A Brief Report
National Convention on Youth Employment, May 31-June 2, 2003
Philippine Youth Employment Network
The Philippine Youth Employment Network together with its development
partners, the International Labor Organization, Youth Employment Summit,
Department of Labor and Employment, National Youth Commission, Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority, Cooperative Development
Authority, Consuelo Foundation, Employers Confederation of the Philippines,
Philippine Business for Social Progress, and others convenes the Philippine
National Convention on Youth Employment, 31st of May to 2nd of June 2003,
Ecotech Convention Center, Cebu City.
Attended by almost one hundred (100) community based youth organizations
and youth leaders from all over the country with representation from Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao. Young people who participated in the convention
committed to work with the Philippine Youth Employment Network in combating
poverty among our young people.
The convention was witnessed by the Office of the President's
Undersecretary, Central Visayas P.A. Opus, Cebu City Vice-Mayor Hon. Rama,
ILO Program Officer Ms. Lourdes Kathleen Santos, YES2002 Asia Regional
Coordinator Mr. P.K. Joseph, NYC Commissioner Araceli Aves (Visayas) and
Mr. Laurence Christopher Arnuco, DOLE Region 9 Director Dir. Chita
Cilindro, TESDA Executive Director Ms. Agrepina Zafra.
The convention activities includes Thematic Break-out Sessions, Regional
Break-Out Session, Regional Planning Sessions, Exhibits, PYEN Presentation
of its Conceptual Framework, Strategic and Operations Plan, Open Forums,
Election of Regional Coordinator/Focal Point Person, Capacity Building, and
others. But aside from indoor discussion, one of the highlights of the
convention is the Site Visits where the delegates broke into four (4)
groups to visit different successful youth livelihood initiatives.
At the end of the convention the participants left with the spirit and
motivation that the Philippine Youth Employment Networks effort to bring
convergence to the different development partners and players in youth
employment will bring a change in the lives of young people especially in
alleviating poverty among youth at the local community level.
Before leaving the convention center, young people signed a pledge of
commitment by filling up the PYEN membership form, and electing among
themselves their Regional Coordinators, a brief orientation and planning
session was convened before the convention closed.
Talking to the different partners from government, non-government, private
and business present in the convention, it was evident how impressed they
are with the outcome of the convention the partners are very vocal that
they are satisfied with the result of the activity and with how the
participants contributed in the discussion.
And its not only the youth delegate who are looking forward for the next
steps the PYEN is about to take, the partners as well are excited on what
is going to happen after the convention. They will be waiting for the next
partners meeting and they also await the Final Report of the convention.
But of course aside from the serious discussion inside the conference room
the delegates had their own time for fellowship and bonding sessions. The
PYEN hosted a fellowship night for all the delegates to share light moments
and happy times with each other.
Catherine Kamping
YES Coordinator
<catherine@youthlink.org>
http://projects.yesweb.org/YES-Filipino
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