By Joshua Ofiasa Villalobos, 22
University of the Philippines – Cebu
UNICEF Philippines Youth Advocate
Dear fellow Filipinos,
This letter is for you. Especially to our people in government. We are writing as the voice of the future we all aspire to build for everyone, especially for children and young people who will inherit the future we will create now.
In the past seven years I’ve worked with children and young people, I had the chance to listen to them share their ideas of the future. They imagined it, sang it, drew it, spoke of it, fought for it, and most importantly, actively contributed to building it.
We hope for nothing more than a safe, sustainable, livable, and a progressive future. A future where we can pursue our dreams and reach our aspirations. A future where we live in peace, provided with equal opportunities, and in commune with our natural world.
But that’s not what’s happening.
Climate crisis is threatening our chance to have a livable future with constant extreme weather events, which disproportionately impacts children.
We are growing in an era of rapid technological shifts that make the future uncertain and even more complex. While we are the generation who grew up with these technologies, many of us—especially in poor and rural communities—still don’t have access to them. And this limits our ability to maximize the benefits and opportunities these technologies bring.
And then there’s education. Filipino students are far behind their peers, with an estimated learning gap of 5.5 years. I have seen this with my own eyes—young Filipinos in high school who couldn't read or comprehend basic English. Are we raising a generation of uneducated, unskilled and, eventually, unproductive Filipinos?
But this is not because we didn’t dream high enough or work hard enough or did our part. It is because the system has failed us.
Yet, we refuse to give up. We are not idly standing by amidst these realities. Around the country, and in fact, around the world, children and the youth are taking up spaces to build the future we want. We are present in policy discussions. We lobby our government officials. We implement community projects. We empower our fellow youth. We work with other generations to address existing social issues because we know that our future is on the line.
However, we can’t do it alone and what is being done now is not enough.
It is said that by 2050, the Philippines has the rare opportunity to become the world’s 14th biggest economy. But we can only achieve this if we invest in human capital—health, education, skills-building; if we invest in the workforce of tomorrow. That is, us—the children and youth of today.
We need adequate investment to harness our power to shape and contribute to the country’s sustainable development. We need investments in health, nutrition, education, and skills-building to ensure that we not only dream of a progressive Philippines, we make it happen.
The inclusion of children and youth voices in decision-making and policy discussion is not just a box to be ticked. We need you to recognize that we can bring to the table valuable and necessary insights, experiences, and expertise that can significantly improve and enrich the policies you make, whether that’s for urban planning, green economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, education, or child protection.
My beloved fellow Filipinos, our dear leaders—this is our shared responsibility and our shared future.
As you read this, on World’s Children’s Day 2024, we stand on the precipice of possibility. We have the opportunity to do it right. The decisions we make today will either unlock the full potential of our nation’s youth and children or limit it for generations. We ask that you see our voices, not as mere calls for change, but as a reminder of what’s at stake.
Each investment, each policy, and each act of listening to the voice of the future brings us closer to a tomorrow where every Filipino—young or old, from urban or rural, privileged or underserved—has a chance to flourish.
Together, let us take this journey forward with courage and commitment. Join us in creating the Philippines that rises to the promise of its youth and children—a country that not only dreams of greatness and prosperity but achieves it.
For every child, a safe, sustainable, and progressive future.