What if the greatest mistake governments make about young people is not failing to hear them, but failing to trust them?

Today, International Youth Day 2026 is observed globally under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.” It is a timely reminder that young people may live in vastly different circumstances, yet aspire to the same fundamentals: dignity, opportunity, meaningful participation, decent work, quality education and a sustainable future.

Governments should respond not with ceremonial speeches, youth summits that produce photographs, or promises recycled every election season, but with policies that give young people a genuine stake in society.

Dignity begins with decent work. Economic growth means little to a young graduate who cannot find a stable job, to a worker trapped in precarious employment, or to an aspiring entrepreneur denied access to capital. Governments must make youth employment central to economic policy by expanding apprenticeships, strengthening technical and vocational education, supporting startups and microenterprises, and aligning skills training with emerging industries, including digital, green and care economies. The Philippines’ current development agenda already recognizes the importance of better jobs, private investment, skills and human capital.

Education, however, must go beyond diplomas. The Philippines cannot build a competitive economy while millions of learners struggle with foundational literacy and numeracy. The government’s new education investment targeting 21 million K to 12 learners is a welcome step, but implementation must reach the poorest, remotest and most vulnerable communities.

Young Filipinos also need education that prepares them not merely to pass examinations but to think critically, solve problems, navigate artificial intelligence and use digital technology responsibly. Skills must translate into livelihoods.

Yet opportunity without voice is incomplete.

The Philippines must move from youth participation as consultation, to youth participation as co-governance. The National Youth Commission’s mandate already includes fostering youth participation in community development and good governance. The next step is to make that principle tangible.

Local governments should require meaningful youth representation in development planning, public consultations and selected budget discussions. Youth councils must have resources, training, transparency safeguards and measurable responsibilities—not simply positions to occupy. Government agencies should establish youth advisory mechanisms whose recommendations receive formal responses, making participation consequential rather than symbolic.

The country should also create a stronger pipeline from youth leadership to public service: government internships, civic fellowships, policy apprenticeships and merit-based leadership programs can give young Filipinos practical experience in policymaking and public administration.

Most importantly, the government must listen beyond the usual voices. Young people in rural communities, poor households, indigenous communities, conflict-affected areas and geographically isolated islands must have equal opportunities to participate. Digital platforms can widen access, but connectivity must accompany digital literacy and inclusion.

The future will not be secured by telling young Filipinos that they are the leaders of tomorrow.

They are already citizens today.

The Philippines should therefore stop asking whether young people are ready to lead. The better question is whether our institutions are ready to let them.

A prosperous, democratic and sustainable Philippines cannot be built for the youth while excluding them from building it.

Give them skills. Give them opportunities. Give them a voice.

Then give them room to lead.