by :
Bernadine Astillero-Gabawan
Bayog,
Zamboanga del Sur, June 7 (PIA) – To engage with and empower the youth through
a discussion about their roles in their respective communities, the local
government unit of Bayog, hold a Youth Congress on June 4-5, 2012 at the
municipal gymnasium with the theme “Be the Change”
Mayor
Leonardo Babasa, Jr. in his message during the opening program said, “You can
make visible changes in some of our social problems that affects our youth
today, that is why you are one of our major concern.” The congress was attended
by 268 youth participants of the municipality.
With
the congress, the youths were able to frame up plans and proposals for the next
calendar year of which according to Mayor Babasa, will be integrated with the municipal budget
for 2013.
Resource
persons were Governor Antonio Cerilles, who talked on the role of the youth for
a change, SB Member Celso Matias discussed the House Rules and Parliamentary
Procedures and representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PEDEA-9), Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) and the Provincial Health Office, with their topics on
social problems facing our youth of today such as illegal drugs, environmental
protection and greening program, teenage pregnancy, health and malnutrition
respectively.
Other
activities conducted were the mass induction of the 4H Club Officer during the
Solidarity Night and the signing of Wall Commitment by the Municipal Officials
and the youth participants and tree planting at the Gulian Agro-Tourism Park
and Plenary Session.
Motions
approved in their plenary session were the P150 thousand budget for tree
planting activities next year, P300-T Indigenous People’s (IPs) scholarship,
P100-T for malnutrition campaign and feeding program, P100-T for sports activities,
and P50-T for illegal drugs campaign.
Bryan
Pal Abal, one of the participants said, “I am very glad that I became part of
this congress. This is the first time that the municipality has such. We earned
more knowledge of becoming a part of change in our communities and will look
forward that there will be another
congress next year.”
The congress was made possible through the efforts of the local government of Bayog, in coordination with the Sangguniang Kabataan, 4H Club, provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur, PEDEA, JCI, DENR and National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP-9). (BAG/PIO-Bayog/CAL/PIA9)
