Youth Rise for the Planet: International Youth Day 2025 Ignites a Generation to Confront the Triple Planetary Crisis

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

On International Youth Day 2025, around 200 spirited participants gathered not merely to celebrate, but to declare a mission: the fight against the triple planetary crisis—climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss—cannot and will not wait. In a world teetering on the brink of ecological collapse, the voices of the young rang louder than ever inside the halls of De La Salle University along Taft Avenue in Manila.

The immortal words of Dr. Jose Rizal, “kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”, came alive in every conversation, workshop, and pledge. This was no ordinary commemoration. It was a call to arms for a generation born into crisis, yet unwilling to surrender to it.

Organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Philippines, in partnership with Clean Air Asia and BAN Toxics, the event bore the formidable title “Mobilize & Ignite Youth Action: Advancing Sustainable Solutions for the Triple Planetary Crisis Through Innovation and Partnership.” Every syllable carried weight—because the stakes could not be higher.

“Young people are experiencing firsthand the impacts of the triple planetary crisis… Now, more than ever, we need them to take a decisive position,” urged Teddy Monroy, UNIDO Country Representative, setting the tone for the day’s urgency.

Ross Flores Del Rosario, External Vice President of GPP Kalikasan Muna - Green Party of the Philippines, was also present at the event.

From Inspiration to Innovation

The celebration fused passion with action. Interactive social media zones buzzed with energy as attendees recorded their pledges and creative advocacy reels for the online contest “Your Reel, Your Role: Be the Solution!” The air was electric—every camera click and video upload a digital spark for environmental change.

In Youth Talks, two remarkable changemakers shared their journeys:

Ramyr Angeles, co-founder of Mobility Vision+, envisioned smart, sustainable urban mobility driven by technology and youth creativity.

John Sherwin Felix, a food heritage photographer, showed how preserving biodiversity can begin on our plates, using visual storytelling to connect people to their environment.

Their words resonated, but the crowd wanted more—and Voices Unplugged delivered, turning digital feedback tools into a live dialogue of questions, challenges, and ideas.

The Solutions Labs: Turning Ideas into Impact

Two dynamic workshops—aptly named Solutions Labs—pushed participants beyond awareness into concrete problem-solving.

Solutions Lab 1: Harnessing the Potential of Youth in Promoting and Advancing E-Mobility tackled the future of sustainable transport. Industry experts and academics laid out a roadmap for young engineers, designers, researchers, and entrepreneurs to lead the electric mobility revolution.

“We’re not just building vehicles—we’re building a workforce for a cleaner future,” said Atty. Glynda Bathan-Baterina of Clean Air Asia.

Solutions Lab 2: Mobilizing Youth for Healthcare Waste Awareness confronted a less visible but equally dangerous threat: the improper disposal of medical waste. BAN Toxics’ Executive Director Reynaldo San Juan Jr. warned of the toxins released from burning healthcare waste and challenged participants to craft bold, creative campaigns. TikTok-style advocacy videos became their megaphones to the nation.

Launching the Future

The event was also the birthplace of two ambitious youth-led campaigns:

The E-Mobility Idea Competition, inviting Filipinos aged 18–24 to present breakthrough ideas for electric mobility. Winners will see their concepts spotlighted at the Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit and even take their vision to Bangkok for the 2026 Better Air Quality Conference.

“They are not just future beneficiaries of e-mobility,” stressed BOI Executive Director Corazon Halili-Dichosa. “They are its present-day builders.”

#GenZeroPh, a rallying banner for a toxics-free and waste-free future, mobilizing schools, youth groups, and community leaders to lead localized environmental campaigns.

A Pledge for the Planet

In a moving finale, each participant tied a ribbon representing a chosen Sustainable Development Goal to an SDG tree, and sealed their written commitments in a “capsule of commitment” jar. The symbolic gesture was a reminder: pledges are only as strong as the actions that follow.

Monroy’s closing words struck a sobering note:

“Only 35% of the SDG targets are on track. The rest are moving too slowly. Young people must be at the forefront of driving systemic change.”

As the day ended, the air carried more than speeches—it carried resolve. This was not a gathering that would fade into memory. It was the ignition of a movement, fueled by urgency, united by vision, and powered by the very generation whose future hangs in the balance.

Because when the youth rise, the world has no choice but to follow.

P5.16 Billion in Flood Control Projects Flow to Chiz Escudero’s Top Campaign Donor — All Roads Lead to Sorsogon

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

It’s not just the rivers of Sorsogon that are overflowing — so are the government contracts pouring into the pockets of one man deeply tied to Senate President Chiz Escudero.

Lawrence R. Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., was no ordinary supporter in Escudero’s 2022 Senate comeback bid. He was the top donor, contributing a staggering ₱30 million — nearly one-fifth of Escudero’s entire declared campaign war chest of ₱146.5 million.

Two years later, the returns on that political investment appear to have arrived in torrents.

From 2021 to 2024, Centerways Construction secured ₱5.16 billion worth of flood control projects. In 2021, the company had only five such projects. But in 2022 — the year Escudero reclaimed a Senate seat — those contracts exploded to 44, a nearly ninefold jump.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his recent State of the Nation Address, publicly named the top 15 flood control contractors cornering one-fifth of all nationwide projects — ₱100 billion in total. Centerways ranked 7th.

