Building stronger senses of camaraderie and team-building all across Mindanaoan radius, LAYAG Pilipinas 2022 enriched student leaders through a day-long event. 

LAYAG Pilipinas 2022 Executive Director Chris Tungpalan further signified the event’s essence through a reminder during his opening remarks, “Student leaders like us…[we] are the building blocks to reimagining the future.”

Different student leaders gathered from 13 schools and universities—both secondary and tertiary, and engaged in various seminars with respective keynote speakers. The event focused on public governance, public-private partnerships, youth empowerment, agricultural sectors, and gender and development all throughout the event.

“I stand with all of you, as you, advocate for change in Miindanao,” Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said during her opening remarks. She also noted the critical role of the youth as “hope” for our society.

“This is such a big responsibility to carry, but that’s because you play a vital role in nation-building,” she further explained.

“Organize yourselves, do not remain isolated from one another. Find where your common causes are common dreams are and work for them as citizens,” Ateneo de Davao University President (AdDU) Fr. Joel Tabora said during the opening program.

Peace in Good Governance

First keynote speaker and Restaurant Owners Association of Davao City President Benjie Lizada tackled public-private ownership in Davao City, further highlighting the term “peace economy.”

“The problem is a violent response to conflict,” he said after signifying that conflicts are normal within ownerships, excluding violence.

He also explained Peace 911, a project focusing on good governance and the rule of law, peaceful economies, ancestral domain sustainable development and protection, and identity and reconciliation.

Mechanizing peace in public governance, Davao City Councilor Luna Acosta explained the essence of removing systematic prejudices in understanding the historical, cultural, and social contexts of particular groups.  

“There’s a conflict because everybody’s ideas are different…we should try the best we can to balance things out,” Signifying the cruciality of inclusivity in attaining peace in public governance. 

LAYAG Pilipinas 2022 was held at F213, 2nd Floor Finster Building and spearheaded by the Pinag-isang Lakas ng Samahan ng mga Progresibong Atenista (PIGLASAPAT) to enrich good governance and promote student leadership among student leaders in Mindanao.