Angara files bill declaring Aug. 12 as National Youth Day

Recognizing the vital role of the Filipino youth in nation-building and community development, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara pushed for the passage of a bill declaring August 12 as “National Youth Day” in the Philippines to honor their contribution to society.

Angara said that while the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the prospects of many of the country’s young people in terms of gaining meaningful employment and has contributed to an increase in mental health issues, the Philippines benefitted from the efforts of the youth during the stringent lockdowns.
 
“Outside of the government’s, many of the relief operations and assistance programs, as well as movements to secure personal protective equipment (PPEs) for our frontliners, were initiated by young men and women,” Angara said in the explanatory note of his Senate Bill No. 2012.
 
In filing the measure, the senator said that while the adage of the youth being the country’s hope has grown old and overused, “its message undeniably remains true.”
 
“Hence, this measure—aligning with the intent of the International Youth Day—seeks to recognize the vital role of the youth in the development of a community and institute programs which will engage our young Filipinos to participate in nation-building,” the lawmaker said.
 
“Through programs aimed at empowering the youth, the country would be able to harness this very productive human resource which can strongly lead to social reforms, economic growth, and innovation,” he further said.
 
Angara said the United Nations designated August 12 of every year as International Youth Day in 1999 as a reminder that young men and women are essential partners in community-building and human development.
 
Two decades since it was approved, he said countries are now witnessing how the youth are shaping nations either through social media, civic works, or pioneering innovative industries.
 
The senator said this was evident in last year’s International Youth Day celebration which was held with the theme of “Youth Engagement for Global Action.”
The UN said last year’s theme sought to “highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national, and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes.”