Filipino children and young people should have more than a voice in community discussions—they should help shape the decisions that affect their lives, according to Plan International Pilipinas.
As the country marks Linggo ng Kabataan and prepares for the upcoming SK and Barangay elections, the girl and child rights organization is urging incoming local leaders to create stronger mechanisms for youth participation in health, education, gender equality, and child protection initiatives.
Young people are already demonstrating that they can take on meaningful leadership roles.
On August 11, an estimated 1,000 youth leaders gathered in Samar for SIRAK Day, where Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara joined celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the Sirak Kabataan movement.
Across the Visayas and Mindanao, other youth-led initiatives are providing opportunities for young people to advocate, organize, educate, and develop community solutions.
These efforts are important amid persistent challenges affecting Filipino youth.
One in four Filipino adolescents nationwide falls behind academically by age 18. More than 10,600 adolescent mothers were recorded in 2024, with pregnancies rising among girls under 15. Child labor reached over half a million in 2025, while nearly 20% of internet-using children aged 12 to 17 have faced grave online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC).
Plan International Pilipinas responded by facilitating the Girls’ Agenda, a four-point blueprint developed by 400 girl advocates around safety, resilience in crisis, health, and education and economic empowerment.
Since 2025, the organization has reached 2.83 million people, protected over 740,000 individuals through violence prevention programs, and trained more than 14,000 child protection advocates.
“The Girls’ Agenda came directly from young people, mostly girls, who told us where the gaps are,” said Twyla Raros David, Country Program Manager for Gender and Child Rights. “Training incoming SK and Barangay leaders to carry that agenda into their own communities is how we turn those numbers around, one barangay at a time.”
The Youth Advisory Panel is one example of this approach, giving young advocates opportunities to influence community decisions.
Youth Peer Educators and Youth Reporters train high school students on OSAEC, SOGIESC, child rights, mental health, and leadership, allowing them to provide support to fellow students. Meanwhile, the Girls’ Challenge Grants Group enables girls from vulnerable communities to design their own responses to local problems.
In Samar, youth advocacy panels and peer educators continue to support youth participation, while Cotabato City hosts mental health initiatives through Plan International Pilipinas’ Global Youth Ambassador program.
Through partnerships with local governments, communities, and schools, these programs help connect trained youth advocates with local decision-makers.
This Linggo ng Kabataan, Plan International Pilipinas is calling on incoming SK and Barangay leaders to move beyond consultation and turn the Girls’ Agenda into concrete local ordinances.
The call is consistent with the United Nations’ 2026 International Youth Day theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” which recognizes the shared aspirations of young people for safety, health, and opportunity.
To support Plan International Pilipinas’ programs and help ensure that every girl has the resources to learn, lead, decide, and thrive, visit their official website or email [email protected].