EDITORIAL - July 2018: Banking on the Youth

EDITORIAL
Banking on the Youth

General Emilio Aguinaldo was not yet 30 when he became the president of the Philippines. Jose Rizal was only 26 when his novel “Noli Me Tangere” was published. Gregorio del Pilar was even younger when he became a military general: he was 23. These Philippine national heroes can perhaps find a rough equivalent among the new generation in the likes of Efren Peñaflorida, who was declared CNN Hero of the Year in 2009 for his “classroom on wheels” project for indigent children.

World history does not lack young people changing the world for the better. Despite having been infirm and unable to travel far, young novice St. Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized as a Catholic saint and even went on to become a doctor of the church and the patron saint of missionaries. France also has its Joan of Arc as national heroine at age 18 for leading the French army to victory over the English at Orléans. Anne Frank may have only written a diary, but the unintentional impact of her work (exposing the horrors of the Holocaust) has been profound. And at the age of 17, a girl by the name of Malala Yousafzai became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner after she survived a gunshot in her head and continued her advocacy work for oppressed children in Pakistan. In 2014, it took young students like Joshua Wong to start a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

In popular contemporary Western culture, young people continue to define the global lifestyle. Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in February 4, 2004 with a group of fellow Harvard students at the tender age of 20. The same is true with the founders of Snapchat and other innovative apps. Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift may not exactly be paragons of virtue (but more of youthful excess), but their honest work are certified global hits, and for a good reason. Renowned actress from the “Harry Potter” movie series Emma Watson became an activist at 24 by advocating a gender equality campaign.

The message is loud and clear: With their full potential tapped, the youth are a force to reckon with. Their role in development work is thus paramount, even though they are oftentimes a neglected sector.

Even the Bible takes precaution against being dismissive of young age, with such stellar characters as Jonah, Gideon, David, and Timothy, and such passages as "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather … show yourself an example of those who believe" (1Timothy 4:12) and “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Any government program won’t therefore be successful without involving the youth at the drawing board, because the youth has the biggest stake in the future of any community, being the inheritors of both the legacies of setbacks and achievements. And with their innate stamina, creativity, and idealism, it is only wise that we welcome them with open arms.

Fortunately, LGU-Bayambang has a top leadership that balances between the wisdom and experience of age and the energy and daring of youth, making Bayambang not just friendly to young children but also to youth in general.