ILOILO CITY – A major convergence of youth leaders and local government officials in Iloilo City today is being positioned as a push to embed youth-driven reforms into governance across the Visayas.
Delegates from multiple provinces are set to participate in the Visayas leg of the Good Governance Caravan today, April 16, signaling a growing movement to institutionalize citizen participation — particularly among the youth — in shaping accountable and responsive local governments.
The caravan, themed “Tayo ang GoodGov Generation,” is spearheaded by Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) in partnership with the British Embassy Manila, aiming to showcase best practices while strengthening youth involvement in governance.
Participants include representatives from local government units in Iloilo, Antique, Negros, Aklan, Siquijor, Bohol, and Cebu, along with Baguio City’s Mayor Benjamin Magalong, one of the lead convenors of M4GG.
The Iloilo stop follows earlier legs in Pangasinan, Quezon, and Laguna.
Central to the event are two key components: a Mayor’s Workshop in the morning, where local chief executives will exchange strategies and solutions to governance challenges, and a Youth Engagement Forum in the afternoon, which will gather students, Sangguniang Kabataan officials, and civil society groups to discuss leadership and community action.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Raisa Treñas emphasized that hosting the event highlights the city’s continued commitment to transparency, innovation, and inclusive growth.
“Through the caravan, we hope to further strengthen collaboration between local government units and the youth sector, making the principles of good governance more tangible and lived in every community,” Treñas said.
She added that the initiative will also promote innovation, accountability, and shared solutions among local government units in the Visayas, reinforcing the role of young leaders as catalysts for long-term governance reforms./PN
