Members of the Letran Student Council, with the support of the YSEALI YOUnified Philippines and Manila Youth Development Welfare Bureau, merged with 50 student leaders from 18 universities around Metro Manila for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Manila 2017 program to discuss different methods to address the environmental challenges that the Metro is about to face.
Exemplary YSEALI alumni and city government officials graced the two day event with their speeches.
Different speakers such as the co-founder/director of Make it Real Tamara Richardon, founder of PACE48 Tobit Cruz, president of Angat Kabataan Julienne Picato. Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Bryan McClelland, founder of Bambike Miguel Lapera, Sustainability Officer of SM Gene Angelo Ferrer, Jenny Macaraan of Zuelig Foundation, Officer-in-Charge, Manila Youth Dev’t and Welfare Bureau Robin Reyes, and Kristina Yasuda talked about solid waste management, river and marine conservation and urban mobility management in the forum.
Also, five teams from the delegates have been given a project grant for the year.
The chosen teams will undergo mentoring for the development and polishing of their project proposals for implementation.
A LEGACY PROJECT
The YSEALI Manila 2017 spearheaded by the LSC is considered a ‘legacy project’ of the council.
Vice president of the LSC Martina Macalanda said that the council conducted this collaboration because “the Letran Student Council aims to conduct projects which are sustainable and innovative.”
“YSEALI Manila is a commendable venture which delineate the aims of the organization to serve as the catalyst in order to ignite the flames of passion and commitment of the youth towards a sustainable city of Manila,” Macalanda added.
LSC secretary and the project head of YSEALI Manila Rogie Nichole Aquino was delighted to be entrusted a grant to the project by the Embassy of the United States. According to him, the project is an initiative that aims to strengthen leadership development in the different universities in Manila about environmental conservation and is a larger platform to discuss the innovative ideas the voices of the young leaders have to say.
Through this project, Aquino has become more eager to be involved on global critical issues as he represents the country and YSEALI Manila in the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Program in Bellevue, Washington.
“The Letran Student Council led by Renzo Sabanal has committed itself to promulgate the significance of going beyond the four corners of the classroom,” Aquino said. “More projects focusing on a long- term impact to the students. Colegio and the country will be implemented,” he added.
WHAT IS YSEALI?
Commenced in 2013 spearheaded by the former US President Barrack Obama, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative is a collection of bright minds which aims to address the different challenges in the ASEAN region: economic development, environmental protection, education and civic engagement.
The young leaders aged 18 to 35 from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam aim to create youth- led programs and engagements to develop leadership capabilities of the youth in the region, strengthen the ties of the US and Southeast Asian countries and to cultivate a nurturing ASEAN community.
(First published on The LANCE's June 2017 Issue)