Youth Leadership Summit Banaybanay

BANAYBANAY, DAVAO ORIENTAL—Recognizing the role of young people in the development of the country, a leadership summit was held in this municipality to empower young people and make them partners in peace-building. The Youth Leadership Summit Banaybanay was organized by the Youth for Peace Movement (YFPM) Davao Oriental Chapter from April 27 to 29 at the Banaybanay National High School Covered Court.

YFPM Davao Oriental Chapter President Fiel Melan Bulaong said the summit is like a one-stop-shop youth camp wherein participants can learn about their role in peace-building, how not to become part of insurgency, among others. He added this activity is like a summer youth camp, and they are partnering with the local government units of Davao Oriental and Banaybanay, together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Haradave Orfanel, 23, convenor of YFPM DavOr chapter said young people are prone to becoming new recruits of leftist groups that’s why the leadership summit will be a way to dissuade them from joining in movements aiming to topple the government.

She added that the participants coming from 14 barangays of this municipality, numbering to 140, will be equipped to face the challenges today as young people.

She said this is also to teach the youth how to become future leaders through the different activities set for the three-day camp like behavioral awareness, good governance, drug awareness, environmental awareness, insurgency awareness, spiritual enhancement, team building, among others.

RJ Pandili, 21, convenor of YFPM DavOr chapter said they also want the young people to know their responsibilities as youth of the nation.

He added the summit, which was staged for 22 times already in Davao Oriental and neighboring provinces, will also inform the young people that the government has projects intended for them that will promote their welfare.

LTC Benjamin Daniel D. Tianco, Commander of the 20th Infantry Battalion during an interview said the youth summit is the military’s way to spread the information about how young people can become good citizens of the country and at the same time, build their capacity to become future leaders of the country.

The three-day summit focused on the theme: “Youth Convergence: Partner in Peace and Progress.”