and activities for youth promotion

• It is imperative to create a policy environment that would encourage the prioritization of youth concerns in the agencies' development agenda

• There is a need to build strategic alliances with the private sector and civil society in order to tap support for youth development

• Even if the youth in certain localities perceive a lack of services for their sector, LGUs and civil society groups of the same areas claim that they give priority attention to the youth

• There is an acknowledgment among local service providers that there is still much to be done to meet youth needs/concerns

• Civil society, especially the Church-based groups, is significantly active in youth development

• Respondents are much more aware of the SK than the youth they seek to represent. They also believe that SK effectiveness can be further enhanced

• Respondents lack knowledge about the mandated role of the SK. But they see that the SK has a role in setting a good example for the youth

• Improving access to quality education is the youth need that has been least responded to by organizations, yet these same organizations see education as an important element in fulfilling their vision for the youth TSEAaD

• Collaboration among youth-serving organizations is seen as a key to the attainment of the youth vision The youth's important role in attaining their vision is affirmed

• Organizations see women as taking more active roles in promoting youth development efforts

Similarly, a number of issues and concerns with regard to youth participation were raised during our consultation workshops:

• The disparate definition of "youth"

• The lack of comprehensive data on the current youth situation in the country (Hence the need for the YAPS 2004 and local youth situationers.)

• The lack of a clearly articulated youth development framework

• The lack of coordination in the implementation of youth programs, non-prioritization or wrong prioritization of youth matters, ineffective utilization of resources for youth programs and the incapability of LGUs to respond to youth needs and concerns (Hence the need to mainstream and localize the national youth plan, convene and increase coordination among multi-stakeholder groups in the local levels.)

Government Efforts to Address Youth Participation Issues and Concerns

The Philippine government recognizes the central role that young Filipinos play in national development. Youth rights and responsibilities are enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, the Local Government Code of 1991, as well as in other government documents and policies. NGOs and private sector organizations and enterprises have supported the government effort to get more young people involved in local governance and community-building. All over the country, youth organizations are flourishing and staking a claim in their future.

The following table shows the various initiatives and programs that have been institutionalized to encourage and support youth participation in the Philippines:

Program Title	Description
Youth Organization	The registration of youth organizations and youth-serving organizations is
Registration Program	meant to foster cooperation among these organizations in addressing
(YORP)	youth concerns, and to facilitate sharing of information and best practices
	among them.
Ten Accomplished Youth	TAYO identifies outstanding youth organizations, clubs and societies who
Organizations (TAYO)	have been helping their communities by way of their well-crafted and
	highly applicable and effective programs. It recognizes, rewards and
	encourages contributions made by groups of young Filipinos for the
	progress of our society.
Local Youth Development	The LYDC is an organization at the city and municipal level with
Council/Local Youth	representatives from various devolved government agencies, local
Development Plan	government departments, NGOs, the SK federation, and the community,
	student and church based organizations.
	LYDC Ordinances have been enacted in Pilar and Naga City, Marawi
	City, Tabaco City and Albay City, and in the province of Bohol. Pending
	LYDC Ordinances are in: Pili, Camarines Sur; Daet, Camarines Norte;
	Bonbon, Camarines Sur; Barili, Cebu, and Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Integrated Sangguniang	A training program designed to give SK leaders necessary information on
Kabataan Organizational	how they would be able to relate with their constituents and how to
Leadership and	perform their obligations to the best of their abilities.
Reorientation Program
(ISKOLAR)
Ten Outstanding Young	Done together with the National Movement of Young Legislators, the
Legislators of the	TOYLP seeks to recognize the efforts of young legislators towards youth
Philippines	development and their exemplary execution of their duties as elected
	local government officials. (See Section on Organizational Indicators of
	Youth Participation)
Presidential Youth	The Presidential Youth Fellowship Program (PYFP) provides a venue for
Fellowship Program)	young achievers to intern with top level officials of the government. This
(PYFP	exposure to the inner workings of government will hopefully inspire these
	top graduates to consider a career in this sector.

 

Did you know...?

• That the most commonly implemented youth program among government agencies is the on-the job training/internship program

• The youth programs with the largest budget allocations are:

• Highly specialized training in relation to science and technology

• International youth exposure

• Recognition and awards to outstanding youth and youth organizations

• The youth program with the lowest budget allocation is youth health.

• A lot of dubious local and international conferences are held throughout the year. To protect themselves from scams, youth representatives to such activities may verify their details with the NYC.

Roles of youth-serving agencies

Aside from these programs, youth-serving agencies and organizations must step up their efforts to respond to the increasing needs of the youth and perform these mandated roles:

• Policy formulation

• Program development and implementation

• National planning

• Service provision

• Research/monitoring and evaluation

• Networking and mobilization

• Other regulatory functions

Policy Strategies and Proposed Activities

To address the issues identified by young Filipinos during the consultation process, and in support of government efforts to address youth participation concerns, youth and other youth-serving organizations all over the country have formulated the following youth participation and institutional response goals for 2005 to 2010:

• To ensure the attainment of a common vision for young Filipinos

• To integrate youth agenda and concerns in local and national development plans TDAHCS

• To strengthen the participation of youth in community, environment, cultural and youth development activities

• To increase the youth's participation in the planning and evaluation stages of local government activities

• To strengthen the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)'s participation in national and local development and institute reforms in the system to make it more responsive to the needs of the youth sector

• To enhance the SK's and other youth groups' capabilities to perform their tasks and to effectively respond to the varied needs of the youth sector

• To increase youth awareness of laws and policies related to youth participation, rights and responsibilities

• To strengthen student governments' governance on students' rights and welfare

• To maximize and ensure the effective and efficient use of resources for youth programs

• To develop age-specific and gender-based youth policies and programs that are appropriate to the specific and distinct needs and situation of young Filipinos

• To ensure the effective implementation of programs that respond to the needs of the youth, and improve coordination between implementing bodies AHCcET

• To enhance the capabilities of service providers to effectively manage youth cases

• To ensure the timely and comprehensive assessment of the youth situation in the Philippines.

Strategies	Activities	Possible Partners
Mandate youth-serving	Agree on a single definition of "youth"	NYC
agencies to implement a		LGUs
comprehensive youth program	Build strategic alliances with the private sector	SK
	and civil society for youth development support	Youth Orgs.
	and strengthen the participation of all
	stakeholders on youth programs and projects
	Collaborate with private sector and civil society
	organizations to generate resources (financial,
	material, human) for youth development
	programs
Generate and allocate	Mandate the SK to allot a percentage of the SK	DILG
sufficient resources for the	budget to recognize outstanding organizations	DBM
implementation of youth	in each barangay	LGUs
programs		NYC
	Ensure the representation of the NYC during
	budget calls in Congress and youth-serving
	agencies
Promote and facilitate the	Create youth desks/focal points in government	LGUs
increased participation and	agencies and train these to ably respond to	Senate/Congress
involvement of the youth in the	youth issues and concerns	DepEd
family, community and society.		OCD-DND
	Appoint youth representatives to local	CHED
Institutionalize youth	governance structures	DA
participation in local governing		DOLE
and executive councils	Establish a Youth Development Center, or,	DSWD
	strengthen existing youth structure in each	DENR
Increase the youth's	barangay	NYC
awareness of laws and policies		Youth Orgs.
related to youth participation,	Encourage youth membership in Barangay	SK
rights and responsibilities	Disaster Coordinating Councils	PIA
Institutionalize venues for
youth participation in schools,	Promulgate laws to include the youth in first aid,
and advocate for and	mass evacuation, and disaster management
institutionalize students' rights	operations, as what is being done by Philippine
	Rescue 2000
	Advocate for and institutionalize youth rights in
	schools
	Strengthen the implementation of the National
	Service Training Program (NSTP)
	Institutionalize student councils and student
	publications in all educational institutions
	Strengthen student councils' governance on
	students' rights and welfare
	Ensure students' participation and
	representation in school boards
	Ensure that females are represented in youth
	decision-making bodies, such as in the
	Sangguniang Kabataan, student councils, etc.
	Advocate for the passage of the Magna Carta of
	Students' Rights
	Integrate environmental concerns in school
	curricula; Organize youth groups and mobilize
	them for the conservation and protection of the
	environment
	Conduct information campaigns on laws,
	policies, and programs on youth participation,
	rights, and responsibilities
	Provide avenues for the continued discussion of
	youth issues and concerns in schools and
	barangays
	Coordinate the activities of out-of-school and	LGUs
	in-school youth within communities through	NGOs
	schools, religious organizations, and other youth	NYC
	organizations	PNVSCA
		SK
	Advocate for youth participation in and through	Youth Orgs.
	media
	Create an Office of Youth Affairs in all LGUs —
	which may not necessarily be a physical office
	but a focal person, at least, to handle all youth
	affairs in each LGU — or promote the creation of
	Local Youth Development Councils
Strengthen the Sangguniang	Create a support group for the SK composed of	LGUs
Kabataan (SK) as an institution	different stakeholders that can guide them	DILG
and also strengthen its	towards good governance and more responsive	NYC
participation in national and	projects for youth	NGOs
local government		SK
	Refine the SK's mechanisms and expand its	Private Sector
	leadership role to promote and ensure youth
	welfare and development
	Enhance the SK's performance and capabilities
	through skills development, training workshops,
	and other related activities
	Coordinate with the Department of Interior and
	Local Government (DILG) for the monitoring
	and evaluation of SKs to promote transparency
	and accountability
	Recognize and support the achievements of
	SKs and of other youth organizations
Conduct periodic assessments	Convene the NYC National Advisory Council	NYC
for youth program planning	and counterpart regional councils	LGUs
and monitoring		NGOs
	Create local youth development councils and	Youth Orgs.
	mandate them to monitor the performance of
	youth-serving agencies
	Conduct regular assessment of the Medium
	Term Youth Development Plan's
	implementation
	Conduct focus group discussions and studies to
	assess the current situation of young Filipinos
	throughout the country. Use the findings of
	these to properly develop youth programs and
	localize them according to each community's
	specific needs
	Publish youth-related materials to inspire and	NYC
	motivate young people towards positive action	NBDB
		PIA
	Organize an evaluation committee to recognize
	the achievements of young individuals and
	groups

 

Young Filipino Achievers

The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) is an annual search that aims to recognize, reward, and encourage youth efforts in nation building. The first TAYO search was held in 2002.

It has since become the Philippines' foremost award for outstanding youth organizations, choosing its winners based on innovative programs or projects that have benefited communities everywhere.

