NYC Sees Youth with Greater Role in National Development

Chairman Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV addressed representatives of the academe, the youth sector and youth-serving organizations during the UP Public Lecture Series last March 12 at the National College of Public Administration and Governance at UP Diliman.

Chairman Aquino reiterated the current role of the NYC as an “enabler”, giving the youth access to information and services relevant to them and providing youth-serving organizations a link to registered youth organizations. This is a definitive shift from being a direct implementer of youth programs.

The youth also perform a larger task as stakeholders in youth and national development instead of being beneficiaries, actively involved in programs that can benefit other youth in their areas and empowered to change their situation, as well as their community’s.

He also presented the idea of a localized advocacy and implementation of youth development initiatives, and the current role of the NYC in developing policies instead of developing youth programs.

This is the third UP Lecture Series, held since the Aquino Administration in 1992. The series is conducted at the end of each administration and provides for self-assessment of each agency and the alternative assessment of experts from the academe, civil society and media.

Reactors came from the University of the Philippines faculty, the Voice of the Youth Network, the Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines and the Students’ Actions Vital to the Environment and Mother Earth Movement.

- 16 March 2004 -