Bicol Youth in a Bind

Despite the strides in technological advancements and relative progress, the stark reality remains- millions of Filipino youth aged five to 24 are out of school! Many are still trapped in dire poverty in the year 2024, and according to the PISO, they are unable to read and comprehend basic schoolwork. This is not a situation we can afford to ignore.

In Bicol, the young remain significantly challenged. However, they are not just statistics. They are the potential, the hope of the country’s future. This situation prevents our youth from enjoying their fundamental rights. Lastly, it hinders their development, leading to the cycle of poverty. They are supposed to be the ‘hope of the country’ for the next generation to depend on for change.

A teenager whom I have grown fond of since Super Typhoon Kristine last October is 15-year-old Nonoy, a regular vendor selling his mother’s handwoven braided rugs and doormats that I constantly meet off the streets of Magsaysay Avenue in early evenings on weekdays. I bought a bundle for 50 pesos once, and his friends followed and swarmed around, offering me more bundles to purchase.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Nonoy is one of the 10 out of nearly 11 million children and young Filipinos who are out of school and not attending formal school. In Bicol, he is one of 7.5% of young people who belong to the poorest population and are not only out of school but hungry most of the time.

Today, more than 10,000 youth pilgrims and volunteers will attend National Youth Day (NYD) 2025—a journey of faith, friendship, and mission. According to the organizers, this event is not just a gathering but a platform for empowerment. This year’s theme, ‘Youth Empowerment for Nation Building,’ underscores the crucial role of the youth in shaping the country’s present and future trajectories with faith, hope, and service.

How I wish Nonoy, the poor young vendor, was one of the participants. Archbishop Rex Alarcon of the Diocese of Caceres and Chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth has called the National Youth Day in Naga City, June 10-14, a special event for hope, as he welcomes delegates, accompanied by a team led by Fr. Dan Vegas, who heads the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth and Campus Ministry. Youth pilgrims will stay in mission stations and foster homes. After three years of deferment, the national gathering of Catholic youth in Naga City will finally occur in July 2025. Hosted by the Archdiocese of Caceres for the first time, the last NYD took place in May 2019, in Cebu. The NYD was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and reset to 2-21 during the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

Nonoy, the young vendor, is not alone in his struggles. He has a sister, Susie, who is also into street vending. Along with hundreds of other young teens and children hawking various wares in urban cities like Naga City, the youth have become a regular sight, selling assorted merchandise—from turon badly to togue lumpia neatly stacked inside a cheap rattan basket or a sack of handmade basahan and braided doormats. These young vendors face numerous challenges, from the physical demands of their work to the financial pressures of supporting their families.

The Bicol region has an expansive population pyramid, indicating a growing young population. Unfortunately, as projected pilgrims of hope, so much must be done and changed. With an economy of rising costs and limited opportunities, many challenges confront today’s youth: rising tuition fees, stagnant wages, and skyrocketing housing costs; many feel like they’re running a race they can’t win. Today’s youth often have to juggle odd jobs, are underemployed, or are without jobs. Mental health is a silent epidemic; anxiety and depression are on the rise among young people. State policies abound for youth support, but in practice, the government has failed to provide decent jobs and opportunities in the domestic areas of industry.

Schools, parents, educators, and mentors want to create safe spaces where young people can freely express their thoughts and feelings. However, government support for making this a reality remains nil and severely restrictive. The youth still has to see promise for a future in business with considerable challenge to surmount, with BIR taxes still a significant burden, technology, and science still inaccessible for the majority, or with so many requirements to follow. The youth look outside the country for redemption, a safe and decent future.

Focus on life skills, yes, but life is difficult enough with ever-rising prices, high costs of production, and limited jobs. Despite the challenges, today’s youth have shown remarkable resilience. From leading climate action and protests against inefficiency and corruption to creating startups, they are finding innovative ways to make their place. An enabling environment starts with government support.