On its first year, most of the TAYO winners had projects focusing on environmental preservation and wildlife conservation. In the second TAYO search, the causes that organizations represented were more diverse, and there was also equal representation among the country's four major regions: NCR, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

OSKAR (Outstanding Sangguniang Kabataan Awards and Recognition) is another institutional recognition program that aims to recognize the SK's contribution to national development, as well as to recognize SK leaders who have developed and implemented sustainable projects and programs. It is open in the SK Barangay and Federation categories.

Because the SK is a government body, OSKAR judges its entries based on the following areas:

• Legislation and governance

• Environment protection, conservation, and preservation

• Entrepreneurship and livelihood cTCEIS

• Health, anti-drug, and education services

• Community immersion

• Promotion of physical fitness

• Infrastructure

The first search ended in September 2004, and is expected to be an on-going search that will promote good governance among SKs.

Take it from them!

Philippine Rescue 2000 and Watershed Management Youth Council: Going Out of the Comfort Zones

Many people, including the youth themselves, grossly underestimate the power and potential that young people have. Two recent winners to the TAYO 2004 search have proven that, indeed, young Filipinos are a potent social force that may be tapped to undertake even the most challenging — and even life-threatening — of tasks.

 Excerpted from TAYO 2, the official publication of the TAYO 2004 Search

Philippine Rescue 2000 was founded in 1998 by Michael Angelo Bustamante, then the Operations Manager of Bombo Radyo-Cagayan de Oro. He wanted to concretely respond to the calls for help that he had been learning about through his job, but knew that the local government would not be able to support comprehensive emergency-and disaster-relief operations in the area. After getting 20 of his friends on board, Michael launched an organization that would later on go to save hundreds, even thousands, of lives.

From that small group, Philippine Rescue 2000 went on to recruit members from the different barangays of Region 10. They went through rigid training in Basic to Advance Cardiac Life Support, Search and Rescue; Water Safety and Rescue, Standard First Aid, Airplane Crash and Emergency Landing Search and Rescue Management, Rope Rescue, Handling of Trauma Patients in Technical Situations, Emergency Medical Technical Training, and Fire Safety and Training.

Now, Philippine Rescue 2000 has over 2,000 members all below 30 years old. They have participated in a variety of search and rescue operations that have involved anything from vehicular accidents, to fires, plane crashes, floods, bombings, and other such incidents. Their work has taken them to various parts of the country, and they have also been recognized by various organizations nationwide.

Some of the awards they have received include: Best NGO, awarded by the Police Regional Office 10 at Camp Alagar, Cagayan de Oro City; and a Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the Presidential Action Center.

Some of the Philippine Rescue 2000's heroic efforts have included the following:

• Retrieval of at least 189 fatalities out of over 300 people who had been killed in flash floods in Camiguin Province

• Search and retrieval operations following the crash of Cebu Pacific flight 387 of Mt. Sumagaya, Claveria, Misamis Oriental

• Search and rescue operations following the bombing of MV Mediatrix in Ozamis City

• Civilian rescue during the MILF attack in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte

The Watershed Management Youth Council's feats were not as life-threatening, but were also challenging and heroic.

In 1999, Davao City's primary water sources fell under a serious threat. A 6.7 hectare banana plantation was established inside the Mt. Apo Natural Park, on a sloping riverbank right beside a river. In the words of the Watershed Management Youth Council (WMYC), "(The) plantation was literally violating every rule stated in the National Integrated Protected Area System, or NIPAS law. Despite all these, everyone just ignored it."

The violations and their possible effects were so glaring that the WMYC knew that they had to take matters into their own hands. With this, its members formulated and passed a petition to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on July 1, 2001, lobbying for the stoppage of the operation of the banana plantation. Five months later, they sat through the First SP Environmental Committee hearing, which was also attended by various government agencies, LGUs, NGO, and other concerned citizens. The WMYC knew that it was up against giants, and that their battle was going to be long and hard, but they held on to their cause.

Along with its petition, WMYC also consulted with barangay councils, then created a network of different organizations involved in environmental activities. Then, they conducted a signature campaign which gathered 10,000 signatures. Finally, after almost 10 hearings, the WMYC successfully convinced the Davao City Council to pass a resolution calling for the immediate stoppage of the banana plantation's operations. The resolution was released on July 10, 2003, and the plantation was ordered to vacate the Natural Park shortly thereafter. The DENR was then called upon to rehabilitate the area. IaHSCc

Philippine Rescue 2000 and Watershed Management Youth Council are only two examples of the legacies that young people can leave behind. Their efforts to create significant and long-term impact in their chosen fields and causes will yield positive results if young people are given enough opportunities to participate in all aspects of nation-building, and if they themselves take on the challenge of leaving their comfort zones in pursuit of a greater good.

Young Students' Framework for Community Development

Many youth organizations undertake projects to respond to the needs of their constituents and fellow community members, or to reach out to communities in need. However, only a few of them would have a sustainable framework for medium-term development, and none of them have been awarded with the distinction that the De La Salle University-Manila Student Council (DLSU-Manila SC) now carries.

At the TAYO 2004 awarding ceremonies held in July 2004, the DLSU-Manila SC won the much-coveted United Nations Millennium Development Goals Award for its outstanding work in developing a five-year community development framework that ensures its beneficiaries' sustainable growth, at least for the medium-term. This framework is shown here, for other youth organizations and communities to learn from, and possibly replicate.

A Framework for Community Development from the De La Salle University-Manila Student Council

Taken from the DLSU-Manila Student Council's entry form to the 2004 TAYO search and TAYO 2, the official publication of TAYO 2004.

The DLSU-Manila SC's five-year community development program involved these four aspects:

• Health and housing

• Education and environment

• Livelihood and local governance

• People's protection and participation

Their beneficiary community, Barangay 91 Zone 9 in Libertad, Pasay City, Metro Manila, was divided into committees and groups:

• Children's group (Kaluskos Musmos)

• Youth group, in coordination with the local SK

• Adults' group

Simultaneous, planning and implementation of projects was done across the different key areas. Each project was headed by different SC officers, and was implemented together with the barangay

HEALTH

• Coordination with the Barangay Health Center

• Medical and dental missions (with the aid of various hospital groups, i.e., the DOH, the Philippine General Hospital, etc.)

• Increasing the inventory of medicines found in the Barangay Health Center

EDUCATION

• Computer literacy program — This program aims to equip the barangay with basic computer skills that will make its members computer-literate and give them an edge in terms of securing employment. It takes nine sessions to complete.

• Workshops to hone the talents and develop the skills of the Kaluskos Musmos children

• Bead-jewelry-making

• Basketball and volleyball clinics/tutorials (with the participation of the DLSU-Manila varsity players)

• Arts and crafts workshop

• Singing, dancing, and acting lessons (with the participation of the DLSU-Manila Harlequin Theatre Guild)

• Tutorials on General Education Courses (Math, Science, English, Filipino, Makabayan) and skills enhancement (reading, writing, listening, and public speaking)

• Catechism and Lenten retreats (in coordination with the DLSU-Manila Lenten Pastoral Office)

ENVIRONMENT

• Waste management seminars

• Cleaning of canals and side streets IcAaEH

•Clean and Green projects and campaigns

LIVELIHOOD

• Coordination with the Cooperative Development Authority — Pasay City Chapter

• Vocational training for mothers (i.e., bead-jewelry-making, pillow-making,-candle-making, food processing, etc.)

• Cooperative establishment by some members of the barangay, where they pooled their resources to be able to provide gardening services and sell plants and flowers

Strengthening the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)

Though a number of SK has genuinely been a positive force in their localities, as a whole it is an oft-misunderstood misunderstood institution that is perceived by some sectors of Philippine society as unresponsive, inefficient, and corrupt. However, it also has great potential to advance the causes of young Filipinos around the country, and is a testament to the Philippine government's efforts to include the youth in nation-building. Therefore, it should be strengthened to enable its officers and members to be true public servants and stewards of the youth vision; and it should be protected from corruption and malicious interests.

There are many suggestions on how best to improve the SK. Some suggestions will need an act of Congress; others need only the cooperation of youth stakeholders in localities. They range from requirements of officials to structural changes to even budget restrictions. The following are a listing of some of the suggestions we have come across on how best to strengthen the Sangguniang Kabataan.

• Candidates for SK should be at least 18 to 23 years of age and a resident of the barangay for at least one (1) year prior to the election.

• The Katipunan ng mga Kabataan (KK), from where SK officials are elected, should be composed of youth from at least 15 to 23 years of age — instead of the former 15 to 17 years of age.

• All SK elected officials who are currently studying must be enrolled in the school or university located within or nearest the municipality, city, or province where the barangay is situated.

• SK candidates should belong to a youth organization duly registered with the barangay and the NYC at the time of their candidacy.

• SK elections shall be run by barangay officials, not Comelec, and held on a day separate from the barangay elections.

• The SK should encourage youth volunteerism by being volunteers themselves.

• True fiscal autonomy must be given to the SK.

• Each SK should be prescribed to follow the following budget allocation:

 

- Green Brigade	10 percent
- Livelihood	20 percent
- Capability Building	20 percent
- Anti-Drug Abuse Campaign	10 percent
- Annual Dues	2 percent

 

  • The remaining 38 percent shall be allocated depending on the needs of the barangay youth.

  • All SK budgets should be based on the Annual Development Plan (ADP), which is formulated with the consultation of the KK, and shall be submitted to the Office of the SK Federation President within the first week of January of every year.

  

• An Advisory Council of the Sangguniang Kabataan shall be created at the national level, composed of representatives from the NYC, DILG, National Anti-Poverty Commission, DepEd, CHED, DOLE, DSWD, DOH, TESDA, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of National Defense (DND), and SK alumni.

• On the local level, the SK should be an active member of the local youth development councils. In this way, the SK's are not isolated from other stakeholders serving the youth sector.

• In case an SK Chairperson has been absent without leave for more than three (3) consecutive months, such SK should be investigated and subject to appropriate action by the SK Federation.

• The NYC shall act as an ombudsman to the SK and forward cases to the DILG for action.

• The Buwan ng Kabataan shall be held every May of every year.

The SK is a genuine concern and all stakeholders must do their part to help elevate the SK to its fullest potential. While there are moves in the legislature to pass some of the suggestions above, stakeholders mustn't wait for those to transpire before moving. The most effective SK's are those that get support from both government and non-government bodies, from other youth leaders in the community and from understanding local government leaders.

