The National Youth Commission (NYC) held Linggo ng Kabataan’s culminating activity with its theme #MalayaAkongMaging para sa Masayang Pamilya sa isang Healthy Pilipinas! Spearheaded by Ryan Enriquez of the NYC with guests Francisco Duque of Department of Health, Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority and Secretary of Socioeconomic Planning, Karl Chua, Beverly Loraine Ho of DOH promotion, and Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM)’s Antonio Perez III.

The guest speakers and virtual participants of the webinar talked about the mental health of the Filipino youth. The World Health Organization has seen a deterioration in young people’s mental well-being due to the severe disruptions to learning and working which were compounded by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several studies discovered that 17% of young people are moderately or severely affected by anxiety and depression. Significantly, it was also found that mental wellness is lowest among young women between the ages of 18 to 24. The youth population in the Philippines is approximately 19.8 million, according to the 2020 Labor Force Survey. Around 17% of the country’s population belongs to the youth aged 15-24 years old.

As part of the NYC’s and its Sangguniang Kabataan program annual celebration of the International Youth Day and Linggo ng Kabataan, various youth groups throughout the country held virtual raffles and games, webinars, Tiktok challenges, and online concerts nationwide. This year’s NYC’s virtual conference was an attempt to explore the digital world in celebrating the important role of the youth in nation-building, especially during this pandemic. The youth are the vital members of this society who are capable to move for those who are unable to because of the quarantine restrictions. Youth, along with frontliners, help our nation rise again after COVID-19.