National Youth Commission Goes Local

The National Youth Commission is currently establishing Regional Advisory Councils nationwide aiming to network with the regional government offices and local youth organizations. This is patterned after the NYC Advisory Council, composed of heads of government agencies guiding the NYC in the formulation and implementation of youth policies and programs.

This is one of the methods identified by the Commission during its annual planning activity to be more effective in the localities, and to be felt more by the young people in the regions outside Metro Manila.

The NYC currently maintains 5 Area Offices (located in Baguio, Naga, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga), each handling 2 or more regions. With the area offices being run by only two personnel, maintaining the NYC’s operations nationwide is a challenge.

NYC Chairman Bam Aquino believes that the young people in the local areas deserves more attention, emphasizing the current role of the NYC as an “enabler”, giving the youth access to information and services relevant to them.

The regional councils of Regions 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, ARMM, CAR and CARAGA have convened at present, with the rest still in the coordination and initial commitment setting stage. Each council is slated to have regular quarterly meetings to fully complement the varied needs of the youth in the regions.

The Regional Advisory Councils will be significant in crafting the Medium-Term Youth Development Plan (MTYDP) 2005-2010, which will serve as the master plan and national framework for all youth development efforts. Experts from the academe are also helping out the NYC in crafting the Plan.