Establishing Local Youth Development Councils (LYDCs)

The creation of the LYDC is enshrined in a proposed bill entitled, "Local Youth Development Council Act of 2003," on its final draft with the House Committee on Youth and Sports. Once established, the LYDC shall be responsible for the formulation of policies and implementation of youth development programs, projects and activities in their respective areas of jurisdiction in coordination with various government and non-government organizations (LYDC Primer).

The establishment of Local Youth Development Councils in cities and municipalities nationwide is central to the localization efforts of the NYC.

General Objectives

• To develop and harness the full potential of the youth as responsible partners in nation-building;

• To encourage intensive and active participation of the youth in all government and non-government programs, projects, and activities affecting them;

• To harmonize all government and non-government initiatives for the development of the youth sector; and

• To supplement government appropriations for youth promotion and development with funds from other sources. aSTECI

Specific Objectives

• To broaden and strengthen the services provided by national government agencies, local government units, and private agencies to young people;

• To provide information mechanisms on youth opportunities in the areas of education, employment, livelihood, physical and mental health, capability-building, and networking;

• To increase the spirit of volunteerism among the Filipino youth

• To provide monitoring and coordinating mechanisms for youth programs, projects, and activities; and

• To provide a venue for the active participation of the youth

Functions

• Formulate youth policies and component programs in coordination with youth-based government agencies;

• Coordinate and harmonize youth activities and development programs in the locality;

• Develop strategies and provide support for the development and coordination of youth projects;

• Accredit establishments that provide discounts to the youth;

• Provide assistance in the promotion of youth programs, projects, and activities;

• Assist in the identification and nomination of qualified participants to different youth-related programs, projects, and activities;

• Conduct fund-raising programs and solicitations;

• Recommend youth programs and project proposals;

• Accredit trainers for training and capability-building programs;

• Solicit books and receive donations;

• Come up with a local youth situationer;

• Establish youth centers as may be necessary;

• Monitor the implementation of youth programs and projects;

• Nominate its delegate to the National Youth Parliament; and

• Perform other functions as may be provided by law.

Roles of the various stakeholders in promoting youth participation

• Youth

• Program partner

• Program monitor

• Policy advocate

• Implementer of youth volunteerism programs

• Young Filipinos are the most important stakeholders of their own development. They need to be proactive in identifying opportunities for participation in involvement, especially regarding issues that directly concern them. Other sectors also have a role to play in proving young people with adequate opportunities and venues for participation, but it is ultimately up to young Filipinos to exercise their rights and responsibilities to be productive members of Philippine society and agents of positive change.

• Government

• Convener of all concerned sectors

• Policy advocate

• Program monitor

• Provider of technical assistance

• NGOs

• Policy advocate

• Program partner

• Mentor and educator on youth participation and issues

• Provider of avenues for youth participation and volunteerism

• Media

• Advocate of youth participation and social responsibility

• Program partner

• Trainer and provider of technical assistance

• Researcher

• Family

• Mentor and counselor

• Provider of financial, psychological, and emotional support for their children's socio-civic activities. Parents, especially, need to encourage their children to be socially responsible and to be involved in issues that directly concern them. Aside from supporting their children's education, families must also support a young person's psycho-social development by exposing them to different venues for social interaction and community involvement.

• Monitor and evaluator of youth participation policies and programs

Policy Agenda:

9.Eliminate all forms of discrimination, violence, and abuse against youth, women, and children

There is a need to pay special attention to specific vulnerable youth groups (SYGs), also known as "youth with special needs" or "children/youth in need of special protection", because of the prevalence of discrimination and abuse against young people in our society.

Among the government entities, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) serves as the lead agency in the formulation of policies and programs, and in the delivery of social services for the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of society. aHSAIT

One important role of the DSWD is the registration, licensing and accreditation of individuals, agencies and organizations engaged in social welfare and development services. In 2003, DSWD had issued licenses and permits to the following types of non-government organizations as follows:

Licensed NGOs to operate as community
and center-based social welfare agencies	Number
catering to:
Children and youth	123
Women	11
Persons with disabilities	16
Families	45
Disaster	16
Older persons	5
Total	216

 

Source: DSWD 2003 Annual Report

Majority (57%) of the licensed NGOs cater to children and youth groups. Among the sectors, the younger age groups are considered to be the most vulnerable and disadvantaged because of their limited power to make and influence decisions that affect their lives.

YAPS 2004 study revealed that in 2003, DSWD had reported and managed cases of children in need of special protection (CNSP), or children/youth with special needs. It consolidated CNSP data on children (0-14 years) and youth (15-17 years) groups. Some data though were not age-specific.

In the same year, a total of 10,044 children and youth were found to be in need of special protection, of which females (72.4%) outnumbered the males (27.6%). Youth belonging to 15-17 years old constitutes nearly a third of the total CNSP cases. More children (6-14 years) than youth (15-17 years) were in need of special protection. The total number may be rather small compared to the total youth and children population but it only represents the reported cases. Hundreds, possible even thousands, more cases go undocumented every year. ScAIaT

The following chart shows the distribution of CNSP cases by gender and age level.

Total Number of CNSP Cases by Age Level and by Gender, CY 2003

Type of Case	Total	Male	Female
			(%)	(%)
Total	10,044	27.6	72.4
Abandoned	1,134	52.2	47.8
Neglected	2,560	48.6	51.4
Voluntary committed/surrendered	220	55.4	44.5
Sexually abused	4,097	1.2	98.8
	Rape	2,395	1.2	98.8
	Incest	1,189	0.7	99.3
	Act of lasciviousness	513	2.3	97.7
Sexually exploited	311	11.9	88.1
	Victims of pedophilia	51	58.8	41.2
	Victims of prostitution	247	0.4	99.6
	Victims of pornography	13	46.2	53.8
Physically abused/	1,370	45.0	55.0
Maltreated/Battered
Children in conflict with the law	3,950	88.6	11.3
Children in armed conflict	208	51.9	48.1
	Affected	156	52.6	47.4
	Involved	52	50.0	50.0
Victims of child labor	268	37.3	62.7
Victims of child trafficking	66	24.2	75.8
Street children	2,434	66.3	33.7
Victims of illegal recruitment	30	10.0	90.0
HIV victims	-	-	-
Children in detention	1	-	1(n)
Children with disability	324	47.2	52.8
Children of indigenous peoples (IPs)	207	46.4	53.6

 

  Source: DSWD, 2004

  The most commonly occurring CNSP cases are:

• Sexual abuse

• Children in conflict with the law

• Neglected and abandoned

• Street children

A total of 233 young persons belonging SYGs were interviewed for the YAPS 2004 study. The following table shows their breakdown, and shows the different categories of these special youth groups:

Distribution of Youth Participants by Special Youth Groups

Type of SYG	Number	Percent
	(N=233)
Youth with disability	48	23
Indigenous youth	42	20
Abused/exploited youth	33	16
Youth offender	31	15
Drug dependent youth	22	10
Youth farm worker	14	7
Youth worker (informal economy)	6	3
Abandoned/neglected youth	4	2
Youth in situation of armed conflict	4	2
Street youth	4	2

 

Source: YAPS, 2004

• Youth with disability are defined by the National Statistics Office (NSO) as those who are restricted from performing, or who lack the ability to perform, an activity in a way that is considered normal for a human being. Disabilities may result from physical, mental, or sensory motor impairments, such as partial or total blindness, muteness, speech defect, handicap, or mental retardation. According to NSO statistics in 2000, more females than males, and more 15-to-19-year-olds, were among the disabled youth. Most of them were afflicted with mental dysfunction and visual impairment.

 According to statistics, youth disability was highest in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) and Region IV (Southern Tagalog). It was lowest in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and some parts of Mindanao.

• Indigenous youth are descendants of the original inhabitants of the Philippines, who have managed to resist centuries of colonization and, in the process, have retained their own customs, traditions, and life ways (Dunuan, 2001, as cited by the National Museum).

According to a study conducted by the Children and Youth Foundation of the Philippines in 2001, there are about 110 indigenous tribes in the Philippines, scattered in 65 of the country's 85 provinces, and making up 16 percent of the nation's population. Of the 11.6 million indigenous peoples (IPs) in the country, 2.3 million are between 15 and 24 years old. TSAHIa

The IP population is highest in Region XI (Southern Mindanao), and lowest in Regions V (Bicol), VI (Western Visayas), and VII (Eastern Visayas).

• Abused and exploited youth are those who have suffered maltreatment, whether habitual or not, and include the following:

• Psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment;

• Any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a human being;

• Unreasonable deprivation of one's basic needs for survival — such as food and shelter; and

• Failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child/youth, resulting in serious impairment of his/her growth and development or in his/her permanent incapacity or death (Section 3 (b) of Republic Act 7610)

" Exploitation" refers to the hiring, employment, persuasion, inducement or coercion of a child/youth to perform obscene exhibitions and indecent shows, whether live or in video or film, or to pose or act as a model in obscene publications or pornographic materials, or to sell or to distribute these (Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 7610, as cited by the Council for the Welfare of Children).

Of the total youth abuse cases, more youth were victims of illegal recruitment, sexual exploitation and unfair labor. The incidence of child and youth abuse cases was highest in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region III (Central Luzon), and lowest in CARAGA.

• Youth in conflict with the law is defined by Presidential Decree 603 as those who are over nine years old, but below 21, at the time they committed the offense.

In 2003, the DSWD handled more male (90.71%) than female cases of youth in conflict with the law. These were more prevalent in NCR, Region XI (Southern Mindanao) and Region VII (Central Visayas). Most of the offenses committed by these youth were criminal cases revolving around crimes against property and crimes against persons.

• According to YAPS 2004, reported cases of drug dependence and abuse among youth made up 3.2% of the total youth population in 2003. Youth between 15 and 34 years old were more involved in drug and substance abuse compared with their older and younger counterparts. Also, more male than female youth were victims of drug and substance abuse.

• Child/Youth labor is quite prevalent in the country. According to the 1997 National Survey of Working Children, one out of six children were engaged in child labor. Many of them were boys (65%), unpaid family workers (60%), exposed to hazardous environments (60%), and not attending school (30%). Although more recent data related to this issue are not available, it is generally known that the problem persists in the country today. HCSDca

• Youth and families in situations of armed conflict were most prevalent in CAR, ARMM, Regions IX (Western Mindanao), X (Northern Mindanao), XI (Southern Mindanao) and XII (Central Mindanao). According to DSWD data quoted in YAPS 2004, 54% of youth who were actually involved in armed conflict was between 15 to 17 years old; while those from the same age bracket who were simply affected by it constituted 36 per cent.

