Quezon City kids vouch for active participation in community governance
Youth leaders from different communities in Quezon City, as well from different civil society organizations, lent their voices in vouching for their active participation in community governance.
The children and youth participated in the “Bata, Kabataan, Bukas: A Children and Youth Summit on Participatory Governance” as part of the Open Government Week of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) held on May 21. Child leaders from World Vision-assisted areas in Quezon City served as facilitators for the summit. Also in attendance during the summit were city-wide and community-wide members of the Quezon City local government.
During the summit, participants joined in a workshop where they were asked what can they contribute to address the problems they have witnessed in their respective communities.
For 16-year-old Ryan, he has seen how teenage pregnancy has greatly affected the youth in his area. “In my community, we raise awareness to my fellow youth about the possibilities of having a family at a young age. We also teach them about the rights and responsibilities of a child.”
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Nicole, who served as a facilitator in the event, expressed her enthusiasm about sharing her knowledge to her fellow youth. “The summit is a great avenue for me to share what I know about child participation towards community building. I’m glad that while we’re still young, the local community has tapped youth like us when it comes to policy-making that contributes to shaping the future of children.”
The OGP, lodged under the Department of Budget and Management, is a partnership joined by 77 countries that aims to improve governance, empower citizen participation, as well as combating corruption. The Philippines is one of the eight founding countries of the initiative.
In 2024, Quezon City—one of five areas throughout the country—became a member of the OGP Local Program.
