NYC sees youth with greater role in National Development




Chairman Paolo Benigno Aquino IV addressed representatives of the academe, the youth sector and youth-serving organizations during the UP Public Lecture Series recently 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, te Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines and the Students’ Actions Vital to the Environment and Mother Earth Movement.

International Youth Ambassadors lauded Networking 1-700


By LLOYD LUNA / Polytechnic University of the Philippines


In the international community, Youth Ambassadors to the United Nation Adam Smith called the youth sector worldwide to adopt strategic projects and programs that would involve young talents and potentials. In a separate statement, Smith applauded the project conducted by the Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines (NCJP). He said that the project would benefit the future media practitioners and make a difference in media.


Citing the promotion of international and local youth empowerment and participation, Youth Action Net Ambassador of the International Youth Foundation Pocholo Gonzalez lauded the efforts of the NCJP in the wake of its successful project dubbed as “Networking 1-700.”


In a statement, Gonzales together with the youth ambassadors affiliated with the United Nations, Taking IT Global and Global Youth Action Network cited the project's positive impact to the community.


“It is the first time that we see group of campus journalist concerned enough to support one another and work together to promote youth participation. This is very impressive and commendable move,” Gonzales claims.


Networking 1-700 is a priority project of NCJP. It's not APTITUDE; it is ATTITUDE that will bring one to a higher ALTITUDE which is the principle behind the project. It is a “pay-it-forward” program that synergizes young minds in two sorts: one area networks 70 campus journalists in zero year; in one year there would be 70 points in strategic regions of 1,700 islands.


Regardless of the color, race, ethno-linguistic background, individual status and gender, every campus writer should be given equal importance and opportunities in order to build a strong network and camaraderie among future media practitioners. Given all the knowledge, skills, and abilities without proactive and positive attitude would mean nothing. Through this project, campus journalists from the most prestigious school down to grassroots institutions are being linked through internet, informed, inspired, empowered, involved and taught to professionally work side by side with their comrades and then strategically collaborate all efforts to create positive impact in national media arena.


The impact, as what the organizers claim would be promotion of information dissemination, media education, inspiration, empowerment, participation and involvement. Part of the project was “Kapihan” that was first held in Malacanang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Through this subsystem issues have been cleared in personal basis thus this gave the leeway for the government to address issues in first person basis (information and education); “Broadsheet experience” supported the networking through providing members to write in national broadsheets and get them employed afterwards (inspiration and empowerment); “Biyahe”, an educational tour for writers also made strengthened the network (participation and involvement).


Innovation wise, the project uses state-of-the-art technology and maximizes technology. Through united effort of the beneficiaries, it uploaded a website that serves as an oracle of all information related to campus media. Though wireless communications, internet and mobile telephony, members in remote areas are given chances to experience and apply technologies in their localities.


Through this project, NCJP has established its national backbone from Cagayan Valley down South to Tawi-Tawi in six months with major local networks in Luzon: Cagayan, La Union, Neuva Vizcaya, Orani and Balanga City (Bataan), Quirino Province, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Baliuag, San Jose del Monte, Meycauayan (Bulacan); more then 40 publications in different Colleges and Universities in NCR; Cavite, Batangas, Quezon, Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, Naga City, Legaspi City, Dumaguete City, in Visayas; Mindanao State University in Iligan and Marawi, Surigao and Tawi-Tawi. Every area produces outputs based on the collaborative inputs they made within their research and parallel with the issues of national scale

Knowing Amadeo PNU's Unforgettable visit to RP’s coffee town


By MAY ANTONETTE FONSECA GUATATO


The best thing of being a science student is joining an ECO TOUR. Recently, almost 300 students from biology majors and science concentrations of Philippine Normal University visited Amadeo, Cavite, also known as the coffee town of the Philippines.


The students were able to adopt a designated area for coffee tree planting, promoting the protection of the ecosystem, study and observe geological processes, and assess factors that can affect geological process as well as occurrence of distinct biodiversity.

BACKGROUND
Sitio Silang was the first town of Cavite, which comprise one third of the whole province situated at the town called Gitnang Pulo. Because of the abundance of rivers and springs, it's fertile soil and vats forest, it became the favorite grounds of hunters and kaingeros. During those times, dapdap trees where blooming bright red flowers. Some of them aid the color of the flowers and would glare your eyes, that's why Gitnang Pulo became Sitio Masilaw.


Sitio Masilaw became a town on June 12, 1872, during the reigning period of Governor General Rafael de Izquierdo, the Governor name it Amadeo for the honor of the Prince Amadeo I, the second son of King Victor Emmanuel II, who reigned Spain in 1871. However, Amadeo was reverted in 1904 as a district of Silang by virtue of Public Act. 947. Until Amadeo moved as an independent town.


The municipality of Amadeo has a total land area of 4,790 hectares divided into 26 barangays. It is an island town in the southern part of Cavite bounded in the north municipality of General Trias, Silang in the east, Indang in the west and by the cities of Tagaytay and Trece Martirez in the south and northeastern portion respectively. The plains and hills are devoted to wide coffee plantations intercropped with other crops and agricultural products.


