24/08/2026
๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐; ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
By Princess Cristel Tiamson and Ericka Maria Danielle Jalandoni
Distinguished local and national leaders challenged young people to take an active role in community development and nation-building as SAKDAG Philippines held its 4th Youth Converge on Aug. 21โ22, 2026, highlighting the importance of youth empowerment and innovation in creating meaningful change under the theme, โYouth Converge 2026: Make Your Move, Change the Gameโ.
The two-day event brought together approximately 150 students from various schools and provinces at PHINMA University of Iloilo and Iloilo Science and Technology University, featuring keynote sessions and discussions, project-pitching and team-building activities designed to encourage collaboration and innovation among participants.
Among the distinguished speakers was Senator Risa Hontiveros, who encouraged the youth to recognize their capacity to lead, serve their communities, and develop initiatives that create lasting impact.
โ๐๐ถ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ด๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ข ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด๐ข, ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐ญ๐ถ๐จ๐ข๐ณ ๐ฌ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ. ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ข๐จ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ข ๐ต๐ข๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฐ, ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฌ๐ข๐บ๐ฐ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ช๐ด๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข๐ธ๐ข ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ต, ๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐จ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข๐ธ๐ข ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ข๐ฏ (Like any generation of youth in our country, you have a place. And even now, at this early stage, in these years, I am certain, today, you know how to strategize, you know how to create with heart, and you also know how to find a way),โ Hontiveros said in her message.
Meanwhile, Juanquine Carlo Racho, commissioner representing the Visayas at the National Youth Commission of the Philippines, emphasized the event as an essential platform for advancing youth-led initiatives.
โOur youth and organizations carry a great mission โ to create impact, assist, and make a difference in our communities. May we use this event as a platform for us to collaborate and take our youth forward, especially on the matters of innovation and nation-building,โ Racho shared.
SAKDAG Philippines, an inter-regional youth-led organization based in Iloilo City, promotes community welfare and childrenโs well-being through initiatives in community outreach, engagement, and nation-building. Its Youth Converge program serves as its premier youth development initiative.
โYouth Converge is more than just a program, [since] it has become an avenue for every young leader who seeks a place to hone their skills, gain experiences, and nurture their wisdom. It has become a space that inspires and creates leaders, no matter where they came from,โ said Janine Tacaisan, president of SAKDAG Philippines, in her welcome message.
Beyond insightful talks and meaningful activities, Youth Converge 2026 united youth leaders for a transformative experience, embodying SAKDAG PHโs vision to empower changemakers and placing communities at the heart of every initiative.
Photos by Alria Loudine Lacurom, Keziah Cassandra Suficiencia, Chris Gem Quimba, Joella Nicole Faeldonea and Dalene Suzanne Buglosa
