If you dream of seeing the world, do not think that you are too young or you lack the resources to make it come true.
Take it from me. There are opportunities out there just waiting to be discovered.
As a 22-year old Informatics Diliman student, I have already been to two international conferences, including being an Asean+3 Philippine delegate.
I have always been curious and often dreamed of traveling. I want to see other countries to find out why they are progressive.
But I do not have money. My parents are government employees. So how do I make my dreams come true?
In my freshman year in college, a friend told me about a seminar on computer graphics and animation in Singapore. I asked my parents if they could afford to send me. After a lot of hesitation, they said yes.
My first trip
When I got to Singapore, my very first time outside the country, I thought I was dreaming. The air was clean, no pollution, so many trees. I stayed for 10 days although the conference lasted only four.
I met Filipino students from other schools. I thought because we were in the same conference their reason for being there was the same as mine.
It turned out they signed up for the conference because it was cheaper to tour Singapore.
During my stay, I learned a lot about transportation, environment, even politics. It made me wonder why the Philippines could not be like the city state.
Feeling like a VIP
In March 2010, I surfed the net in search of conferences and seminars. I found the National Youth Commission, a government office dealing with youth-related issues. Their website featured schedules of international conferences for youths.
I applied for Asean+3 Seminar on Urban Youth Work IV: Engaging Youths to Succeed in School. I was surprised to get a call saying I was one of four delegates who would represent the Philippines. The other delegates were Marjorie Franz Cabangon, Christine Viray and Mary Grace Ganotice.
The conference was again in Singapore. But this time an official from Singapore’s National Youth Council picked me up from the airport and briefed me on the conference. In my hotel, which was also the conference venue, I felt like I was the President of the Philippines.
During the conference, which lasted for three days, we were trained on how to manage youth organizations and how government agencies dealt with youth problems, among others.
We shared the culture of the Philippines and compared notes with other delegates on the educational standards of our respective countries. From the discussions, I realized our system needed a bit more improvement.
They took us to various institutions like the Northlight School, an institution for problem students. It is a beautiful school with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, from kitchen to souvenir store. And everything was managed by the students, who were just in high school.
One of the most enjoyable parts was the seminar by the *SCAPE Singapore and iCare. They taught us about life, about improving ourselves, about being better persons for the future.
During the seminar, I cried after realizing there were still many things I needed to improve on.
The conference helped me as I felt I had overcome my shyness, had become happier and was also willing to share my happiness with others.
Ecowarrior
A few months after the Singapore conference, I was chosen to be a delegate to the International Youth Climate Forum held in beautiful Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was organized by the United Nations Development Program, Hasanuddin University, Makassar and the government of South Sulawesi.
The conference focused on teaching the youth on how to slow climate change and save the planet. A former Indonesian vice president said he was happy we were going to care for the environment.
We were taken on a tour of Makassar, a small Y-shaped island south of the Philippines. The food was great and the air was very clean.
At the end of the conference, the governor of South Sulawesi took us on a Takabonerate Island expedition with the help of the Indonesian Navy.
Indeed, there are many opportunities for the youth (people aged 15-32 years are considered youth), if you know where to look.
Call or text me at 0920-9831554 or e-mail me at raymard@ymail.com. Visit www.nyc.gov.ph.
The author, climate change advocate and Bayan patroller, is chief general of Youth 4 Earth (Philippine chapter).