• Street youth were found to be most prevalent in NCR. A study conducted by the De La Salle University, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and NPSC in 2000 estimated the number of street children in selected major cities around the Philippines, and found that metropolitan areas with the smallest number of street youth were Baguio, Naga and Olongapo. The whole Luzon island group had the lowest estimated number of street youth.

All these groups have very specific needs that stem from the situations they find themselves in. The list on the following page summarizes these needs, as expressed by participants of the YAPS 2004 study:

Group	Needs and Concerns
Indigenous youth	Land
	Understanding from other people
	Sports
	Livelihood
	Education*
	Right to practice their rituals and traditions*
	Opportunities to participate in "mainstream"
	society
Abandoned/neglected youth	Establishment of youth organizations that cater
	to their needs
Street youth	House and lot
Youth offenders	Basic needs
	Sports
Drug dependents	Sports
	God
Youth in situations of	Basic needs
armed conflict	School building

 

  Aside from these, youth belonging to SYGs have also identified the following issues and concerns:

• Limited access to education, health, and employment services and opportunities

• Discrimination

Each group also identified its particular issue or concern, as follows:

For differently-abled youth

• Discrimination

• Increasing dependency on social services

For youth in armed conflict

• The absence of peace and order in their immediate surroundings

• Violation of human rights

• The continuous recruitment or mobilization of youth as combatants

For abused and exploited youth

• The increasing incidence of abuse and exploitation among the youth

• The lack of health services and programs for prostituted minors and youth

For youth in conflict with the law

• Violation of human rights

For indigenous youth

• Tribal affiliation discrimination

• An unresponsive educational system, which threatens the loss of cultural knowledge and value systems

• Problems on ancestral land ownership

* From Tuklas Katutubo, an organization composed of youth from different tribes who are working to educate IPs about their rights and integrate them with mainstream Filipino society.

Policy Strategies and Proposed Activities

To address the issues identified by young Filipinos during the consultation process, and in support of government efforts to address the concerns of SYGs, youth and other youth-serving organizations all over the country have formulated the following goals concerning SYGs for 2005 to 2010:

• To empower and integrate specific youth groups (SYGs) into the mainstream society

• To increase the youth's access to education, health, and employment services and opportunities — regardless of gender, socio-economic status, faith, cultural background or physical ability

• To eliminate all forms of discrimination against the youth

• To make available formal and non-formal education programs for SYGs

• To strengthen young Filipinos' participation in peace and development efforts

• To decrease the number of youth placed in detention centers

• To eliminate prostitution among minors and youth

• To improve the health conditions of prostituted minors and youth

• To ensure that the available facilities and services are suitable for the quality education and/or rehabilitation of SYGs

• To create or formalize procedures and guidelines on dealing with youth in conflict with the law

Take it from them!

Excerpted from TAYO 2, the official publication of the TAYO 2004 search

Sugbuanong Pundok Aron Sugpuon ang Child Abuse (SUPACA) was born out of some young Cebuano students' realization that child abuse was rampant even in their progressive, metropolitan community.

The organization's main thrust is to advocate for and protect children's rights, and to educate their peers about these. It conducts training sessions on leadership and team building, child rights laws (specifically, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Child and Youth Welfare Code, and the law on Special Protection for Children), and the technology of participation; as well as room-to-room campaigns, small group discussions among student leaders, symposia, and poster- and essay-making contents. cSEaTH

From its school-based activities, SUPACA went on to conquer the airwaves. Its radio program, Kids on Air, airs every Saturday over Angel Radio; and its TV program, Kapihan sa Kabataan, is shown by the PIA over SkyCable every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Four of its members are also part of the Cebu Bureau of the Kabataan News Network, a national television program supported by the Probe Team and the UNICEF.

The founding members' efforts are now being multiplied by eight SUPACA chapters around Cebu City, as well as by a community of out-of-school youth in Sitio Alaska, Mambaling, Cebu. All of these chapters have their respective activities and officers, who congregate at the annual SUPACA Confederation and election of officers.

SUPACA's members are a cut above the rest. Apart from being recognized as a "best practice" by Save the Children for enabling young people to participate in governance and nation-building, some of its members have also been included in the National Anti-Poverty Commission Children's Sectoral Council, Ten Outstanding Cebuano Youth Leaders, Outstanding Boy Scout of the Philippines, and the Cebu City Commission for the Welfare and Protection of Children.

The proposed strategies and activities for achieving these are as follows:

Strategies	Activities	Possible Partners
Promote the welfare &	Advocate for the rights of SYGs and make their	CHR
protection rights of SYGs	realities recognized by other Filipinos all over	PIA
	the country	DSWD
		NGOs
	Promote their rights through media	NCIP
		NCWDP
	Train and develop youth advocates to promote	OMA
	and address the specific issues of SYGs	SK
Ensure the participation of	Facilitate their participation in youth	NGOs in partnership
SYGs in community &	development; ensure equal opportunities for	with agencies
organizational activities	young females and males to participate in youth
	development programs
	Conduct mobile training programs for SYGs
Provide community-based	Provide community-based education, health,	DSWD
education, health, and	and livelihood services and opportunities for	DepEd
livelihood services and	SYGs	DOH
opportunities for SYGs		DOLE
	Provide basic services and legal and medical	DOJ
Provide services (educational,	assistance to SYGs, when needed	NGOs
health, legal assistance, etc.)		SK
to SYGs, especially the	Popularize and replicate psycho-social	Youth Orgs.
abused youth	interventions for SYGs	Private sector
		NCWDP
Provide psycho-social	Develop home-based study programs for youth	LGUs
interventions to SYGs, when	belonging to conflicting tribes
needed
	Provide gender-sensitive counseling services to
	abused youth and prostituted youth and minors
	Create an organization of foster parents to
	encourage alternative homes for abused children
	Provide more facilities and resources, including
	interpreters, for SYGs particularly the
	differently-abled youth
Develop the capabilities of	Strengthen the training, development, and	LGUs
service providers to effectively	deployment of para-teachers and health	DepEd
manage youth cases and	workers to communities with SYGs	DOH
address the specific needs of		DSWD
SYGs	Continuously train educators to handle special	NGOs
	cases in schools (e.g., differently-abled youth,
	physically challenged and abused youth)
	Ensure that training given to educators and
	those handling special cases of SYGs and
	abused youth are gender-sensitive
Adopt more reformative (rather	Implement recreational programs that would	DSWD
than punitive) measures to	enable youth in conflict with the law and youth	LGUs
handle youth in conflict with	at risk to channel their energy into positive and	DOJ
the law	productive activities	PPA
		BJMP
	Create separate detention centers for youth	SK
	offenders and female youth offenders	Youth Orgs.
	Integrate youth in conflict with the law in home
	and community life by collaborating with
	youth-serving agencies
	Advocate for the restorative justice system as a
	response to juvenile delinquency
Stop the recruitment and	Monitor compliance with existing laws and	DSWD
exploitation of youth	policies on SYGs	DOLE
combatants		NGOs
	Strictly implement anti-trafficking laws to prevent
	child labor and prostitution; specifically, the
	Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act,
	Anti-Rape Laws
	Specifically, promote the Anti-Violence Against
	Women and Children Act, Anti-Trafficking in
	Persons Act
Promote meaningful	Conduct cultural exchange activities to promote	NCCA
exchange/dialogue between	understanding between and among SYGs and	Private sector
SYGs and other young	other young Filipinos	NGOs
Filipinos		NYC
	Create youth organizations representing various	LGUs
	tribes and promote cultural exchange and	SK
	understanding	DepEd
		NCIP
	Integrate the life and culture of indigenous
	peoples (IPs) and cultural minorities in school
	curricula
Create special cultural	Continue with projects advocating for peace &	NYC
programs in line with national	unity in all conflict areas through cultural	National Commission
peace & unification initiatives	dialogues & support development advocacy	on Culture & Arts
to help end violence & promote	programs especially for youth	(NCCA)
conflict resolution through		OPAC
multicultural dialogues	Target: 30 conferences/workshops/trainings on	OPAPP
	peace advocacy by 2010	National Commission
		on Indigenous Peoples
		(NCIP)

 

The Juvenile Justice Network: Protecting Youth in Conflict with the Law

One vital issue on children and youth that remains marginally addressed by both law and practice is that of children/youth in conflict with the law. These children and youth have varying special needs and thus their treatment at all stages of legal proceedings — apprehension, investigation, prosecution, adjudication and follow-up care should be humane, effective and fair. The existing provisions of Presidential Decree 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code on youthful offenders do not comply with the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to which the Philippines is a State-Party. Reports both from government agencies and non-government organizations involved indicate their growing number, alleged violations of their rights during arrest, investigations and detention, no separate detention facilities, deplorable conditions of jails, prisons and centers, no access to appropriate legal counsel, absence of a comprehensive rehabilitation program and even sentencing youth to capital punishment. HAcaCS

The Juvenile Justice Network composed of Government agencies, Youth Serving Organizations, and Non-Government Organizations concerned with children and youth welfare filed a Comprehensive Juvenile Justice System and Delinquency Program (CJJSDP) bill aimed at establishing a comprehensive response to juvenile offending and its causes. The proposed bill will ensure humane treatment of children and youth in conflict with the law and shall introduce reforms in our current justice system, making it more reformative and restorative rather than punitive.

Among the areas of advocacy of the juvenile justice Network as found in the Comprehensive Juvenile Justice System Bill are as follows:

• Raise age of criminal responsibility from 9 to 12 years old. A child up to 12 years old at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability. However, he or she shall be subjected to a delinquency prevention program. A child between 12 and 15 years old shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability, unless he or she has acted with discernment, in which case, the child shall be subjected to a delinquency prevention program and shall be proceeded against in accordance with the Act. The exemption from criminal liability does not include exemption from civil liability. However, the DSWD has been advocating for 15 years as the age of discernment/ IcHSCT

• Disallow detention of children with adults and neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of parole or release shall be imposed for any crime committed by children.

• Develop a comprehensive national juvenile delinquency prevention programme and activities among national government agencies, which may have an important bearing on the success of the entire juvenile delinquency effort;

• Develop and implement a three -to- five year plan for delinquency prevention at local government levels with the participation of government agencies concerned, NGOs, and youth organizations;

• Redirect cases of petty or victimless crimes from court to a diversion programme. No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully and arbitrarily. The arrest, detention, or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort.

