Iloilo’s teen centers go legal
Iloilo’s alaLAYI: Pag-ubay Legal sa Kabataan program and signing ceremony. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Iloilo Provincial Population Office
ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo provincial government is arming high school students with legal know-how through a newly launched program aimed at empowering the youth with rights-based education and access to legal services right at their own teen centers.
While most legal outreach programs are court-centered or crisis-driven, Iloilo’s alaLAYI: Pag-ubay Legal sa Kabataan flips the script by putting the law where the youth are or inside teen hubs across the province.
This makes it the first initiative in the country to bring legal education directly into school-based youth programs, making law for the next generation clearer and easy to understand before they even enter college or encounter serious legal trouble.
The brainchild of a three-way collab between the Iloilo provincial government, the Central Philippine University (CPU) College of Law, and the Schools Division of Iloilo, alaLAYI was officially launched during the 124th Semana sang Iloilo celebration last April 8.
A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed at the Iloilo provincial capitol to seal the partnership.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.; lawyer Aila Rae Endonila, CPU College of Law Dean; and Schools Division Superintendent Ernesto Servillon Jr. spearheaded the launch which also marked the government’s commitment to youth development under the governor’s flagship Bulig Eskwela sa Probinsya (Bes Probins) program.
“Providing guidance to our learners on law and legal matters is our goal. This is part of Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.’s Bes Probins (Bulig Eskwela) Program which focuses on supporting schools and strengthening education in Iloilo,” said lawyer Roel Von Superio, chief of the Provincial Population Office.
The name alaLAYI is a play on words: alalay, Filipino for “assistance,” and layi, Hiligaynon for “law”—aptly capturing the program’s mission of guiding the youth through the basics of the law.
Through lectures, forums, and hands-on legal services, teen center peer facilitators, peer helpers, and other students will learn about gender-based laws, sexuality education, and voter rights.
But it doesn’t stop at classroom talks.
The program includes free legal advice, referrals for legal representation, help with drafting affidavits and basic legal documents, and integration into population and development activities, ensuring that legal empowerment becomes part of youth development, not an afterthought.
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“This legal guidance program will help us guide our secondary students on current issues and concerns. It is a fundamental step in realizing our vision for transformative education,” Defensor said.
Endonila called the initiative “a lifeline” for today’s youth.
“It is not every day that we see a project that truly listens to the needs of young people and equips them with the tools to face real-world challenges,” she said.
“This initiative proves our commitment to ensuring that our youth are heard, informed, and protected,” she added.
Currently, Iloilo has 102 operational teen centers in public secondary schools with five of them upgraded into “Teen Center 2.0” hubs.
