MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo hopes youth leaders from across the Asia Pacific would aspire to build projects that would truly respond to the needs of the communities they serve. 

On Monday, August 13, the Vice President delivered the keynote speech during the launch of the 2nd Asia Pacific Youth Exchange (APYE) at Hanyang University in South Korea.

Youth delegates at the APYE are given the opportunity to hone their leadership skills through a simulation of policy formation and project execution that focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals.

In her speech, Robredo said young leaders are not only challenged to listen to the needs of their respective communities, but they must also ensure the community members themselves get to participate in implementing the programs created for them. (READ: Robredo: ‘A good leader inspires, empowers, listens’) 

“This means feeling the ground, knowing where you are most needed, and actually being there. The center of leadership will always be the people whom you serve,” said Robredo.

“They are the reason why you are doing what you are doing. They are the source of your strength, your passion, and your will,” she added

The Vice President then cited the Youth for Peace Movement-Davao Oriental as an example. Its two members became APYE delegates after winning the top prize during the Angat Buhay Youth Mindanao Summit organized by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in July.

The Youth for Peace Movement-Davao Oriental’s project, “Bal’lay Duwaan: A Happy Hub for the Sons and Daughters of the New Peace Advocates,” maps out the establishment of a transition shelter for children of rebel reformists in Davao Oriental.

Their project hopes to assist these children with their reintegration into mainstream society, by providing “fun learning and psychosocial activities” through a communal vegetable garden, a learning center, and a recreational area. 

Robredo said she and other OVP staff members were proud as they listened to the group present their plans to the Angat Buhay Youth Mindanao Summit panel last month. 

“This kind of selfless service is what we need most today, and these are the kinds of stories that light our way and fill our hearts with hope,” said Robredo. 

“This is why we should never underestimate young people. More than taking part in igniting the flames of such movements, they become the faces of this generation’s best minds: You are our problem-solvers and game-changers,” she added. 

The Angat Buhay Youth Mindanao Summit is one of the projects under Angat Buhay, Robredo’s flagship anti-poverty program.

The Mindanao leg is an offshoot of last year’s Angat Buhay Youth Summit, where student groups pitched projects that would address specific problems in their chosen communities. 

The group called Project Gifted won the Angat Buhay Youth Summit in 2017 for their proposal to use music therapy to keep children with mental health issues and out-of-school youth off the streets of Lipa City.

Like this year’s winners, Project Gifted’s members were then brought by the OVP to last year’s APYE. – Rappler.com