Youth from Cebu towns join PYAP convention

CEBU, Philippines - Close to a hundred youth leaders from the different municipalities of Cebu joined the annual Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP) Provincial Convention in Talisay City over the weekend.

DSWD-7 regional information officer Jaybee Binghay said the youth gathering was aimed at developing the capabilities of the youth in the province to become models and effective youth leaders in their villages.

The two-day convention consisted of a set of lectures, discussions and workshops including site visits to nearby PYAP centers and projects.

Being one of the speakers and trainers during the convention initiated by the PYAP-Talisay and the Provincial Government of Cebu, Binghay talked about the importance of public speaking, basic news writing, and photography as well as on the importance of self- awareness.

PYAP, according to Binghay, is a national program under DSWD that focuses on the total advancement of the youth, who are 18-23 years old, in all dimensions of developmental growth which includes the physical, psychosocial, economical, cultural, and spiritual development.

Binghay also said that at the convention, Rex Villavelez, a former PYAP president and now a member of Board of Trustees of PYAP in Talisay City talked about the association’s gains.

Villavelez also talked about how the PYAP Talisay chapter was included in the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in the Philippines in 2010, Binghay said.

PYAP conducts since 2007 provincial conventions annually focusing on the youth’s personality development, building self-confidence while promoting higher consciousness for community involvement, management and leadership, Binghay said. (FREEMAN)