Youth leaders distribute free hot meals to residents of Barangay Annafunan East, Tuguegarao City on Saturday. VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.
MANILA, Philippines—The Filipino youth remain hopeful of better governance despite corruption scandals wracking the current administration and heading to elections next year, according to findings of consultations made in observance of International Youth Day (IYD) last month.
IYD, first observed in 1999, puts emphasis on the need to engage the youth in politics, economy and society, a task which largely belongs to the government.
Led by Youth Co:Lab Philippines, this year’s IYD had 16 sessions with this theme: “Together, let us turn the world we have into the world we want.”
Graphic by Kurt Dela Peña
Discussions were held during the one-week event and findings were sorted that reflected the Filipino youth’s concerns.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said 49.5 percent of 235 young Filipinos, who took part in the consultations, remained “hopeful” of good governance.
It said that 36.5 percent was optimistic about recovery from the COVID pandemic while 28.4 percent said it valued education more.
The report also said the young were “worried” about climate emergency (49.5%), conflicts and disasters (45.5%), and access to primary health care and social services (30%).
Graphic by Kurt Dela Peña
“Throughout the consultation the youth have been curious about how better leaders could be elected to govern the country,” UNDP told INQUIRER.net.
“[They] are looking forward to better management in the local and national levels of government in the years to come,” it said.
For University of the Philippines’ (UP) Department of Political Science Prof. Ma. Ela Atienza, the youth are “generally more idealistic and more hopeful and they place higher expectations on themselves, other people and government to do better.”
In the Philippines, the Youth in Nation-Building Act that was enacted in 1995 defined the Filipino youth as those between the ages of 15 and 30.
The Philippine Statistics Authority previously said that in 2020, the projected population of those with ages 15 to 29 was 29.79 million, 15 to 19 was 10.21 million, 20 to 24 was 10.05 million and 25 to 29 was 9.54 million.
On eligible voters among the Filipino youth, the Commission on Elections said there are 3.04 million voters aged 18 to 19, 7.98 million voters aged 20 to 24, and 7.37 million voters aged 25 to 29.
READ: Poll preparations not taking backseat to pandemic
For UP’s Department of Political Science Prof. Jean Franco, the desire for good governance was possibly roused by the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
READ: Gov’t missed its own COVID-19 targets – Ateneo study
As of Sept. 26 (Sunday), the Philippines has 2.49 million COVID-19 cases – 161,447 active cases, 2.29 million recoveries, and 37,405 deaths.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) also said that the Philippines is one of the nations in the world that have not started physical classes since the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
Gov’t attacks
In 2016, the United Nations said the government has a responsibility to solve problems concerning young individuals— lack of work, low representation in political processes, and being excluded from society.
UNDP said that the young believe that the government has a great role in achieving “the world we want.”
In the Philippines, however, those who fight for people’s rights, especially the young, have become victims of the government’s war on critics.
According to rights group Karapatan, six of 715 political prisoners in the country were arrested when they were still minors while 18 young Filipinos were victims of extrajudicial killings targeting activists from July 2016 to June 2021.
In 2019, for instance, 22-year-old rights worker Ryan Hubilla was killed in Sorsogon province, where the military was deployed for counterinsurgency by President Rodrigo Duterte’s Memorandum Order No. 32.
READ: 2 human-rights leaders slain in Sorsogon
Atienza said progressive youth are definitely more critical of the current administration and its performance in many areas.
“They have been at the receiving end of attacks, both verbal and physical, from agents and enablers of the present administration,” she said.
Young’s voice
Dr. Selva Ramachandran, resident representative of UNDP, said people respond to present-day challenges with “innovative approaches and fresh ideas, building bridges and creating the world they want.”
“The youth are best prepared now than any other time in the past to engage with the world and influence sustainable development,” he said.
“They are leading development for themselves, their communities, and their societies. We look forward to more Filipino youth doing the same,” he added.
Citibank Philippines AVP for Corporate Citizenship Jaqueline Hain Ampil said it was “crucial that we hear your voice, and we will listen to what you have to say.”
“It may include issues and priorities on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or perhaps it will be about your contributions to sustainable development. We join you in your journey and share your vision for a better future,” she said.
Will it be fulfilled?
As of Sept. 24 (Friday), three individuals had confirmed their bid for the presidency—Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
For Franco, while Pacquiao and Moreno have the “poverty” narrative, it is important to take a hard look at how they will take care of the youth.
READ: ‘It’s time for the downtrodden to win,’ Pacquiao says on declaring bid for presidency
For instance, she said Moreno, in his political advertisement, said “if it happened to me, it could happen to you.”
READ: Isko Moreno to run for president in 2022; formal announcement Sept 22
However, Franco explained that not everyone can be like Moreno because many have gone through the same level of poverty as the Manila mayor’s but were unable to “achieve middle class status” despite working hard all their lives.
She said some things needed to change to help Filipinos survive or float above poverty.