29 September 2021—To help set the foundation of active citizenship for young Filipinos, the Youth Leadership for Democracy (YouthLed) project of The Asia Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development has formally launched its partnership with De La Salle University’s Institute of Governance (LSIG) for a Civic Education Research which aims to review and enhance civic education programs and curriculum to contribute in improving awareness, knowledge, and action on civic rights, duties, and responsibilities among the youth.

Official Poster: Project Launch and Ceremonial Signing: Civic Education Research

Br. Bernard S. Oca FSC, President of DLSU mentioned that the partnership comes in perfect timing given the urgent need to engage and educate young Filipino citizens in standing for freedom and fighting against threats to democratic institutions. “Central to an empowered citizenry is the active participation of the younger generation. During the darkest times in our country, we have witnessed the Filipino youth as a potent force in social transformation…It is therefore imperative to continually educate and capacitate our youth about their responsibility in promoting democratic participation, participatory  governance, and sustainable development.”  LSIG will conduct an in-depth research and analysis of civic education programs in the country and provide recommendations  for the improvement of civic education curricula for private schools, local community centers, faith-based organizations, and civil society organizations. It will also develop new civic education materials and modules that are context-specific and aligned with the goals of the YouthLed project. Br. Oca also stressed that LSIG’s efforts in research, training, and community engagement to foster democracy and good governance in the country are aligned with the Lasallian mission on faith formation, social engagement, and community building.

The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative for the Philippines Sam Chittick added that this partnership is a continuation of the organization’s 66 years of efforts to improve lives and expand opportunities for Filipinos. “The Asia Foundation’s efforts to improve the educational system, initiate reforms, and make a lasting impact geared towards skills- and capacity-building of Filipino students can help pave the way for strengthened community participation, expanded opportunities, and promote cooperation across the country.”

The Civic Education Research is an initiative under the YouthLed Project which aims to increase civic engagement leading to strengthened participation of the Filipino youth in democratic governance through three approaches: leadership development, coalition-building, and civic education.

Signing of Official Partnership Document Between The Asia Foundation and La Salle Institute of Governance.
L-R. Sam Chittik (Country Representative of The Asia Foundation). Br. Bernard OCa, FSC (President of De La Salle University). Francisco Magno (Project Lead of Civic Education Research). Natalie Christine Jorge (Chief of Party of Youth Leadership for Democracy). Ador Torneo (Director of La Salle Institute of Governance).

YouthLed Chief of Party Natalie Christine Jorge emphasized that the partnership goes beyond assessing basic education curriculum, but will look into crucial attitudes and behavior that can help sustain and enable democratic processes. “High-quality civic engagement also requires citizens, especially students to develop non-cognitive civic skills which relate to values, attitudes, readiness to listen, develop judgment and effectively participate politically and socially… Through this partnership, we can increase knowledge and understanding of citizenship as well as gain deeper insight into young people’s understanding of citizenship democracy and together, provide a strong foundation for civic duty and responsibility for future generations.”

Dr. Francisco Magno, who leads this initiative between Youthled and LSIG mentioned that throughout the course of the partnership, they will be reviewing civic education programs, undertake the development of new materials and modules, conduct pilot testing in select schools and communities, and conduct teacher-training workshops. “We see all these activities as a comprehensive effort to contribute to the review and deployment of civic education programs that would address the challenges and the needs for developing youth leadership in democratic governance.”

The results of LSIG’s Civic Education Research will be complemented by an assessment and enhancement of the scope and implementation of civic education in the K to 12 basic education curriculum which will be carried out by the U.P. Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc (UPPAF). These efforts to evaluate and improve civic education in the country are among YouthLed’s priority goals to set a strong foundation of leadership, citizenship, and nation-building among the youth so that they can build an inclusive future for all Filipinos.

YouthLed (Youth Leadership for Democracy) is a project of The Asia Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

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