On to the Next: Youth Volunteers Across Visayas and Mindanao

Twenty-four young volunteers from across the Visayas and Mindanao came together virtually on October 6, 2024, for a conversation on the role of young people in advancing sustainable development.

Organized by the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines in support of the Global Week to #Act4SDGs, the gathering was entitled On to the Next: A Showcase of the Youth's Force. The session brought together young people with experiences across different sectors, including intergovernmental organizations, science and technology, social enterprise, healthcare, and the private sector.

The discussion highlighted the diverse ways young people can contribute to sustainable development. Rather than limiting youth participation to a single field or type of volunteer work, the gathering recognized the range of skills, perspectives, and experiences that young people can bring to development efforts.

Subang Cebu Technological University was represented by four volunteers: President Peter John C. Enorio, Executive Vice-President Krista Marie Frances C. Bicada, Environmental Affairs Vice-President Rodney Joseph B. Sundo, and Volunteer Intern Shaina Faith D. Visorro.

Their participation reflected Subang's early efforts to connect campus-based volunteer action with wider youth networks and development conversations beyond the organization itself.

The gathering also reinforced an important principle that continues to shape Subang's work: meaningful change begins when young people move beyond discussing the challenges around them and begin contributing their skills, ideas, and time toward practical solutions.

From local environmental initiatives to conversations on the Sustainable Development Goals, Subang's volunteers were already finding ways to connect community action with a wider movement of young people working for sustainable development.