• Incorporate elements of restorative justice. Children detained in facilities shall be guaranteed the benefit of meaningful activities and programs which would serve to promote and sustain their health and self-respect, to foster their sense of responsibility and encourage those attitudes and skills that will assist them in developing their potential as members of society.

• Reiterate the Rights of An Accused Child

-To be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law;

-To be informed promptly and directly of the charges against him or her, if appropriate, through his or her parents or legal guardians, and to have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his or her defense;

-To have the matter determined without delay by a competent, independent, and impartial authority or judicial body at a fair hearing according to law, in the presence of legal or other appropriate assistance, and, unless it is considered not to be in the best interest of the child, in particular, taking into account his or her age situation, his or her parents or legal guardians;

-Not to be compelled to give testimony or to confess guilt; to have the adverse witness examined and to obtain the participation and the examination of the witness on his or her behalf under conditions of equality;

-If considered to have infringed the penal law, to have the decision and any measure imposed in consequence thereof reviewed by a higher competent, independent, and impartial authority or judicial body according to law;

-To have the free assistance of an interpreter if the child cannot understand or speak the language used; and

-To have his or her privacy fully respected in all stages of proceedings. aHESCT

Take it from them!

Kabataang Gabay sa Positibong Pamumuhay — Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines: Rebuilding Young, Shattered Lives

Excerpted from Youth Rocks!, the official publication of the TAYO 2003 search

Kabataang Gabay sa Positibong Pamumuhay (KGPP) was established in 1999, from among the leaders of the Pag-Asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP). The latter is a community-based organization of out-of-school youth who are clients of the DSWD.

Although KGPP now focuses on issues related to child and sexual abuse, its programs actually encompass economic productivity, personality enhancement, and leadership training and social responsibility enrichment.

Its TAYO award-winning project is the HIV/AIDS Youth Advocacy Package (HAYAP), which aims to reach out to the youth and communicate "the HIV/AIDS message in a child-friendly and appropriate way." It provides peer-to-peer training sessions on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV, and AIDS, and seeks to restore the youth's faith and trust in their community. The small group interaction component of HAYAP, on the other hand, provides children and families with accurate and correct information concerning STDs, HIV, and AIDS.

"Every time we open up the issue of child prostitution or sexual abuse of children in forums and conferences, (these issues) are most likely to be taken for granted and not (considered) an issue," John Piermont Montilla of KGPP laments.

The organization is composed of youth volunteers who undergo peer-counseling seminars that enable them to interact effectively with their target clientele. These peer counselors are also involved in various youth-related activities geared towards creating a youth-friendly community.

Integrating SYGs into mainstream society: The Tuklas Katutubo and TISAKA Experience

It is difficult enough to belong to any kind of minority — whether cultural, political, or socio-economic; but it is even more difficult to try to integrate oneself into "mainstream" society and assert one's rights. The experiences of Tuklas Katutubo and TISAKA, both winners to the TAYO 2004 search, show that such integration is possible as long as young people understand their rights, accept their responsibilities, and try to galvanize others to support their cause.

An earlier case box of this document shows how Tuklas Katutubo, an organization of tribal youth, was able to bring indigenous youth together to learn more about their rights, responsibilities and areas of participation. It also shows the impact that the organization has already made, having acquired 3,000 members from all over the country, and having assisted over 60 of the Philippines' 110 tribal groups. The organization has a long way to go in terms of fully integrating indigenous youth into the mainstream, but their efforts have paved the way for greater intercultural understanding, as well as the integration of IPs' concerns in national governance initiatives, and are bound to have a lasting impact for generations of Filipinos to come.

TISAKA, or Tingog sa Kasanag ("Voices of Enlightenment"), on the other hand, has been working to address a sensitive issue that many Filipinos simply choose to ignore. It aims to educate prostituted women about their rights and provide them with skills training, so that they can hopefully get decent, honorable employment and get themselves out of the sex trade. The organization initiates public information and educational programs on women's health, dialogues with police and government authorities on law enforcement and women's problems during raids, and provides skills training on assertiveness, legal rights and peer counseling. TISAKA also offers medical and legal referral assistance to its members.

Getting their work done was a huge challenge, but the women of TISAKA have persevered amidst society's judgmental eye. Other organizations are now inviting TISAKA's members to be part of discussion panels and forums; and even students are signing up to be TISAKA's interns as part of school practicum projects. The organization has also joined forces with other women's rights organizations, forming a support group called WWW.PWAP (Women Working with Prostituted Women Against Prostitution).

Protecting young women and their children through the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004

To protect the welfare of women and their children, the Twelfth Congress of the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004. It was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in March, 2004.

Following are some excerpts from RA 9262, which define the scope of violence against women and their children, and their corresponding penalties. Its full text and implementing rules and regulations (IRR) may be downloaded from the website of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, at www.ncrfw.gov.ph.

SEC. 5. Acts of Violence Against Women and Their Children. — The crime of violence against women and their children is committed through any of the following acts:

(a) Causing physical harm to the woman or her child;

(b) Threatening to cause the woman or her child physical harm; cCAIDS

(c) Attempting to cause the woman or her child physical harm;

(d) Placing the woman or her child in fear of imminent physical harm;

(e) Attempting to compel or compelling the woman or her child to engage in conduct which the woman or her child has the right to desist from or to desist from conduct which the woman or her child has the right to engage in, or attempting to restrict or restricting the woman's or her child's freedom of movement or conduct by force or threat of force, physical or other harm or threat of physical or other harm, or intimidation directed against the woman or her child.

(f) Inflicting or threatening to inflict physical harm on oneself for the purpose of controlling her actions or decisions;

(g) Causing or attempting to cause the woman or her child to engage in any sexual activity which does not constitute rape, by force or threat of force, physical harm, or through intimidation directed against the woman or her child or her/his immediate family;

(h) Engaging in purposeful, knowing, or reckless conduct, personally or through another, that alarms or causes substantial emotional or psychological distress to the woman or her child.

(i) Causing mental or emotional anguish, public ridicule or humiliation to the woman or her child, including, but not limited to, repeated verbal and emotional abuse, and denial of financial support or custody of minor children or denial of access to the woman's child/children.

SEC. 6. Penalties. — The crime of violence against women and their children, under Section 5 hereof shall be punished according to the following rules:

(a) Acts falling under Section 5(a) constituting attempted, frustrated or consummated parricide or murder or homicide shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of the Revised Penal Code. If these acts resulted in mutilation, it shall be punishable in accordance with the Revised Penal Code; those constituting serious physical injuries shall have the penalty of prision mayor*; those constituting less serious physical injuries shall be punished by prision correccional; and those constituting slight physical injuries shall be punished by arresto mayor.

Acts falling under Section 5(b) shall be punished by imprisonment of two (2) degrees lower than the prescribed penalty for the consummated crime as specified in the preceding paragraph but shall in no case be lower than arresto mayor.

(b) Acts falling under Section 5(c) and 5(d) shall be punished by arresto mayor,

(c) Acts falling under Section 5(e) shall be punished by prision correccional;

(d) Acts falling under Section 5(f) shall be punished by arresto mayor;

(e) Acts falling under Section 5(g) shall be punished by prision mayor;

(f) Acts falling under Section 5(h) and Section 5(i) shall be punished by prision mayor.

If the acts are committed while the woman or child is pregnant or committed in the presence of her child, the penalty to be applied shall be the maximum period of penalty prescribed in this section.

In addition to imprisonment, the perpetrator shall (a) pay a fine in the amount of not less than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not more than Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00); (b) undergo mandatory psychological counseling or psychiatric treatment and shall report compliance to the court.

* Prision mayor: 6 years and one day to 12 years; Prision correccional: 6 months and 1 day to 6 years; Arresto mayor: 1 month and 1 day to 6 months

Roles of the various stakeholders in protecting SYGs

• Youth

• Program partner

• Advocate

• Organizer and community mobilizer

• Researcher

• Young Filipinos must be vigilant in preventing and reporting abuse against themselves and their peers. They must actively find ways to identify abusive persons and organizations within their communities and protect their fellow youth from potential harm. Abusers get their strength from the secrecy of their actions, and, once exposed, they will no longer have the power to inflict harm on others. Young people, therefore, have the responsibility to expose these illegal actions and allow the law to bring justice to the victims of abuse.

• Government

• Policy advocate

• Policy reviewer and policy maker

• Trainer

• Researcher

• Program implementer (in the case of the DSWD, DOLE, and other affected government agencies and organizations)

• Civil society (especially NGOs, the academe, and faith-based organizations)

• Policy advocate

• Resource provider

• Community mobilizer

• Mentor and counselor, especially for troubled youth

• Program partner, as in the case of educational institutions and organizations who would help to integrate youth from SYGs into the mainstream

• Program monitor

• Media

• Advocate, especially in regard to the rights of SYGs IEDHAT

• Program partner, as in the case of ABS-CBN Foundation's Bantay Bata 163

• Family

• Mentor and counselor

• Program partner and advocate against child/youth abuse

• Provider of psychological/emotional support, especially to young persons who have been victims of discrimination and/or abuse. As the basic societal unit, it is the responsibility of the family to protect the rights, dignity and lives of their children, and to ensure that they grow up to be happy, healthy, and free from any form of abuse. Parents must also support the rehabilitation and reintegration of abused children.

• Monitor and evaluator of youth participation policies and programs

Policy Agenda:

10. Promote a positive and healthy self-image, critical thinking, love of country and of one's geographic and cultural roots, social responsibility, and the spirit of volunteerism among youth.

Although youth participants to the consultation workshops generally had a positive perception of themselves, some of them have a negative projection of the Filipino youth's situation in the future. Worse, only a handful of them could identify ways of attaining their vision for the future. According to the YAPS, "They could not match vision with action." This is perhaps a reflection of how young Filipinos all over the country feel about themselves and their future. SEAHID

Clearly, there is a need to help young people cope with their current situation and with the changes that are happening around them. The issues identified in the earlier sections of this document — especially those relating to drug dependence, risk behaviors and the incidence of youth abuse and exploitation — only emphasize young Filipinos' need for guidance. The youth are overwhelmed by their present realities and need help. But since they currently do not have access to services, facilities and programs that can help them cope with their problems, they turn to drugs, sex, and other risk behaviors instead.

