Around 1,000 young leaders gathered in Samar on August 11 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Sirak Kabataan movement, demonstrating the growing role of Filipino youth in community leadership and advocacy.
Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara joined the youth leaders during SIRAK Day, one of the latest examples of young Filipinos taking an active role in addressing issues affecting their generation.
The gathering comes as Plan International Pilipinas calls on incoming Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay leaders to strengthen youth-centered policies covering health, education, gender equality, and child protection.
The call is particularly timely as the country approaches the SK and Barangay elections and celebrates this year’s Linggo ng Kabataan.
Young Filipinos continue to face significant barriers. One in four Filipino adolescents nationwide falls behind academically by age 18. More than 10,600 adolescent mothers were recorded in 2024, with pregnancies rising among girls under 15. Child labor reached over half a million in 2025, while nearly 20% of internet-using children aged 12 to 17 have experienced grave online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC).
Plan International Pilipinas believes young people must have a direct role in creating solutions to these challenges.
The organization facilitated the development of the Girls’ Agenda, a four-point blueprint shaped by 400 girl advocates. Its priorities include safety, resilience in crisis, health, and education and economic empowerment.
Since 2025, the organization has reached 2.83 million people, protected over 740,000 individuals through violence prevention programs, and trained more than 14,000 child protection advocates.
“The Girls’ Agenda came directly from young people, mostly girls, who told us where the gaps are,” said Twyla Raros David, Country Program Manager for Gender and Child Rights. “Training incoming SK and Barangay leaders to carry that agenda into their own communities is how we turn those numbers around, one barangay at a time.”
The work is already being translated into youth-led action across the Visayas and Mindanao.
In Samar, youth advocacy panels and peer educators provide platforms for young people to engage with community concerns. In Cotabato City, mental health initiatives are being implemented through Plan International Pilipinas’ Global Youth Ambassador program.
The Youth Advisory Panel allows young advocates to influence community decisions, while Youth Peer Educators and Youth Reporters train high school students on OSAEC, SOGIESC, child rights, mental health, and leadership.
The Girls’ Challenge Grants Group likewise supports girls from vulnerable communities in developing solutions to problems affecting their local areas.
With support from local governments, schools, and communities, these programs help build a network of trained young people who can work alongside SK councils and barangay leaders.
Plan International Pilipinas is now encouraging incoming local leaders to build on this momentum by translating the Girls’ Agenda into concrete local ordinances during and beyond Linggo ng Kabataan.
The initiative supports the United Nations’ 2026 International Youth Day theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” highlighting the shared hopes of young people for safety, health, and opportunity.
To support Plan International Pilipinas’ programs and help ensure that every girl has the resources to learn, lead, decide, and thrive, visit their official website or email [email protected].