Seasons are important in Amadeo especially in product quality coffee. It has four pronounced seasons: during March, April, and May, it is the summer months; June and August is the rainy months; September to November is the wet months; and December to January is the coolest months. About their water resource, they are abundant in rivers, spring and underground water. The well-known water resources are the Balite Falls, Ilog Canas, Ilog Banga and Bolboc Spring.


There is also called PAHIMIS, a coffee festival of thanksgiving hoping to revive a good tradition of gratefulness to them who do well to themselves and their fellowmen. It is held annually with coffee tasting, fun and coffee give a ways to ensure good luck and street dancing, rejoicing of thanksgiving.

UNFORGETTABLE TOUR
After two hours of joyride we landed at 9:00 am in Amadeo Municipal Hall for a tour briefing. Richard Lumandas, the tour head, briefly discussed all about Amadeo from its legend, history and profile, a short message from the S.B. member and councilor, Honorable Rene Tiongson; and from the Municipal Mayor, Honorable Albert Ambangan Jr. after the briefing, a coffee tree planting was held in Barangay Pangil. Almost 300 coffee trees have been planted. After all the digging and sweating under the heat of the sun, we trekked the 850 meter way to Balite falls.


On the other side, after sharing the perspiration and seeing the beauty of the falls we went to BROMLIADS Hacienda a place owned by a well-known architect, Francisco Velasco.


At around four in the afternoon, the students went to the Café Amadeo for a free taste of their Pahimis blend coffee.


Plants are really important in our lives. It can help for the maintenance of waterfalls and can help for the production of the Philippine economy. Those are the significant factors for conservation of the ecosystem.

(The author is a third year Bachelor of Elementary Education in the Philippine Normal University. She is also the school’s coordinator of the Voice of the Youth Network and the country’s representative in the 2003 APEC YOUTH FORUM in Thailand.

"Hope and Action”
The Manila Youth Declaration And Agenda for Action



We, young representatives of 29 countries assembled in Manila for the International Young Peoples Participation Project, declare that youth participation is an essential instrument in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth (CSEC).

We do not believe that this problem can be eradicated without our full involvement.
We implore that all measures be taken to guarantee the rights of children and youth everywhere to participate on local, national, and international levels to end CSEC.
We demand that young people be empowered to take an active and committed role in decision-making, development, and implementation of strategies against CSEC.

Introduction

The International Young People's Participation Project was developed in response to a call for active young people's participation in the 1996 Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action. In the declaration, youth participation is promoted as a key tool in the fight against CSEC. Therefore, the primary goal of the following document is to enable the young people to participate in the fight against CSEC.

Our Beliefs

We believe that survivors and children at risk, as well as young people who work as advocates against CSEC, have a vital role to play in the development of effective strategies to combat CSEC.

We believe that it is imperative that the voice of the youth be heard. The youth must also be given genuine opportunities to implement ideas.
We believe that the youth must participate in decisions that directly affect their lives.
We believe that the youth must take every opportunity to share the responsibility of educating children on issues pertaining to CSEC.
We believe that the youth must play an instrumental role in shattering stereotypes and harmful beliefs and practices and in removing the stigmatization of CSEC.

Key Challenges

We believe that the primary factors leading to CSEC are the following:

% Poverty

% Lack of public awareness

% Negative cultural practices

% Discrimination against children and young people, especially girl children, minority children, children with disabilities, displaced children, CSEC victims, and children with HIV/AIDS

% Trafficked children

% Children and young people placed in high-risk situations, such as war, forced labour, and being suddenly transferred from rural to urban areas

% Inadequate allocation of resources to respond to the rights of children and young people and the absence of strategies, services and experience in this regard

% Insufficient implementation of existing laws against CSEC

These factors leading to the prevalence of CSEC are also major obstacles to effective young people's participation. They are compounded by the following developments:

% The Internet has increased the demand for and the accessibility to child pornography, and exposed children and young people to new forms of danger and exploitation.

% The portrayal of young people in sexually explicit ways through mass media.

% Sex tourism is one of the most profitable and widespread forms of exploitation affecting the children and youth of vulnerable nations.

% The inadequate coordination between the NGOs themselves, with government organisations, and with the private sector hinders the fight against CSEC.

% The lack of awareness and education around the issues of CSEC compounds the continuing abuse of the rights of children and youth, promoting discrimination, ignorance and violence.

% The corrupt governments and oppressive regimes.

Keys Actions and Recommendations

Networking
1- Young people should take responsibility to organize, coordinate, and network at all levels to increase and strengthen
cooperation among various sectors.
Young people should share experiences, information, and strategies with counterparts in other countries in order to
develop more effective participation.

Prevention
2- Young people should be involved in making CSEC visible in society through dissemination of information by awareness-raising campaigns and outreach activities for other youth.
Young people should call upon governments to acknowledge the causes and consequences of CSEC as a human rights violation.
Governments have the obligation to ensure that children's rights and strategies for their implementation are integrated into all sectors of public life to protect children at risk and to educate the general population against CSEC.
Restoration and Healing
3- Young people must take part in creating safe forums for survivors to not only share experiences and support one another, but so that the expertise of survivors can be acknowledged as a vital tool in the creation of strategies to combat CSEC. The survivors' input and their ideas must be sought and implemented at every level of decision-making.
Young people should be trained as peer counselors and peer educators in order to effectively reach survivors and at-risk youth.