When asked about their values-related issues and concerns, participants of the consultation workshops shared these answers:

• The need for youth to be exposed to life skills training in order to grow up as mature and responsible members of society

• Young people are highly influenced by media, thus the need for media organizations and advertisers to help promote positive images and messages among young Filipinos

• Young people are highly influenced by peers, hence, the importance and value of peer counseling, and the need to shape barkadas as positive peer groups

• The existence of a generation gap between youth and their parents, thus the need to restore trust and respect between generations and promote family values

• The erosion of cultural and moral values, as evidenced by the different issues discussed in the previous sections of this document

• Among youth aged 15 to 17:

-The prevalence of youth growing up in dysfunctional families

-The tendency to abuse the freedom given to them by parents and other adults

-The prevalence of discrimination among youth from minority groups

• Among youth aged 15 to 24:

-The youth's apparent disregard for history and patriotism

-The growing feeling of apathy and a lack of purpose among young people

• Among youth aged 18 to 24:

-Insufficient knowledge on adolescent and youth health development and responsible parenthood

These issues and concerns are mirrored by the results of focus group discussions (FGD) held during the YAPS 2004 study.

• The youth's vision centered on work, studies and the need for social and emotional security.

• Urban youth expressed their desire for world peace, urban and tourism development, and for more diplomatic solutions to conflicts. They particularly noted the need for youth to have a "voice in Congress."

• Rural youth, on the other hand, pointed to some basic needs to constitute a "vision": eating, good health, long life, shelter and recreation. The need for emotional security was also evident in their wanting to be with family and friends, and in having a romantic relationship with someone special.

• Regardless of age and gender, young people generally consider their parents — specifically, their mothers — as their role models. Other role models that they had identified were: national heroes or leaders (among youth 15 to 24 years old), God and known religious persons (among youth 25 to 30 years old), celebrities (among youth 15 to 17 years old) and teachers (among youth 18 to 24 years old). AaDSEC

• However, some of them have a negative projection of the youth's situation in the future, and even seem resigned to the idea that it will worsen.

Youth development in urban and rural areas

Although seemingly unrelated, the existence of a gap between urban and rural youth also plays a big role in the overall development of young persons. According to information culled by the NYC, "the disparity in levels of physical and economic development between rural and urban areas has resulted in the influx of more youth into urban centers for either study or employment, or for both. However, services and opportunities have not been able to cope with the increasing number of (the) youth population. Thus, the youth are left with no choice but to fend for themselves with very minimal support from agencies and organizations."

Given this, it becomes necessary for different sectors of society to rally behind countryside development as a possible high-level strategy in providing young persons with a better quality of life, that would then translate into their overall development. According to an NYC brief, "There may be a need to strengthen or create alternative modes of education and employment in the rural areas if the government infrastructure and resources are not sufficient to carry out formal programs in these areas. For instance, local organizations (including faith-based organizations) may be tapped to perform the following: provide the needed space and facility for the conduct of formal and non-formal education programs; develop capability-building modules and establish a market for alternative sources of employment; and continually explore creative and indigenous forms of intervention through participatory research modes."

This also means that young Filipinos themselves must be taught to love and respect the countryside, as well as the traditions, customs, and social practices that have arisen from the country's diverse and culturally rich regions. They must be taught to protect and care for the environment and wildlife (especially indigenous species), and to integrate their own development with the development of the country's natural resources. SACHcD

"Media pollution": Urban Philippines' greatest rising threat

There has been an increasing exposure of children and youth to commercial media, which includes television viewing, and video and computer games. Internet use or cyberspace has been steadily on the rise. An estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Filipinos are using the Internet.

Media plays a major role in the shaping of cultural and values orientations, particularly among children and youth. It could serve as important and easy source of information on varied subjects of interests to young people. It could allow them to develop creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness. On the other hand, it could reinforce individualism, a wrong sense of values and perspectives on realities, and could diminish the importance of culture and traditional sources of influence.

In a media and violence study done in the United Kingdom 3, for instance, it was revealed that "there is an average of five to ten aggressive acts per hour on television. Violence among youth is also on the rise, making it plausible to correlate the two... Most studies show that the relation between media violence and real violence is interactive: media can contribute to an aggressive culture; people who are already aggressive use the media as further confirmation of their beliefs and attitudes, which, in turn, are reinforced through media content."

A study by Ms. Susan Gigli of the InterMedia Survey Institute for the UNICEF's 4th World Summit on Media for Children and Adolescents in April 2004 echoes the concerns raised by the U.K. study:

"In industrialized countries, there have been recent outcries over rising levels of aggression, obesity, substance abuse, eating disorders, and unsafe sexual behavior among youth, increasingly attributed to commercial media aimed at children and youth. In developing countries, where resources limit domestic productions, a majority of programs for children and youth are imported. Unfortunately, much of the content contains characters and messages that, at best, are simply not relevant to local cultures, and at worst convey violent images and mass marketing messages....

"Young people often speak of the power the media has on their lives, and any parent can attest to the impressionable, unquestioning, and imitative nature of children. How much the mass media influence children and young people is somewhat debatable, but sociologists and researchers in different regions have observed some of the following adverse effects:

• Growing influence of entertainment media on youth style and identity

• Decreasing role of traditional sources of influence: family, school, community, religion, etc.

• Appeal of individualism and personal, as opposed to collective or societal, achievement

• Some confusion in values (misguided sense of right and wrong, of human relations) TSIaAc

• An increasingly blurred line between advertisements and program content

• Distortion of reality and expectation gaps

• Newfound culture of "glamour" and "celebrity"

• Creation of harmful or unrealistic stereotypes; a promotion of intolerance or apathy

• Emphasis on the banal and trivial; de-emphasis on education, creativity, and culture

• Tendency for young people to think less for themselves and to follow media-set (agenda)."

Moreover, youth from all over the world, including Filipinos, are increasingly becoming exposed to unregulated or unmonitored content via the Internet. Even children and young adults are able to access adult sites, or sites containing pornographic or violent images and content, and they can also engage in such activities as chatting, network gaming, and — worst of all — cybersex. Although no studies have yet been made available regarding the extent and effect of these activities among young Filipinos, unregulated Internet content remains a potent threat to the positive and holistic development of children and youth around the world.

To empower young Filipinos and enable them to deal with present and future realities, youth programs must not only provide them with their basic needs (such as food, shelter, education or livelihood), but must also strive to shape youth values and cultivate a new culture of self-respect, critical thinking, love of country and social responsibility. Ultimately, youth programs must strive to mold principle-centered and values-driven individuals who are capable of steering their own lives (and the country) in a positive direction. SDHacT

3. Available on http://www.ifcw.org/rio_research_paper on_media.htm

Take it from them!

Taken from TAYO 2, the official publication of the TAYO 2004 search.

GenRev was formally established in September 2002, when 30 high school and college students and young professionals decided that they wanted to help revive God's word in schools, and to awaken students to the "explosive power of the Catholic faith."

Realizing that they had to be creative "and not follow existing structures" in order to reach as many young people as possible with limited resources, the team did a little research and decided that the best way to reach young Filipinos today was through technology.

Creating a website is easy, but creating an online community that young people would want to be part of is not. Kiddo Cosio, GenRev's representative to the TAYO 2004 awarding ceremony, said that they used a "strategy of humor, craziness, youthspeak and extreme friendliness" to deliver its serious message. Aside from having an attractive homepage, GenRev.net offers online devotionals, youth-related articles and features, Bible studies, inspirational weblogs, personal and customizable profiles, on-site email and personal messaging services, free downloads, and public message board access. Through the site, young people from everywhere and from all walks of life discuss everything from school and family problems, to sex and relationships, career direction, drug addiction, and even depression and suicide. With over a million hits a month, it has, indeed, become a thriving online community. cASEDC

Some of its amazing feats include:

• Setting up a website, "with practically zero budget", using amateur web designers from Manila and programmers from Cebu.

• Getting a million hits on its first month alone — and without a marketing strategy, at that

• Growing its membership to 4,607 members (or 15,000% growth) within its first year

• Having members that come from 900 schools in 25 countries

• Winning as the Best Website for 2005 in the 25th Catholic Mass Media Awards

• Having over 10,000 average unique visits per month

• Having over 350 members join the GenRev community per month

The secret to GenRev's success? Probably some support from family and friends, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of Divine Inspiration.

Policy Strategies and Proposed Activities

To address the issues identified by young Filipinos during the consultation process, and in support of government efforts to address concerns about youth values, youth and youth-serving organizations have identified the following strategies and activities regarding youth values:

• To enhance life skills among the youth and promote their positive and healthy self-image

• To promote young Filipinos' critical thinking abilities

• To help restore the trust and relationship between parents and children

• To instill love of country and encourage social responsibility and volunteerism among young Filipinos

• To promote responsible media messages regarding youth and adolescents

The proposed strategies and activities for achieving these are as follows:

Strategies	Activities	Possible Partners
Integrate life planning	Conduct curriculum development activities to	CHEd
education (LPE) in the high	integrate LPE and family education in schools,	NGOs in partnership
school and college/university	colleges and universities	with schools and
levels of education		communities
	Integrate family education in tertiary courses;	DSWD
Institutionalize family education	Advocate family communication and	PCVF
in the college/university level of	togetherness, and gender sensitivity in families	LGUs
education		SK
	Institutionalize family centers that will provide	DepEd
Enhance family relationships	gender-sensitive and gender-responsive family
by helping to strengthen	counseling and other related services in
communication and interaction	barangays
among family members
	Enhance family relationships by helping to
	strengthen communication and interaction
	among family members; provide avenues for
	dialogues between youth and adults
	Provide gender-sensitive parental counseling,
	especially to parents of troubled youth
	Conduct recollections, retreats, and family
	workshops that strengthen values within and
	among families
	Enhance community-based family centers that
	will offer family services, peer counseling, and
	other related services
Shape a new culture of	Develop a Human Resources Development	PCVF
honesty, patriotism, respect,	(HRD) program for youth that will enhance	NYC
discipline, and service among	youth's self-awareness, social skills and sense	LGUs
young Filipinos	of community	PIA
		MGOs
Advocate for social	Recognize outstanding volunteer youth	SK Youth Orgs.
responsibility and responsible	organizations
decision-making
	Advocate social responsibility and an
Encourage youth volunteerism	awareness of the consequences of decisions
	made by young Filipinos
Promote the healthy influence	Organize gatherings of youth organizations that	NGOs
of peer groups (barkadas)	would promote a peer-to-peer support system	Private sector
		SK
	Manage youth organizations and peer groups	LGU
	as tools and venues for promoting positive	NYC
	values
Promote and strengthen inter-	Conduct inter-faith dialogues, or dialogues	NYC
faith dialogue to gradually	among different youth groups, including cultural	NCIP
break preconceived notions	minorities	NGOs
regarding religious and		LGU
minority groups		SK
Develop love and respect for	Advocate for the institutionalization of policies	NYC
the countryside, the	and programs that will promote and accelerate	DAR
environment and wildlife, and	rural development	DENR
all aspects of indigenous		DepEd
Filipino culture	Advocate for the inclusion of rural development,	CHED
	environment and wildlife, and indigenous	LGUs
	Filipino culture in formal and non-formal	SK
	education curricula	NGOs
		DOT
	Create educational and recreational programs
	that revolve around the countryside and its
	customs, traditions, and social practices
	Provide rural areas with the necessary
	information, technology, and infrastructure to
	enable its residents to enjoy a higher quality of
	living, better education, more job and
	recreational opportunities, etc.
Monitor the youth's media	Strictly review and monitor existing media	PIA
influences and manage youth-	policies	MTRCB
friendly messages in media		Media Optical Board
	Develop adequate youth -friendly and	SK
	knowledge-oriented shows	NYC
		Youth Orgs.
	Strengthen advocacy on the important role
	of parents/adults in shaping their children's
	media choices.
	Recognize family- and youth-oriented programs
	in tri-media and in the Internet
	Strictly implement MTRCB (Movie and
	Television Rating and Classification Board) and
	Optical Media Board regulations regarding
	media ratings and content
	Develop ways of regulating Internet content for
	children and youth, and for making more
	youth-friendly content and messages more available
	to youth everywhere
	Develop innovative techniques for educating
	children and youth to be critical and proactive
	media viewers and users
	Strengthen advocacy on the responsibility of
	corporations as advertisers to youth-friendly,
	gender-sensitive, and value-rich programs
Collaborate with institutions	Allocate SK funds to conduct life skills training	NYC
(schools, faith groups, SK,	for the youth	SK
communities, media, and		LGUs
youth-serving enterprises) to	Develop "value cultivators" among family and	DSWD
develop positive youth images	community members	NGOs

Take it from them!

Foundation for Adolescent Health; Life Planning Education

The Life Planning Education (LPE) Program is a project of the Foundation for Adolescent Development (FAD), Inc. that aims to help teens plan their future vocational and family life. It addresses 15-24 age group. LPE is a unique strategy of teaching young people to talk about sexuality openly without any malice and empowering them on how to adopt healthy lifestyle and make responsible decisions about themselves, their sexuality and relationships. Sexuality and health information is provided within the context of life values, significance of the family, planning a career, communication and decision making skills, and employment preparedness.

Roles of the various stakeholders

• Youth

• Program partner

• Advocate

• Implementer of programs that further their own development and encourage greater interaction, involvement and responsibility among their peers and other members of society

• Government

• Policy advocate

• Policy reviewer and policy maker

• Trainer

• Award-giving and recognition body

• Civil society (including NGOs, faith-based organizations, etc.)

• Advocate of strong, positive values

• Manager of community-based centers and community mobilizer

• Mentor and counselor, especially for troubled youth

• Program partner

• Policy advocate

• Program monitor

• Media

• Program partner, especially in regard to developing, producing, and communicating positive images and messages to young Filipinos

• Advocate of strong, positive values

• Family

• Mentor and counselor

• Program partner

• Advocate and watchdog especially against media messages and communication materials that encourage, implicitly or explicitly, pornography, risk behaviors, distorted values, etc.

• Provider of support financial and emotional support for their children's socio-civic activities and other such programs that contribute to a child's holistic development.

• BE TRUE ROLE MODELS FOR THEIR CHILDREN!

Chapter 3

Putting It to Work

Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

ILLEGIBLE PORTION Using the Plan

Consultation workshops held throughout the country's 16 regions revealed the many and varied concerns that young Filipinos face today. Many of these issues and concerns are being felt by youth across the country — for instance, the need to improve the quality of education, youth unemployment and underemployment, and the need for improved health care. cEaCAH

However, some needs are felt more acutely in some communities than in others. Because of this, local governments and community-based organizations have a larger role to play in implementing youth programs and in ensuring youth development at the local level. The national government cannot do it alone, and so it must rely on local partners — such as government agencies, non-government organizations, people's organizations, religious organizations, educational institutions, families, community organizations, and youth groups — to identify and prioritize the issues and concerns that must be addressed at the community level.

The problems and challenges that youth face today seem large and overwhelming when shown from a distance, as this document does. But by focusing on the issues that are closer to home and by addressing them one step at a time, the problem-solving process actually becomes more manageable. Problem areas can be identified better; resources can be mobilized faster; and creative solutions can be implemented more efficiently. Before long, communities around the country would have been empowered to address their own concerns and work towards their own development, using ideas that may have been taken from, or inspired by, the courses of action proposed in this Toolkit.

Steps in using the Plan in local settings

The National Framework for Youth Development is not only for national and local government agencies. It is also for NGOs, faith-based organizations, barangays, school organizations, youth groups, and practically anyone who wants to work for youth development in the Philippines. The following steps will help you bring the policies, strategies and activities in this document closer to home. EcDTIH

1. Identify the criteria that you will use to select an area for implementation

2. Finalize the selected areas

3. For government organizations: coordinate at the regional level through the National Youth Commission's Regional Advisory Councils; at the provincial level through the Governor's Office and Provincial Planning Office of each identified province; and at the municipal level through the Mayor's Office and the Municipal Planning Office. Private organizations, NGOs, and other youth organizations need not go through this step

4. Coordinate with the various stakeholders and form networks for the proper implementation and localization of strategies and activities. These stakeholders may include:

• Local government organizations

• NGOs

• Religious organizations and churches

• Schools

• Youth organizations

• Private sector organizations

• Media organizations

5. Convene the multi-stakeholder groups

6. Formulate a Local Youth Situationer with the help of the formed youth councils SEDIaH

• Sources of data for a regional youth situationer:

• YAPS (NYC, 2004)

• MTYDP Regional Consultation Workshop Outputs (NYC, 2004)

• 5th National Youth Parliament Workshop Outputs (NYC, 2004)

• Data from regional youth-serving organizations

• Regional youth organizations

• Sources of data for a municipal youth situationer

• Regional Planning Office

• Municipal Planning Office

• Municipal Library

• NGOs working in the area

7. Formulate a Local Youth Development Plan (LYDP)

• Data sources for a regional LYDP: Medium Term Youth Development Plan 2005-2010 and outputs of RAC workshops

• Data sources for a municipal LYDP: Medium Term Youth Development Plan 2005-2010 and outputs of municipal advisory council (MAC) workshops

8. Formulate an advocacy plan for the LYDP at the regional and municipal levels (through RACs and MACs)

9. Institutionalize the Local Youth Development Council whose functions include:

• Maintaining and monitoring a youth database

• Monitoring and evaluating local youth programs and projects

• Advocating local youth programs and policies

• Mobilizing stakeholders, especially local youth, to respond to youth issues and concerns

• Establishing youth networks for purposes of information dissemination and resource generation

- An old Filipino saying

Monitoring and evaluation are important and interrelated processes that should be part of every program or project. They help project teams determine if project goals had been met, and if strategies and actions have, indeed, addressed important issues and pressing needs. They also allow project teams to assess if they have been working efficiently and effectively, or if there is a need to improve current systems and processes.

This section of the document provides some monitoring and evaluation indicators to help assess the effectiveness of youth strategies and courses of action. It is important for agencies or groups concerned to choose those indicators that are most relevant to their respective area. ScaHDT

More specifically, the monitoring and evaluation scheme in this document will monitor policies, programs, projects and related activities for the youth, guided by the following objectives:

• Obtain quantitative and qualitative data on the situation of the Filipino youth in your locality

• Determine the policy, program and service responses of youth-serving organizations to the needs and concerns of young Filipinos in your locality

• Identify guideposts for policy formulation and program development

Note that the list of monitoring and evaluation indicators is just tentative. They will be further refined in the initial stage of MTYD Plan implementation. A separate document on the MTYDP monitoring scheme has been prepared.

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

1. Policy Direction for the Youth

The monitoring and evaluation scheme is anchored on the vision for Filipino youth, which was stated at the beginning of this document:

Empowered and enlightened youth

Actively participating in governance and decision-making

Globally competitive, productive, and well-informed

This vision was translated into concrete action steps (goals, strategies, and indicators), which will be the focus of monitoring and evaluation.

Policy Goals and Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators

A. Youth Education

Policy Agenda

1. Enable access to quality and responsive education and all levels.

2. Develop globally competitive youth.

Possible Indicators
Monitoring		Evaluation
Indicators in education at various levels and	•	Graduation rate
delivery systems	•	Average promotion rate
During the period covered, increase/decrease of	•	Average repetition rate
youth in the following:	•	Average school leaver rate
• Gross enrollment ratio	•	Transition rate
• Net enrollment ratio	•	Average failure rate
• Completion rate	•	Retention rate
	•	Average drop-out rate
Secondary education	•	Installed distance learning in conflict areas
	•	Upgraded Math, Science, and English teaching
• Built 6,000 classrooms a year		and learning
• Adopted double shift classes	•	Implemented the optional bridge program
• Expanded service subcontracting	•	Strengthened madrasah and indigenous
• Provided scholarship for students to study in		people's education
private high schools	•	Upgraded the quality of training for teachers
• Provided computers in every high school	•	Promoted school-based management and
		governance
	•	Rationalized the basic education budget through
		more collaborative partnership with the private
		sector
Technical vocational education & training (TVET)	•	Ladderized interface of TVET to college
	•	Intensified and expanded enterprise-based
• Provided scholarships for TVET students		training
• Institutionalized job-skill matching	•	Intensified availability of skill-specific training
• No. of enrollees/participants		for domestic and overseas labor market
• No. of schools offering TVET	•	Established community colleges
Higher & post graduate education	•	Institutionalized the pre-baccalaureate program
		as a bridging program to college
• Provided scholarship/financial assistance for	•	Institutionalized a system for
college students		articulation/recognition of prior learning within
• No. of scholarship awardees		the Philippine
• Developed a Qualifications Framework thru	•	Upgraded the quality of higher education
ladderization and equivalency		curriculum
	•	Institutionalized governance and financing for
		higher education institutions
Student financial assistance (scholarship grants,	•	Increase/decrease in the percentage and
student loans) for indigent youth		number of indigent youth getting financial
		assistance
	•	Increase/decrease in budget for student
		financial assistance programs
Guidance and counseling services provided in	•	Compliance of Guidance and Counseling
every school		Offices with minimum standards set by DepEd
		and CHED in their respective levels.
• Increase/decrease in the number and percentage
of youth availing themselves of the services of
Guidance and Counseling Offices
• Increase/decrease in the number and percentage
of crimes/delinquencies committed by youth
Budget and resource allocation for education	•	Average rate of increase/decrease in
		budgetary/resource allocation for education
• Increase/decrease in budget and resource	•	Sustained sources of budgetary support
allocation for education
• Increase/decrease in per-student cost
Quality of education	•	Higher education
• Type of community-based education and	•	Number of accredited programs
advocacy programs undertaken to upgrade the	•	Performance of graduates in licensure
quality of education		examinations.
• Updated list of job demands	•	Percentage of faculty with advance degrees
• Number of youth who availed themselves of	•	Number of youth recognized for excellent
non-formal education and life-skills courses		performance in academic and professional fields
• Type and frequency of coordination between		at the local, national, or international levels
schools and parents' and community associations
• Nature and frequency of coordination between
schools and business groups or institutions

