Co-written by Ceejay Abilay and Kylle De Guzman
On May 1, 2025, the UP Resilience Institute YouthMappers (UPRIYM) student leaders Ceejay Abilay and Kylle de Guzman joined fellow youth leaders, development practitioners, and government representatives for the ASEAN Youth in Climate Action and Disaster Resilience Conference, held as part of a three-day regional event. UPRIYM participated on the second day of the event, speaking during the panel session alongside other youth leaders and climate advocates.
Prominent government officials graced the event, including Usec. Joseph Francisco Ortega, Chairperson of the National Youth Commission; Secretary Robert Borje of the Climate Change Commission Philippines; and Behzad Noubary of UNICEF. The morning sessions also featured key insights from climate specialists and regional youth champions, adding diverse perspectives to the conversation.
During the panel, we introduced the work of UP Resilience Institute, YouthMappers, and our own chapter, UPRI YouthMappers, highlighting how youth can meaningfully contribute to climate action through geospatial tools and community engagement. We shared our three-fold focus:
- Training and UpSkilling – From Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) to Drone Data Collection;
- Preparedness and Capacity Building – With programs like BATAlert, Mapping Sinking Cities, and Urban Heat data collection in partnership with PHIVOLCS and the World Bank;
- Disaster Response and Recovery – Through international mapathons supporting crises in Myanmar, Syria, Türkiye, and localized response efforts such as for the Kanlaon eruption.
In our presentation, we emphasized the critical role of citizen science, open data, and youth empowerment in fostering inclusive, anticipatory resilience work.
This conference provided valuable space to connect with peers and partners across ASEAN, such as delegates from Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia, as well as youth leaders and academics from the Philippines, including representatives from Philippine Association of Environmental Science Students, Bulacan Youth for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Awareness 360, Plan International, and the Association of Young Environmental Journalists. These encounters sparked conversations around potential collaborations, both onsite (e.g., Nueva Ecija) and cross-border (e.g., Singapore).
Events like this are valuable opportunities for UPRIYM to share our impact with fellow youth and national leaders, and we are grateful to be part of the conversation. As we continue building a youth-driven network for climate resilience and disaster risk reduction, we carry forward the connections, inspiration, and shared goals born from this ASEAN gathering.