Laws and Implementation
4- Young people have a responsibility to lobby with their representatives and governments in accordance with the needs and capabilities of each country in an articulate way. This should be done at local and national levels to ensure the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of a Child, and the Stockholm Declaration, for more concrete and effective legislation.
Young people must be active in lobbying for changes to existing legislation that identify and stigmatize victims of CSEC as juvenile delinquents.
Young people should lobby for changes in the investigation process and in the judiciary so to be sensitive to children’s needs with special training to be provided for law enforcers and prosecutors.
Young people demand that stricter legal measures be taken at the national and international level to combat the negative effects of globalization, such as trafficking of children across borders, including trafficking through international adoptions, sex tourism and the development of destructive aspects of information technology.
Young people call upon all governments to protect all children within their borders from CSEC regardless of their legal status. Legislation should be backed by adequate resources.
Young people urge governments to capture, investigate, and punish perpetrators appropriately.

Follow Up
5- We, the young people, demand that a clear strategy for youth participation in ECPAT's future activities be developed and that young people can play all integral role in this world. We hope that ECPAT will take all steps to assist young people in finding means and resources to transform their passion into purpose and enable their vision for combating CSEC to become a reality.
Young people should be included in work on all levels and be given support and, where possible, resources to develop networks.
In particular, young people should given every opportunity to take an active part in the planning and running of the Second World Congress against CSEC, and be empowered to participate on equal footing and in every aspect of the conference process.
We propose the creation of a website to provide opportunities for individuals, NGOs and GOs to exchange information, experiences and campaigns.
We propose that regional conferences be planned and held within the next three years. To ensure the continuation of the Stockholm, Victoria, B.C. and Manila youth participation process, youth present in Manila should take an active role in the preparation of the conferences. The proposed purpose for these conferences will be to evaluate action taken and progress made by the youth since the Manila Conference.
We recommend that an international committee be established to monitor developments and trends in relation to CSEC and young people's participation.

NCJP soars greater heights, embraces strong republic




Committed to its vision to be the Center for Effective Publication and Campus Press Development, the Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines (NCJP) instigated SOAR 2004, the first National Leadership and Team Building Congress in the country with top 75 outstanding campus publication editors participating the event.


NCJP founding chair and CEO Lloyd Luna chaired the pioneer project, which will be duplicated in strategic areas in the countryside.


“This is our maiden leadership project for campus journalists. We believe that these people are leaders by profession because through their writings, they actually influence the public specifically the studentry,” Luna explained.


In essence, he added, soar simply meant take off point for us to enhance our organization's structure that would promote better understanding how powerful the organization would become if consolidated efforts were being taken.


The project aims to inspire, inform, empower and involve campus media men vis-à-vis of their vital role in nation building.


Mauro Anthony Cabading III, vice-chairman and COO said, “Since we are very particular in the fundamental concept of nation building as stated in 1986 Philippine Constitution, we incorporated a lecture on Strong Republic”.


Highlighting the Strong Republic vision of Pres. Arroyo, Palanca Awardee and Presidential Assistant for Historical Affairs Manuel L. Quezon III explained the role of campus journalists in forwarding the vision to their constituents.


Other activities were batch discussion on “Writers of Principles and Leadership” delivered but Ian Barcelona, NCJP Adviser for Sectoral Affairs. It tackled basic leadership traits, styles and attitude and; “Becoming a team player” facilitated by Tricia Castrodes that gave an overview on what it means of being in a team.


In technical development program, Presidential Technical Assistant Jenny Lind Elmaco presented a lecture on column writing. It was followed by “Press release in the Making” by Ma. Theresa Fucanan, an experienced journalist of He and She magazine.


Enhancing the national structure and backbone of the organization, the two-day activity also included elections of Central Council Coordinators in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.


National President Patrick Asiñero of Mindanao State University in Marawi City stressed that: “This group of new breed of media practitioners in the future would be more than an organization. This will be a family that would care for the builders and opinion makers in the country.


In some time, he said, we will be going out in the Asia Pacific region and then in the international campus media arena.


The group, which will be implementing simultaneous projects and programs around the country, is working with the government, NGO's and private firms. Part of SOAR 2004 were Office of the Presidential Chief of StaffYouth Affairs Office, National Youth Commission, Voice of the Youth (VOTY) Network, Junior Graftwatch Council and the Manila BULLETIN.


“We will be asking Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issued Presidential Proclamation declare August as “National Campus Journalists Month”, Luna concluded.


NCJP is a proactive, positive outlook driven, impact oriented, program based, skills development tilted and institutionalized organization of campus journalists. After its successful “soaring of greater heights” with the idea of Strong Republic, it will now readying itself to be one of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO). The project that will be submitted is Networking 1-700.


Networking 1-700 is a collaborative effort of its founding team that created positive impacts in the lives of young writers.