The National Youth Commission (NYC) on Friday urged the youth to participate in the upcoming elections as informed voters.
NYC chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO) Undersecretary Ronald Gian Cardema, on the sidelines of the “First SK (Sanguniang Kabataan) national summit” here from November 23 to 25, said the youth has a big role in pushing for the changes they want to happen in the country.
Based on the data from the 2016 elections, the country has more than 50 million registered voters with 23 million from 18 to 30 age group, Cardema said.
He said the young voters can become government’s partners to institute change but this will not be possible if they are not registered to help elect deserving public servants.
The official said the NYC has been working with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to raise the youth’s awareness on how important it is to practice their voting rights.
During the three-day event, the over 1,300 participants of the summit from 42,000 barangays all over the country will be molded on nationalism and care for the country with various lectures from heads of government agencies to help open their minds on how to help the country, especially as youth leaders.
He said that they hope to trickle down the same event to the regional level so that more youths will be reached and molded to become future leaders of the nation.
“The summit is just the beginning of a bigger training to make the SK more relevant than what it was and what people know it,” he said.
Among the topics during the three-day event are: promoting youth entrepreneurship, sports and well-being; promoting gender and equality and youth empowerment; orienting youth leaders on the harmful effects of illegal drugs on their health and to their communities; partnering with students and the role of SK leaders in helping out of school youth; promoting Filipino core values; role of the youth in the defense of the country; orienting the SK leaders on their military ranks in the AFP reserve force; allocation, release, planning and budgeting process of SK funds; mobilization of the youth in preparation for disasters and local/ national emergencies and role of the youth leaders in environmental protection. (Liza Agoot/PNA)
