The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Municipal Action Team (MAT) in Bulalacao organized the Umabang Youth Summit for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program youth beneficiaries as part of its Youth Development Session (YDS) on June 15-16, 2017.
Held in Sitio Umabang, Brgy. Benli, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, the activity is supported by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Bulalacao in partnership with the rural Health Unit (RHU) as well as the Barangay Council of Benli and the 4th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
On June 2, 2017 MAT-Bulalacao established the Umabang Youth for Development (UYD), an organization that uphold rights of the youth, preserve culture of the Hanunuo, promote education, increase awareness in the prevention of teenage pregnancy and substance abuse, and serve as a venue for training and employment. The youth summit is the first activity of the organization in achieving its goal.
MAT-Bulalacao invited Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries from six other sitios near Umabang to attend the youth summit such as Sitio Hamloy, Sito Bantiano, Sitio Balagway, Sitio Balang, Sitio Laag, and Sitio Pa-oy. A total of 271 youth and parent beneficiaries attended the two-day activity including LGU officers, representatives from the 4th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, RHU staffs, and faculty of Umabang Elementary School and Benli National High School – Umabang Extension.
On the first day of the youth summit, a youth development session (YDS) was conducted with topics on mind and emotions, health and personal hygiene, and teenage pregnancy. After the YDS, a cooking contest was organized to showcase their native food nilupak. The activity, called Nilupak Festival, was initiated by Municipal Administrator Ronald Punzalan to engage beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya to participate in making nilupak na balinghoy and nilupak na saging. According to him, “magandang naupisahan natin ang mga ganitong simpleng program para sa kabataan at para sa mga magulang, mas matutunan pa ng mga tao na pahalagahan ang mga simpleng kultura na hindi dapat mawala gaya ng ambahan at lupakan (it is laudable that we start simple program like this for the youth and their parents for them to appreciate and preserve our culture like ambahan and lupakan).”
After the morning and afternoon activities, participants were gathered for a film showing of the movie “Moana” with the aim of promoting gender equality among tribal leadership. When the film ended, elders formed a small group to recite the Ambahan, a traditional poetry of Hanunuo Mangyans.
The second day was filled with team building activities which was facilitated by Corporal Alvin Flores to demonstrate discipline, sportsmanship and leadership for the youths. To cap off the event, a closing ceremony was held after the team building, where certificates of recognition and appreciation were given to parent leaders, community leaders, and winners of each activity.
“Malaki po ang naitulong sa aming kaalaman ng mga pinag-aralan namin, mas magiging maayos na lider pa kami ng kabataan dito sa Umabang at para sa bayan ng Bulalacao (the knowledge we have gained from these lessons help us to become a better youth leader in Umabang and the whole municipality of Bulalacao),” said Vice President of UYD Lalaine Malucon. The Umabang Youth Summit is a jump start program of the Municipality of Bulalacao to provide for the youth, which they aim to replicate to all barangays of the municipality. ###
Written by: John Vincent A. Gasmin
Edited by: Maria Alyssa L. Esguerra
