As communities nationwide celebrate Linggo ng Kabataan, Plan International Pilipinas is asking the next generation of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay leaders to turn young people’s concerns into concrete policies and programs.
The girl and child rights organization is encouraging incoming local leaders to focus on four critical areas: safety, resilience in crisis, health, and education and economic empowerment.
These priorities are reflected in the Girls’ Agenda, a four-point blueprint created by 400 girl advocates and facilitated by Plan International Pilipinas.
The call comes as Filipino children and adolescents continue to encounter barriers to education, health, safety, and economic opportunity.
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 faced grave online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC).
Plan International Pilipinas has been working with communities and young advocates to respond to these challenges. Since 2025, it 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.”
Youth leadership initiatives across the country are already demonstrating the impact of this approach.
Samar hosted SIRAK Day on August 11, bringing together an estimated 1,000 youth leaders to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sirak Kabataan movement. Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara joined the gathering.
In the Visayas and Mindanao, youth advocacy panels, peer educators, mental health initiatives, and community-based programs are also giving young people opportunities to lead.
Through its Global Youth Ambassador program, Plan International Pilipinas supports mental health initiatives in Cotabato City. In Samar, youth advocacy panels and peer educators help young people engage with community concerns.
The Youth Advisory Panel empowers 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 supports girls from vulnerable communities as they develop solutions to local problems.
With local governments, schools, and communities as partners, these initiatives are helping build a generation of young people equipped to participate in governance and advocacy.
Plan International Pilipinas is calling on incoming SK and Barangay leaders to make this year’s Linggo ng Kabataan a starting point for translating the Girls’ Agenda into concrete local ordinances.
The initiative echoes the United Nations’ 2026 International Youth Day theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” which highlights the common aspirations of youth 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].