The event was opened through an interfaith prayer followed with a sharing of personal experience from youth survivors of disasters in Quezon City and Caloocan emphasizing that they first experienced the impacts of climate even before learning about the concept of climate change. They reiterated that the stories they share are the lived experiences of the children, emphasizing their vulnerability and exposure to hazards.
“Injustice becomes invisible.” The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries for climate risk for children. Not just exposure, but government inaction and incapacity to address the risks. “Frontline of the climate crisis but not in the frontline of decisionmaking.” Not just to remain stories of disaster victims.
The 22 youth innovators each provided a brief overview of their own programs, and each took another turn to dedicate their projects to several communities, sectors of society, and to future youth-led climate action and innovations.
Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Bea Millan-Windorski shared her path towards environmental and climate advocacy. She spotlight voices who struggle day by day, voices she chose to amplify to help shape narratives. She belied claims that young people are just recipients of programs and are just victims, youth are active agents of change that are doing what they can to know and respond to climate impacts. She also shared how Filipinos should unlearn crab mentality and instead embrace “sea turtle mentality” where the strongest turtle hatchlings stay behind to ensure that their siblings are safe, and challenged elected officials to do the same.
Five concurrent impact dialogue sessions were organized for the 22 youth innovators to share their programs to the attendees. The facilitators encouraged the attendees to participate in the venue by offering conversations on how to fill in gaps with the challenges identified. It also served as a networking opportunity for the 22 youth innovators and the representatives from various sectors.
UPRI Representatives Patrick Ryan Bello and Edward Andrew Dionido had the opportunity to learn from initiatives geared towards mental health and psychosocial services for children and their parents, science creation and dissemination of youth, bokashi balls, nature-based solutions for forestry, and soil resilience improvement through bacteria. A common theme emphasized in the discussions with 5 youth innovators was the active participation of communities where they are not merely just recipients of projects—a reiterated point throughout the entire program. He also invited them to seek UP Resilience Institute projects. They also linked the innovators with Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, Philippine General Hospital, and institutionalized Resilience Hubs UPLB-INREM and UPMin-DiWA.
The program concluded with statements of support from Brooke Yamakoshi UNICEF Philippines Chief of Climate, Environment, and Resilience and Asec. Gervy James N. Gumarit, National Youth Commission Commissioner-At-Large, congratulating the 22 youth innovators for being catalysts of change, and to keep the momentum going.
