As the youth dream of a progressive future for the country, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto encouraged aspiring young leaders to realize the values of preparedness and community-building in order to practice good leadership.

“We dream big for our country. We want to see a prosperous Philippines – a Philippines with a clean government, good governance in our communities from the national to the barangay levels,” Sotto said in his speech at the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) meet-up on Friday, Dec. 2.

Sotto emphasized the importance of aligning with people who share similar principles, values, and beliefs in order to be effective leaders.

“Hindi natin ito kaya mag-isa (We cannot do this alone),” he stressed.

Sotto, who was an alumnus of the YSEALI Professional Fellowship program, told the young crowd that their presence and contributions in the YSEALI program means they are going in the right direction.

He added that they must “continue to prepare for the difficult challenges that lie ahead, and stand strong with the people beside them.”

Youth leaders from Metro Manila and Luzon flocked to Pasig City as it hosted YSEALI “YOUnified: Fire Up” leadership networking event. It was held at the Tanghalang Pasigueno in Pasig City from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, and organized by the YSEALI Luzon Hub alumni.

Aside from Sotto, the event’s other guests of honor were United States (US) Ambassador to the Philippines Marykay L. Carlson, who also gave a message of support to the delegates.

Ambassador Carlson emphasized that YSEALI was created with the belief that “young leaders are best positioned to address national, regional, and global challenges,” which is at the heart of the program’s “never too young to lead” slogan.

“You are the nation’s emerging leaders. You are key to the country’s future success,” said Carlson.

“We are here to support you as you become even more effective leaders by developing your leadership skills, deepening your expertise in your advocacy areas, and forming networks with the United States and across Southeast Asia,” she added.

Inspirational and informative messages were also delivered by keynote speakers Pasig City Councilor Quin Cruz, also one of the YSEALI alumni; Limitless Lab founder Joie Cruz, youth development consultant of Albay Province Kimberly Ante, and AKAP Guro co-founder Rex Dayao.

They shared their experiences and lessons learned in terms of civic engagement, economic empowerment and social entrepreneurship, education, and the environment.

A brief film showing, and cultural performance showcase were also presented.

YSEALI is a program of the US government launched in 2013 that aims to “build the leadership capabilities of youth in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region, strengthen ties between the United States and SEA, and nurture an ASEAN community.”

Through YSEALI, selected youth fellows are provided opportunities to engage in educational and cultural exchanges, workshops, seminars, and even acquire funding for projects.

To date, YSEALI has more than 30,000 members in the Philippines, and over 150,000 members across the Southeast Asian region.