Purpose-driven youth

Why young Filipino youth join the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New People’s Army (NPA) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) is simply a phenomenon. The CPP-NPA-NDF frames its struggle as a “People’s Democratic Revolution” against the main “ills” of Philippine society and young people, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, are often drawn to the movement due to issues such as landlessness, poverty, lack of opportunities in the economy and social injustice.

It is also very apparent that the longstanding recruitment of students from top universities is of great concern and, in a nutshell, it is obvious that the CPP-NPA-NDF is targeting our children. As we know, the government continues to respond by strengthening its counter-propaganda efforts as it maintains that the CPP-NPA-NDF “preys” on the idealism of the youth and “brainwashes” them into becoming child soldiers or “expendable” cadres.

Additionally, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or the NTF-ELCAC counters such activities by further strengthening the Balik-Loob programs for surrendering rebels and investing in barangay development programs to address the lack of services in rural areas.

It has been established that young people join not because of a single reason, but because the movement offers an alternative identity and a perceived solution to the systemic frustrations they face in their daily lives. But what exactly is meant by an alternative identity?

When we talk about an alternative identity in the context of social movements or radicalization, we are not just talking about a change in opinion. We are talking about a total shift in how a person defines their place in the world. For a young person who feels invisible or powerless in their current life, an alternative identity provides a new “script” for who they are and why they exist.

In my experience, and this is not just the case in 2026, young people feel invisible because of two things: they do not know their identity in Christ and they feel they have no rightful place in this world, including other pressures that make them believe that the traditional path to success is simply impossible for them to attain. As an educator, I have had the opportunity to help address the many different reasons why the youth struggle. However, if there is one thing that I would particularly like to address, it is their identity in Christ which is foundational.

In the Armed Forces of the Philippines, my mentors and I have spoken many times about the identity of the Filipino and in the process, we have come to understand that it includes not only a love for country but also a love for the one and only person who can give them their salvation – and that is Jesus Christ. “Dios, Familia y Patria,” a program I have been working on and, as we say many times amongst ourselves, it is more than just a mantra. It is a way of life. As Filipino Christians, we place a high value on our faith in God as a foundation of our lives and without this very foundation, we will be purposeless.

In a world of shifting politics, economic instability and social media pressure, identity is often tied to performance. The pressures of school, lifestyle, how many organizations you belong to and the like are some of the factors that influence the youth, but what must first and foremost be established is the unshakable foundation, which is our identity in Christ that is based on grace and not performance.

Our identity in Christ teaches us that a person’s value is inherent because they are “created in the image and likeness of God.” Knowing this provides a sense of security that doesn’t disappear if a young person loses their job or fails an exam or isn’t as successful or well off as the other person. To be seen and known by the creator is the most beautiful thing one could ever experience and, for the youth who just feel like a statistic in this country or an expendable recruit in a movement, they will come to realize that God knows everything about you, even all the hairs on your head which are all numbered! Knowing that God knows you inside out replaces the need for a nom de guerre or even a political title with the identity of being a “child of God.”

One of the main pulls of radical groups such as the CPP-NPA-NDF is the desire to change the world and it is presented to you in such a way that you can actually believe that you are the ultimate answer to all the problems in our society. The devil, after all, does not reveal himself to you in a red cape and horns but rather in everything you ever wished for.

We must therefore be wiser and more discerning and help the young people of today understand that they have a purpose-driven life anchored on Christ because when the youth find their identity in Jesus, they often find a church community that is inclusive and supportive and at the same time a place where they can live according to what God has planned for them even before they were born.

The cry for justice in our land is loud but Jesus offers a revolution of the heart that will surely outlast the political ones. Our truest revolution begins not with a weapon in hand, but with the realization that we are already seen, already valued and already loved by the King of all kings. Perhaps in the mountains one can find their nom de guerre – a name hidden in the shadows – but in Christ, we find our true name written in light.

Young Filipinos do not need to disappear in the underground to find their way in life nor are they pawns in a fight that is not theirs to win. We are all a masterpiece created in God’s image and only Christ can give us the blueprint for our future and restoration as a nation because He is the very foundation, the rock that we all need to stand on and from that foundation, one can truly serve, truly lead and truly love the Philippines – not as a “red fighter,” but as a light in the world.