ILOILO City — Young leaders, advocates and community partners are converging in Iloilo City for a youth development gathering aimed at helping participants build connections, sharpen practical skills and turn their advocacies into projects that can make a difference in their communities.
Youth Converge 2026, organized by SAKDAG Philippines at PHINMA University of Iloilo, positions the city as a meeting ground for young people seeking to move from leadership discussions to actual community engagement.
The gathering brings participants into contact with youth organizers, government officials, student leaders, entrepreneurs and practitioners who can provide insights on leadership, public service and community development.
Organizers said the program is designed to give young people opportunities not only to listen and learn but also to exchange experiences, establish partnerships and develop ideas that can be carried back to their schools, organizations and communities.
Youth Converge grew out of Panakayon, a youth initiative launched in 2023. The program adopted its present name in 2025 and has since reached more than 300 youth leaders through workshops, leadership sessions, mentoring, team activities and project-pitching exercises.
This year’s Iloilo City gathering also introduces QUAD A: Artisan’s Alley and Alliance Arena, a fair that brings youth organizations and local enterprises together in one venue.
The initiative will allow participating groups to present their advocacies and community programs while entrepreneurs showcase their products and services. It is also intended to encourage partnerships between youth organizations, businesses and other sectors.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will formally open QUAD A as one of the major activities of the convergence.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros is scheduled to deliver a keynote message and take part in a discussion on youth leadership, service and nation-building.
Joining the panel are Edmundo Tolentino Jr., Sangguniang Kabataan National Island Representative for the Visayas and president of the Panlalawigang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan in Aklan; Shalene Cachuela, vice chairperson of the West Visayas State University Student Council; and Elijah Tjalling Paradero, co-founder and director of SAKDAG Philippines.
Their discussion will examine youth participation from the perspectives of government, student leadership and community-based youth work.
SAKDAG Philippines, the group behind the convergence, was established in 2022 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and initially mobilized young volunteers to assist communities.
The youth-led, children-centered organization has since expanded its work to programs involving health, education, faith and safety, reaching more than 3,000 children and other beneficiaries. It is registered under the National Youth Commission’s Youth Organization Registration Program.
Its community work in Iloilo City expanded further in December 2025 with the opening of Balay Sakdaganay in Barangay Calahunan, the community where the city’s solid waste management facility is located.
The center serves as a base for initiatives supporting children and families in the area.
Iloilo City Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace “Love” Baronda and local and youth officials from Iloilo and Aklan are among those expected at the gathering.
Also invited are Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque and Badiangan Mayor Suzette Mamon, although their attendance has yet to be confirmed.
By holding the convergence in Iloilo City, organizers hope to create a space where young people from different backgrounds can find potential collaborators, gain practical experience and develop initiatives that continue after the gathering ends.
Rather than treating youth leadership as something confined to seminars and formal positions, Youth Converge 2026 puts emphasis on what participants can do with what they learn — particularly how they can bring new ideas, partnerships and skills back to the communities they serve./PN
