The youth will play a vital role in building a “better normal” after the coronavirus pandemic, Vice President Leni Robredo said as she welcomed their contribution in stepping toward a “fairer, kinder, and more inclusive” world.
During the virtual ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) of the Angat Buhay Youth Upskills Program, the vice president welcomed a new breed of “young leaders” who will “find resources, skills, and the space they need to push for their advocacies in their own communities.”
“If we are to solve our most pressing problems, we need more young Filipinos to be involved and given pathways to contribute to society and empowered. Through this program, we will be able to provide concrete pathways for the youth to contribute...to build the truly better normal in its aftermath,” Robredo said in her online message.
Angat Buhay is the flagship anti-poverty program of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). Its subsidiary, the Angat Buhay Youth, aims to equip and mobilize young leaders in the world against poverty.
“Of course, much work remains to be ahead of us but today, marks a meaningful step towards this better normal we envision, a world that is fairer and kinder, that is more inclusive and equitable for every young Filipino has the chance to uplift, not just her life but the life of every other member of her community,” she added.
The vice president said that Angat Buhay Youth will give young Filipinos the “resources, skills, and the space that they need to push for their advocacies in their own communities.”
“Through the years we have met countless, inspiring young individuals and organizations. We have shown how, when channeled through the youth, empowerment snowballs, how empowering Filipinos often means empowering the entire community as well,” she noted.
Robredo cited as examples the many projects and programs they have seen during Angat Buhay Youth Summits.
She mentioned the use of theater arts in Zamboanga City to promote education among the youth and the doll-making project in Laguna to train teenage mothers and help them market the dolls they produced.
She said that the Youth for Peace Movement Davao Oriental helped build a “transitional shelter facility for the children of the insurgents, allowing former rebels “to transition more smoothly back to their communities.
The Project Gifted in Batangas was started by the Lipa City Orchestra “to help children with drug and mental health problems to heal through music therapy.”
“We are happy to award grants for these projects and connect them with other funders who can finance and help them scale up,” Robredo said.