The young people in the Municipality of Upi in Maguindanao is shaping itself as a model in the ARMM. Last December 20, 2015 the Youth Development Council of Upi successfully launched its "Youth Congress". It was attended by hundreds of young people coming from different communities in the municipality.

Active and empowered, the Upi Youth Development Council is the only organization of its kind in the entire ARMM. It has a Youth Mayor, Youth Vice-Mayor, Youth Councilors, and so on. These young leaders underwent a month-long leadership training before they were chosen in the above-mentioned positions. This youth council is highly empowered that they have passed many ordinances and resolutions for the benefit of their own sector. It has recently approved Resolution No. 2, series of 2015 which outlined its Development Agenda. The Agenda has five (5) major areas: 1)Environmental Management, 2)Public Safety – specifically leisure issues of the youth; 3)Education, 4)Health, and 5)Economic opportunity for the youth.

In his speech Youth Vice-Mayor Ralph Darren Santillan described the various issues confronting the young people – the effects, their proposed solutions and the support they needed. Among the issues highlighted are cyber-addiction, limited access to higher education, increasing number of out-of-school youth, lack of job opportunities for new college graduates, and the lack of productive activities for the youth which drives them into vices such as smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, early marriage or teenage pregnancy. At the end of his speech, he emphasized that the Youth Development Agenda will help solve these problems, especially when strongly supported by the municipal local government unit (MLGU) and other organizations.

He likewise expressed deep gratitude to MLGU Upi and specifically to Mayor Ramon Piang and Vice-Mayor Alexis Platon for giving great importance to the role of young people and providing ample support that they won the Rafael Salas Foundation award. He also thanked organizations like UNICEF and IAG for extending support.

The youth council and MLGU Upi has invited UNICEF Philippines and the IAG in the historic occasion. Ms Rebecca Pankhurst, UNICEF representative, gave a keynote speech congratulating and inspiring the young people. For IAG, Program Manager for IP Projects and N-Peace awardee Ms Jo Genna Martin, inspired them more by congratulating them on their achievements and efforts.

In the afternoon the life skills facilitators from IAG conducted cheerful "Creating Connections" activities on reproductive and sexual health and a peacebuilding session dubbed as Usap Tayo. The Youth Congress was a fruitful day, and the young people of this indigenous town of Upi certainly presented themselves as inspiration for the entire ARMM. -- Mario T. Catubay