One of Jose Rizal’s famous lines is “Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan (The youth is the hope of our nation).” Believing in the same principle, SM Cares and the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) are continuously investing in the leadership capability of the youth through the annual Global Youth Summit (GYS).
Now in its 12th year, the culmination of the summit was held in the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, where an estimated 12,000 students from different schools and universities were gathered to learn from industry leaders. Organized by SM Cares and GPF, GYS 2024 aimed to equip young leaders with the knowledge and skills to tackle pressing global issues aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The summit traversed 17 provinces in the Philippines, culminating in a grand finale at the iconic MOA Arena.
In an interview, Royston Cabunag, program director of SM Cares Foundation Philippines, said that the foundation’s goal is to help develop the leadership skills of future leaders by providing platforms and avenues where they can learn and hone their skills.
“We've done 17 provinces to highlight the 17 SDGs to sustainable development goals, we wanted to emphasize that this is something that we are pushing forward together with the youth,” Royston tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “For our final leg for this year here at the SM MOA Arena, we brought in speakers who will continue to inspire [the youth] and make sure that they are able to practice new concepts on how to be sustainable and how to ensure that they recycle other things, so that they will be able to apply in the future.”
The event featured a lineup of inspiring speakers, including actress and philanthropist Heart Evangelista, GPF Asia Pacific Regional president Ingill Ra, commercial pilot and AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan, and content creators Abi Marquez (also known as ‘Lumpia Queen’) and Lyqa Maravilla, an online educational influencer. Their powerful messages resonated with the young audience, igniting their passion for social change.
As a testament to the summit’s commitment to nurturing innovation, five young leaders received seed grants worth P250,000 in total to bring their sustainability projects to life. This initiative empowers the next generation to become catalysts for positive change.
The GYS 2024 was a resounding success, leaving a lasting impact on the young participants and inspiring them to become active agents of change. As the world faces unprecedented challenges, the summit’s focus on sustainability and youth empowerment is more crucial than ever.