B. Youth Employment

Policy Agenda

3. Decrease youth unemployment and underemployment.

4. Prevent exploitation of young workers and working children.

	Possible Indicators
	Monitoring		Evaluation
•	Number of youth provided entrepreneurship,	•	Functional anti-child labor task forces (with
	career guidance, skills enhancement and		regular programs/activities, work systems and
	capability building services		procedures, resources, etc.); reduced incidence
•	Number of employed youth		of child labor; protection for youth workers
•	Number of youth who have availed themselves of	•	Structure and mechanism for partnership
	DOLE services		between schools and private corporations;
•	Number of rescued child laborers		number of youth actually employed in these
•	Type of employment programs developed and		corporations after graduation
	implemented by local & national youth-serving	•	Incidence of sexual exploitation, human
	agencies; number of youth participants in each		trafficking, discrimination reduced (if not
	program		eliminated)
•	Type and frequency of conduct of local	•	Number of youth who have enrolled and
	employment awareness campaigns		completed technical and vocational courses
•	Type of training programs developed and	•	Number of youth who participated in small and
	implemented in response to emerging job		medium-scale enterprises
	demands/opportunities; number of youth	•	Average rates of employment, unemployment
	participants per program		and underemployment
•	Type of assistance provided to working students
•	Number of youth taken for summer internship jobs

C. Youth-Health

Policy Agenda

5. Ensure the acceptability, accessibility, availability, and affordability of culturally and gender-sensitive/responsive health services and facilities for adolescents and youth, especially in regard to adolescent health and youth development (AHYD).

 6. Reduce the incidence of risk behavior among Filipino youth.

	Possible Indicators
	Monitoring		Evaluation
•	Number of adolescents/youth provided culturally,	•	Number of adolescents and youth that benefited
	gender-sensitive AHYD information, counseling,		from ARH information, counseling and services
	services and health facilities	•	Number of culturally, gender-sensitive/
•	Number of male and female adolescents/		responsive and youth friendly centers
	youth served by youth centers		established and improved
•	Types of adolescents/youth training conducted on	•	Number of participants who gained and applied
	community-based, school-based, workplace-based		training knowledge and skills
	development activities	•	Local laws and policies enacted in support to
•	Number and types of training for parents, service		the gender-based
	providers, youth serving professionals and		adolescents/youth programs and projects
	adolescents/youth on adolescent/youth sexual	•	Incidence of pre-marital sex, teenage
	health conducted		pregnancy, abortion, early marriage, sexually
•	Number of developed, produced and disseminated		transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV/AIDS
	IEC/advocacy materials on adolescent/youth
	health and gender-sexuality awareness
•	Allocated funds for AHYD programs and projects
•	Number of youth who availed themselves of basic	•	Number of youth who stopped using drugs
	health services (medical and dental)	•	Number of drug-related cases reported and
•	Nature and frequency of coordination		resolved
	between/among health agencies/organizations	•	Number of youth participants in sports activities
•	Type of advocacy campaigns on youth health		who developed positive health attitude
	undertaken; number of youth reached and who	•	Number and location of community health
	participated in campaigns		institutions that effectively manage & deliver
•	Type of health programs on youth health		health programs for youth
	development implemented	•	Number of youth actually reached and assisted
•	Type of assistance provided to local health		by peer educators
	centers/institutions to increase their capability for	•	Number of youth who practiced solid waste
	effective health service delivery and management		management
•	Number of youth who are trained as peer
	educators
•	Number of LGUs that implemented water
	development system

D. Youth Participation

Policy Agenda

7. Strengthen youth participation in community and youth development activities, such as in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating youth programs and projects.

8. Integrate the youth agenda and concerns in local and national development plans.

	Possible Indicators
	Monitoring		Evaluation
•	Number of youth groups organized	•	Increased youth groups organized/membership.
•	Frequency of conduct of awareness campaigns	•	Increased awareness of youth on their rights and
	on laws (International and national), policies on		responsibilities
	youth rights and participation.	•	Acquired skills on project development process.
•	Number of Capability Building programs on	•	Increased participation of IP youth in Ancestral
	planning, implementation, monitoring and		Domain/land development activities
	evaluation of programs and projects conducted.	•	Number of youth sitting in school boards
•	Number of IP youth participating in Ancestral	•	Youth agenda and concerns integrated in local
	domain/Land concerns		and national development plans; implementation
•	Number of IP youth participating in environmental		of youth agenda monitored and evaluated
	concerns.	•	Integrated youth rights and responsibilities in
•	Number and location of schools that provide for		the school curricula; number of youth who
	students' representation in school board.		became aware of their rights and responsibilities
•	Frequency of conduct of dialogues/consultation	•	Integrated environment-related and
	on youth issues and concerns; number of youth		entrepreneurship courses in school curricula;
	participants.		number of youth who participated in
•	Type and number of youth-friendly structures		environment and entrepreneurship activities
	created at local and regional levels; number of	•	Number of SKs and youth organizations
	youth reached		recognized for their outstanding
			achievements/contributions
		•	Number of youth who volunteered for
			community outreach/development activities
		•	Number of youth who participated in local
			governance/decision-making
		•	Number of youth who participated in regional
			and international activities

E. Specific Youth Groups (SYGs)

Policy Agenda

9. Eliminate all forms of discrimination, violence, and abuse against youth, women, and children. ASIETa

	Possible Indicators
	Monitoring		Evaluation
•	Number and location of specific youth groups	•	Enacted and fully implemented laws and
	organized.		policies that promote and uphold the rights and
			welfare of specific youth groups.
•	Frequency of conduct of IEC activities to promote
	the rights and welfare of specific youth groups.	•	Integrated indigenous life and culture in school
•	Capability enhancement programs/activities for		curricula
	youth.	•	Reduced incidence of exploitation and
•	Type and number of programs for specific youth		discrimination of specific youth groups.
	groups developed and implemented; number of	•	Increased participation of specific youth groups
	youth reached who participated in each program		in community and institutional program
	(education, health, livelihood, values,		undertakings.
	participation, etc.)	•	Number of specific youth groups who developed
			and demonstrated capacities for
			organizational/project management (planning,
			organizing, financial management, monitoring,
			supervision, etc.)

F. Youth Values Formation

Policy Agenda

10. Promote a positive and healthy self-image, critical thinking, love of country and of one's geographic and cultural roots, social responsibility, and the spirit of volunteerism among youth.

	Possible Indicators
	Monitoring		Evaluation
•	Number and type of family support programs	•	Number of youth who developed positive values
	developed and implemented.		and attitude towards self, others and community;
•	Type and frequency of coordination with local		number of youth volunteers (e.g. became
	institutions to undertake youth image building		cooperative/team player, able to manage time or
	activities.		set priorities, dependable in work, etc.).
•	SK allotted funds for life skills training among	•	Integrated family education courses at the
	youth.		tertiary level.
•	Number of community members trained to serve	•	Number of youth who gained self-confidence
	as 'value cultivators'		and sense of social responsibility (e.g. able to
			relate well with different individuals/groups,
•	Number and type of inter-faith activities		able to perform tasks within the desired quality
	undertaken; number of youth participants.		& quantity, etc.).
		•	Institutionalized monitoring and advocacy of
			responsible media
		•	Number of youth who patronized national
			culture and arts.

3. The MTYDP and Beyond

- In the Heart of the Young, a song by Winger

If the many issues and concerns that the youth have raised throughout this process seem overwhelming, it is perhaps only because young Filipinos are now more aware of their needs and have found a way to express them. More importantly, they have found a way to address their issues, first on the level of discussion and debate, and next on the level of concrete action. aTICAc

Throughout the country, young people and those working for the youth have been coming together in real dialogue — identifying problems and challenges, determining root causes, looking for new and creative solutions to old challenges, and earnestly seeking alternative ways to generate resources for their programs and projects. The National Framework for Youth Development is a concrete result of this process.

Beyond the document, and outside of government efforts, young people have already begun the process of revolutionizing youth development and of empowering themselves to produce real, concrete results.

A group of soccer-playing out-of-school youth in Bukidnon got tired of seeing their caves vandalized, and organized efforts to rehabilitate their caves and clean up their town's shorelines. A group of high school students in Cebu refused to take child abuse sitting down, mobilizing communities, government agencies, and even the media against child abuse. A group of animal enthusiasts from Manila has traveled around the country to educate young children about Philippine wildlife and the environment, attracting even the international cartoon family The Wild Thornberrys to their educational efforts. An organization of tribal youth has been traveling around the country, educating indigenous peoples about their rights, new livelihood opportunities, and means for integrating themselves into mainstream Filipino society. These organizations have been recognized by the search for the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations. (TAYO), but many more are out there, working passionately for causes they truly believe in.

Youth volunteerism and social responsibility is alive and well in the Philippines, but the MTYDP 2005-2010 hopes to kick it up a notch, as they say.

Of course, this document is not infallible; but it is a good start and should be a work in progress. It should only be the beginning of an exciting and dynamic process of working to improve young Filipinos' lives.

Positive change has already begun. What the country needs now are people like you, who are reading this document, to see it through.