Youth Corner:
Our Opinions Matter When It
Comes To Our Welfare…
Immediately after the Exit Workshop on June 2015,
a separate workshop was also conducted with the
core facilitators of Creating Connections and Usap Tayo,
meaning, with the participation of the guardians as well as the youth facilitators
to look into how the project implementation have taken place. They were asked to identify the
gains, accomplishments and achievements made. Aside from the replies of the LGUs, the
answers of the youth facilitators were focused on what they have benefitted from the project.
Majority of them said that: (a) they have developed self confidence and gained self
respect; (b) their skills in facilitating the conduct of Creating Connections and Usap Tayo have
been enhanced; (c) they have developed core values such as patience, interpersonal
relationships and sense of responsibility; (e) gave them exposure and experiences needed to
the point of learning new techniques in facilitating; (f) able to build peer support; and (g)
engagement with UNICEF and LGU work has inspired them to go back to school; take the
facilitating job seriously; and has changed their perceptions in life. They considered the
support and mentoring/coaching of UNICEF, LGUs and even their co-facilitators as
contributing factors to the success of the program. They learned how to work in partnership
with the LGUs and service providers. Though they encountered challenges in the actual
conduct of the sessions, they believed those lessons learned will help them further improve
their skills. They found fulfilment in being of service to the other adolescents and young
people like them.
Some of the lessons learned identified included: (a) need to motivate participants
especially those shy and hardly speak in any session; (b) facilitators should be able to master
their assigned topics before going to the training; (c) facilitators should be conscious of their
behaviors, attitudes as well as presentation of selves; (d) need to be sensitive and patient to
some participants; and (e) to be a good listener.
Youth recommended the following: (a) LGUs need to target the most at risk or
vulnerable adolescents needing life skills trainings; (b) before the conduct of any training,
facilitators should have preparatory meetings to level off; (c) flexibility of the organizing LGUs
and facilitators to whatever challenges encountered in the field; (d) encourage the LCPCs to
invest more on life skills programs instead of basketball leagues and sports fest; (e)
institutionalize monitoring and feedback mechanisms; (f) more capacity-building for the youth
facilitators in becoming effective advocates and leaders; and (g) strengthen partnership and
coordination between the LGUs and youth facilitators for a more sustained program.
With the inspiration they gained from being engaged with the LGUs’ life-skills program
in partnership with UNICEF, our youth have composed a rap song which was shared during
the visit of Lotta on April 2015 and during the FACE OFF session with the LGUs on June
2015. It was also sang during the Local Youth Assembly of FPOP on April that led to the
championship of the youth facilitators as opposed to other LGU peer educators. Below is the
lyrics prepared by Razel Veloria and Jhasper Fernandez (both are 15 years old):
“UNICEF”
Ang ating bayan, kailan ‘to kakalag sa pagkagapos
Halos tayo’y alipin ng pagkahikahos
At tapos lahat tayo ay pawang biktima
Ng ating mga gawang katumbas ay labing-lima.
Kaming mga kabataan ay waring nakakulong
Di naman kami adik ngunit bakit parang lulong
Sa binuga ng pabrikang dulot ay pagkalason
At maitatama mo pa ba ang naganap na kahapon.
Hindi namin makita ang tunay na simbolo
Ang pagmamahal sa kalikasan ba ay isang gulo
Nang isip ko’t isip niyo, isip natin lahat
Sinong dapat na sisihin, diba’t tayo rin lahat.
Tayo rin ang responsable, sino ang iresponsable
Bakit itong posible ay nagiging imposible
Kailan ka ba kikilos, para maisalba
Kailan mag wawakas ang bumabalot na kaba.
Pagmasdan ang iyong paligid sa sulok at sa gilid
Abot na ang baha hanggang dito sa aking gilid
Kay dami nang nalalasa, kay daming namihasa.
Pagtapon ng basura bakit hindi na nadala sa nakaraan.
Mga nasalantang wala ng masilungan
Ilang bagyong Yolanda paba ang dapat maranasan
Muli ay mawawasak, buong ka iloilohan
Kapag may namatay bigla kapang hihinaan ng loob.
Anhin mo’y binabalot ng kaba. Inanod ang lahat ang natira
Na lang ay papag. Ito ay nagmula pa sa ating mga pinuno.
Putulin ba ang puno sino nagpasimuno
Ito ang pangugusap kung parang walang simuno
Parang isang krimen di mahanap ang hustisya
Walang ibang kasangkot kundi ang mga polisya.
Chorus (2x):
UNICEF lang ang nagpapabago sa aming buhay
UNICEF, UNICEF, UNICEF Yow
Bago pa ako sumali sa seminar na ito
Hindi ko pa alam ang kaganapan dito
Ito ba ay totoo o pawang kasinungalingan
Na kaganapan dito sa ating bayan
Bigla ngang dumating
UNICEF tumulong sa amin
Kaya ito ako ngayon
Ibang iba na kaysa sa kahapon
Marami ang nagbago
Marami ang binago at marami ring natuto
Salamat UNICEF dahil dumating ka dito.
Ang buhay ko noon
At ang buhay ko ngayon
Ay talagang napakalayo
Marami ng nagbago
Marami ring natuto
Sa mga karanasan
Na aming naranasan
Sa mga nagdaang training
Na aming pinagdaanan
Ngunit marami ang naiwan
Dahil sa mga kasalanan.
( CHORUS) (2x)
kaya’t sa UNICEF lang ang napapabago sa aming buhay…. UNICEF (3x) YOw
I guess Region VI is full of talented people. I got an email from Ms. Syvel Billanes, the
MSWDO of Panay, Capiz; and shared her poem on Creating Connections to me.
AKO’Y KABATAAN
by Syvel Billanes
(MSWDO of Panay, Capiz)
Kabataan man dapat may kaalaman
Anu ang nangyayari sa pamayanan
Alam nyo ba kung saan tulad mong kabataan?
Nasa Kumunidad naghahanap buhay
Gaya kong kabataan
Iba ay walang alam
Naliligaw nang daan
Kayat problema kinahatnan
Sa life skills training
Kamiy tinuturuan, mga kaalaman
Na dapat natutunan
Para sa makabuluhang kinabukasan
Kabataan man ay may karapatan
Kasama dyan mga gagampanan
Maging responsableng mamayanan
Para problema ng bayan mabawasan