Skip to main content

Filipino youth unite for YSEALI ‘YOUnified’

By
Manila—Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) members in the Philippines marked the third anniversary of YSEALI by conducting youth-led community outreach projects in 33 locations across the country.  YSEALI YOUnified, held December 3, engaged 640 youth volunteers and more than 4,400 participants nationwide to advance the key YSEALI advocacies of civic engagement, economic development, education and the environment.  Projects included a mental health awareness program in Albay; outreach to survivors of Typhoon Lawin in Ilocos Norte; an underwater clean-up on Danjugan Island in Negros; a leadership camp with indigenous youth in Iloilo; English literacy sessions for out-of-school youth in Sulu; and an agri-entrepreneurship workshop for recent drug surrenderees in North Cotabato.

In Manila, the culminating YSEALI YOUnified event brought together almost 200 university student leaders to look at ways to work together to address challenges and opportunities for youth in marine conservation, social media, education and social entrepreneurship.  Addressing the audience, U.S. Ambassador-Designate to the Philippines Sung Kim reminded the students that “leadership also means public service and public welfare.”  He praised the determination of YSEALI members in the Philippines saying, “I think what you did today, engaging in various public service activities throughout the country, is a tremendous model of what leadership really means.”

YSEALI members from the other nine Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states also participated in the celebration by conducting additional 70 youth-led projects across Southeast Asia, engaging more than 9,000 participants. 

Launched in 2013, YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia.  Through a variety of programs and engagements, including U.S. educational and professional exchanges, regional workshops, in-country programs, and seed grants, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture an ASEAN community.  YSEALI focuses on critical topics identified by youth in the region, such as civic engagement, environmental and natural resources management, and entrepreneurship and economic development.  YSEALI now has more than 100,000 members across ASEAN and more than 15,000 in the Philippines alone.  More than 200 Filipinos have participated in YSEALI exchange programs to the U.S. and other Southeast Asian countries.  More than 20 Filipino YSEALI members have also received grant funding to implement their project ideas. (US embassy news)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By
By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...
14 comments
Read more

2020 Laoag City Traffic Code

By
  Republic of the Philippines Province of Ilocos Norte CITY OF LAOAG   SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD   EXCERPT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 58 TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE 11 TH SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD OF LAOAG HELD AT THE SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD SESSION HALL, LAOAG CITY ON OCTOBER 14, 2020. PRESENT: 1.        Hon. Vicentito M. Lazo                                                 City Vice-Mayor/Presiding Officer Hon. Juan Conrado A. Respicio II                                              S.P....
44 comments
Read more

Marcos town celebrates 3rd Pinakbet Festival

By
MARCOS, Ilocos Norte—Taking pride of this town ’s favorite Ilo cano dish, locally known as pinakbet, a mix of indigenous vegetables steamed in fish sauce, residents here ushered the opening of the third Pinakbet festival. “Pinakbet” came from the contracted Ilokano word ‘pinakebbet ’ which means “ shrunk ” or “shriveled.” As a way of thanksgiving, the Pinakbet festival is a repository of the town ’ s “ani” [harvest] festival being celebrated every month of March but this was later moved to December to accommodate more balikbayans wanting to join the festivity. Residents in this agricultural town derived most of their income from the harvest of high value crops, including rice, tobacco and corn as staple crops. This year, the week-long festivity highlighted a grand parade around the town plaza and a pinakbet cook fest at the municipal gymnasium to showcase the best pinakbet in town. A boodle fight followed suit. Earlier, a fun run was participated by various groups ...
5 comments
Read more