MisOcc holds 6th children, youth summit
OZAMIZ CITY – Youth in Misamis Occidental braced for a youth summit aimed to create a unique opportunity for children and youth to have their voices heard on matters affecting them.
The organizations of Youth for Climate Justice, Children Action Moving for Progress-Stepping in for Change and GITIB, Inc in partnership with Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, Mindanao Action Group for Children’s Right and Protection, Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. and terre des hommes conducted the 6th Provincial Children and Youth Summit Misamis Occidental and Local Candidates Forum 2019 with the theme “Pangunahing Bida ang Kabataan at Kalikasan sa Halalan... Bumoto para sa Kinabukasan.”
The two-day summit covered workshops, groupings, discussions and forum geared towards educating the youth on how to identify issues in the environment.
Youth leaders from the province of Misamis Occidental aired out their concerns during the sixth youth summit held in Ozamiz City.
Furthermore, the summit also provided a platform for children and youth to engage with political leaders.
Issues taken up by the youth leaders from various municipalities include emotional, physical and cyberbullying, corporal punishment or physical and humiliating punishment, early pregnancy, rape and sexual harassment, depression and suicidal tendencies, and child labor.
Also, awareness raising through children’s rights especially on ecological child rights, proper representation of the youth in local governance, child protection mechanism, to approve programs and services on children’s rights and to allocate budget, linkage of the youth to job opportunities and the strengthening of youth organizations through capacity-building.
Other concerns taken up were access to basic quality education, implementation of a comprehensive waste management program, active participation of the youth in community-based rehabilitation programs, improvement of services geared towards the youth with special abilities and educating the youth on the necessary skills for reducing risk and others.
Gitib, Executive Director Roldan Gonzales shared the organization’s advocacy and encouraged politicians to provide an avenue for children’s and Youth rights.
“First is on the war on drugs and the services that we lack so the youth will have a very important role,” said Gonzalez when asked what among the proposed plans should be prioritized in terms of implementation.
The need to exert more effort in the conservation of natural resources and in sustainable development was also emphasized to the youth leaders present.
Also, the organizations showed their support for the youth summit by sending messages of empowerment.
The program was born out of the need to address the needs of the children and youth.
The summit put emphasis on the importance of building strong, collaborative relationships among the children and youth organization from the province, so they may better serve their respective areas.