And where did most of this flood control work happen? In the very heart of Escudero’s political kingdom.

The Sorsogon Connection

A staggering 96% of Centerways’ projects between 2021 and 2024 were in the Bicol region, with 54 projects in Sorsogon alone. Even more striking, 36 of those were in Sorsogon’s First District — Escudero’s long-time political turf.

This district has been firmly under the Escudero dynasty’s grip since 1987, alternating between Chiz, his father Salvador, his mother Evelina, and his sister Maria Bernadette.

Before returning to the Senate in 2022, Escudero served as Sorsogon’s governor from 2019 to 2022. Now, with him wielding the Senate’s gavel, a former top campaign donor is raking in billions in local projects.

A President’s Warning — and an Awkward Backdrop

During his SONA, President Marcos made a fiery vow to crack down on corruption in flood control contracts:

“Mga kickback, mga initiative, errata, SOP, for the boys… sa mga nakikipagsabwatan upang kunin ang pondo ng bayan at nakawin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan, mahiya naman kayo sa inyong kapwa Pilipino!”

As he said those words, Senate President Escudero was seated directly behind him — alongside House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the President’s cousin.

Was it a general warning to all contractors and politicians? Or a pointed reminder to those within arm’s reach?

Escudero Fires Back

Escudero has rejected insinuations that he inserted questionable items in the budget to benefit specific contractors.

“Grabe naman kasi ‘yong insinuation ng mga naninira. ‘Pag nag-amyenda ka ng budget, insert na agad, iligal na agad, at bawal na agad, may kita na agad. Hindi naman siguro tama ‘yon,” Escudero said.

But critics argue the numbers tell their own story — one where political loyalty and public funds appear to flow in the same direction.

Patterns in the Flood

Centerways isn’t alone in drawing suspicion. Other contractors on Marcos’ list have known political ties, including those linked to the Discayas and to Congressman Zaldy Co, both of whom have also been embroiled in controversies over project allocations.

The President himself admitted his findings were “disturbing,” noting that just 15 contractors captured a disproportionate share of the nation’s flood control spending.

The Larger Storm

Flood control projects are critical in a country battered yearly by typhoons and rising sea levels. But they have long been a magnet for corruption — padded budgets, substandard work, and “SOPs” that turn public works into private profit streams.

When political allies and campaign donors dominate these projects, the line between public service and political payback becomes dangerously blurred.

The people of Sorsogon — and the rest of the Philippines — deserve flood control systems built on integrity, not loyalty. Because in the end, real flood protection is not about concrete walls or drainage canals — it’s about protecting the nation from the rising tide of corruption.

War on Gaza: When Death Becomes Just Another Headline

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Sixty thousand dead.

That’s the death toll in Gaza after more than a year and ten months of war. The number is so large that it becomes abstract — just a row of digits we skim past in the news feed before clicking on a funny TikTok skit. But imagine this: sixty thousand bodies. Imagine how many stadiums they could fill. Imagine the silence of that crowd if they were all gone.

This is no longer just about missiles. It is no longer just about hunger and malnutrition. The latest headline is starvation — the complete absence of food over a prolonged period until the body simply gives up. Can you picture dying that way? Slowly, painfully, the body devouring itself, while the world scrolls on?

Missiles have struck water distribution points where children were queuing. A Catholic church, the only one in Gaza, was hit. Journalists have died covering the war. Yet our collective reaction is a shrug: So what else is new?

Psychologists have a term for this — psychic numbing. The human mind cannot truly comprehend large-scale death. We can mourn for a neighbor, empathize with a single grieving family, feel compelled to help a handful of survivors. But when the body count runs into tens of thousands, followed by zero after zero, it becomes an incomprehensible statistic, especially when it’s happening somewhere far away.

It happened here too. Thirty thousand died in the Philippine war on drugs — and many Filipinos looked away. Now, double that number have died in Gaza. Out of sight, out of mind.

Compassion fatigue has numbed the global conscience. After nearly two years of relentless images of bombed buildings, lifeless children, and desperate civilians, our hearts have grown calloused. Gaza is just 365 square kilometers — roughly the size of Camanava and Eastern Manila District combined — with a pre-war population of 2.1 million, about the same as Manila’s 2020 census count. Two-thirds of Quezon City’s population, trapped, blockaded, and now starving.

Pope Leo’s appeal is clear: humanitarian relief must reach this exhausted civilian population. The blockade of food, water, and medicine must end. The international community must resist any attempt to turn Gaza into an occupied territory.

Here in the Philippines, we have our own battles — typhoons, floods, poverty, corruption, and government failure. We may feel like our compassion is already spent. But somewhere far away, children are dying not because of the climate or neglect, but because starvation has been weaponized.

Rediscovering compassion is not just about helping others — it’s about allowing ourselves to heal from our own collective trauma. When we start caring again, we reclaim part of our own humanity.

Because the real danger is not that 60,000 have died in Gaza.

The real danger is that the more they die, the less we care.