Tuesday, September 04, 2007 28 young Pinoy leaders join SEA youth program
TWENTY-eight of the Philippines' finest youth leaders are sailing the seas to participate in a diplomatic and cultural exchange program aimed at cultivating the spirit of Asian cooperation.
The delegates to the 34th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) is a select group of young professionals, young professionals, educators, community workers, students, artists, writers, designers and musicians.
More than 300 young Asian leaders will spend six weeks on board the Japanese luxury ship Nippon Maru this year wherein they will be involved in activities such as institutional visits and home stays in participating countries, discussion groups, cultural presentations, and other goodwill exchanges which are geared towards broadening international perspective.
SSEAYP is an annual diplomatic and cultural exchange program sponsored by the Japanese government whose goal is to promote friendship and mutual understanding among emerging youth leaders from the 10 participating Southeast Asian countries and Japan.
The Office of the President through the National Youth Commission selected this year's 28 Philippine youth ambassadors to the 34th SSEAYP being held in Singapore,Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan.
This year's Philippine delegation calls itself Pagsikat. This year's youth ambassadors were chosen from among thousands of applicants from across the country.
Officially declared Philippine Participating Youths (PPY) after undergoing a rigorous 10-day pre-departure training in Pililla, Rizal last July include Ralph Irish S. Aguda and Ma. Elena R. Abundo (Ilocos Region), Ritchie A. Rivera (Cagayan Valley), Alden Roi D. Copuyoc and Myra M. Gabito (Cordillera Region) , Phillip Norbert Ahmad L. Medina and Joanne Kristine M. Mamaril (Southenr Tagalog), Eddie R. Balunso and Indira B. Tabo (Bicol Region, Jason B. Mande and Jeneda C. Salcedo (Western Visayas), Michael Nicholas D. Malazarte and Janice Aurora B. Tirol (Central Visayas), Eugene C. Sosing and Anna Celeste M. Agabe (Eastern Visayas), Marvin F. Delfin and Giselle Iris M. Alano (Western Mindanao), Hector G. Quilang and Angelie S. Azcuna (Northern Mindanao), Jonald T. Boyoc and Precious Ann A. Legario (Southern Mindanao), Jaypee B. Carmen and Jocelyn B. Lambac (Central Mindanao), Aiza Mae J. Kanda (Southwestern Mindanao), Ronald C. Lopez (CAR), Bai Erisha C. Sinsuat (Armm) and Albert John M. Mallari and Astarte D. Abraham (NCR).
At the helm of this year's batch is national leader Raul Dominic "Dino" Badilla, the National Youth Commission's Commissioner-at-Large for Luzon.
Tabo and Mande will join Badilla and shall be granted an audience with several heads of state, prime ministers, members of parliament, monarchs and government ministers. These meetings focus on discussions regarding possibilities of further strengthening regional partnerships among the participating nations. As leaders in the program, they will also head for Laos.
Pagsikat will undergo months of preparation, training and research prior to their departure in October.
As a fitting send-off event, SSEAYP-Pagsikat will showcase the nation's colorful tapestry in a concert before their departure.
This would give SSEAYP alumni, friends, family, and sponsors a glimpse of the cultural presentations, which will be presented on board the ship and in the host countries.
The Philippine delegation will officially join its counterparts from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan in Japan on October 22 for the inauguration ceremony and the Japan-ASEAN Youth Summit.
