Recognizing the importance of participation of young people in its policies, programs, and projects, the Department of Education (DepEd) aims to strengthen its initiatives that aim to promote youth empowerment.
In particular, DepEd said it will be sustaining the annual election of officers for the National Federation of Supreme Student Government (NF-SSG). After nine years, DepEd revived the NF-SSG in 2021 by electing a new batch of officers among students coming from various regions.
“DepEd has always been a beacon for youth empowerment – an ideology that has been at the forefront of the department’s efforts,” Bureau of Learners Support Services-Youth Formation Division (BLSS-YFD) Chief Adolf Aguilar told the Manila Bulletin.
The revival of the NF-SSG was spearheaded by the BLSS-YFD. The elections for the latest batch of officers was held on Feb. 12.
Asked what prompted DepEd to revive to NF-SSG, Aguilar said that the YFD “sought to revive and institutionalize the Federation so that empowerment does not remain theoretical, but it becomes more concrete with an established framework and structure that is linked all the way to the regional and division level.”
Aguilar added that YFD also wanted to “maximize the potentials of student leaders, provide more opportunities for leadership and advocacy development, and create a national platform for them to get actively involved with matters that directly impact them.”
The birth of the YFD, Aguilar explained, made it possible for the NF-SSG to find its “new home and a strengthened sense of purpose.” He noted that the NFSSG is an entity that requires specific and defined guidelines and structures and its postponement for the last 10 years “was necessary for the Federation’s streamlining and reorganizing process.”
Aguilar said that the NF-SSG will also continue from hereon. “Under the care of YFD, we hope to continue providing this platform to deserving and empowered student leaders across the country so we can foster a network of student leaders who value the power of student leadership and empowerment,” he added.