'AKBAY' – Children and Youth Organization

The Zambales-Olongapo Children and Youth Organization now called AKBAY was timely born on the second year of the Preda project. AKBAY is an acronym for “Aksyon ng Kabataan at mga Bata para sa Bayan”. In English: Children and Youth Action for the Nation. “AKBAY” literally means to put one’s arm over somebody’s shoulder in a gesture of friendship, deep sympathy and in a way is a gesture of helping a person.

The formation of AKBAY has been a great success in breaking through to the youth of Olongapo in Zambales and organizing them in the pursuit of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the rights of Children that guarantees child participation in all aspects and issues that affect their lives. Furthermore, the Rights of the Youth are provisioned for and guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution.

After the formalization of AKBAY, and soon after the first Children and Youth Congress, the organization had spread through the13 towns of Zambales and in the city of Olongapo. It’s presence in many schools and township’s makes it more acceptable and increasingly popular. It has already made presentations in many NGO meetings and institutions who are looking to increase the participation of youth in their programs. AKBAY has been recognized by the Government Provincial Board of Zambales and have become well known as advocates of human rights, especially the rights of children, youth and women. It has gained momentum towards becoming the umbrella organization of all child and youth organizations in Zambales since the first formal congress.

The EXECOM has been elected out of the seven commissions, convened from seventy Children & Youth leaders as well as advocates from Olongapo city through to Sta. Cruz in the north of Zambales for the official organization and socialization of AKBAY.

The following organizational commissions were organized to address specific concerns:

Commission on Environmental Protection

Commission on Children and Women’s Rights Advocacy

Commission on Socio-Economic Projects

Commission on Education, Culture and Sports

Commission Child and Youth Participation and Governance

Commission of Preventive Health Education

Commission on Church Response

Each commission has members representing each of the towns in Zambales and Olongapo. They have elected both senior and junior commission heads. The purpose of having a junior head with junior members is to provide organizational sustainability. Senior members are youth belonging to the age range of 18 to 24 whereas junior members are from 12 to 17 years of age. The commissions have drawn up their comprehensive plan of action until the year 2001.

At present these commissions meet regularly to plan their activities. The immediate objective is to create a social impact by undertaking relevant impact projects to make their presence felt by the community. Long term plans of action are also prepared. This is part of the on-going campaign to empower children and youth pursuant to the objectives of the project and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

To enable the youth leaders to come up with the long listing or plan of activities that will serve as their project per commission, AKBAY conducted youth meetings every 2nd Saturday for the following six consecutive months. The meeting was also in preparation to the Youth Congress that was held last April 2000. In the first half of the year, thirty four (34) core group leaders held several meetings to plan the activities, prepare the solicitation and invitation letters, and coordinate with the members. These meetings were with the guidance of the members of the project staff.