By DEXTER LUNAG

LAMUT, Ifugao — On August 3, Kabataan Party list Representative Raymond ‘Mong’ Palatino delivered the key note speech addressing the role of the youth during the Leadership Training Workshop and Youth Forum on “Molding the Youth as the Forefront of Tomorrows Challenges” sponsored by the University Student Supreme Government (USSG) of the Ifugao State University (IFSU).

Palatino reiterated the youth’s a unique position as future leaders to solve the problems of this current generation. He emphasized that “the youth are the hope of the nation” and that students must assert their interest as a sector to defend and promote their rights and welfare.

He added that students are encouraged to organize to tackle pressing issues collectively and democratically.

“The budget increase for Education was the harvest of the labor waged by students throughout the Philippines,” stated the Congressman in reference to the student strike that was born out of the state’s abandonment of state services such as education and health.

Palatino discussed also the issues and situations that the youth are facing and answered questions from the student audience during the open forum.

Meanwhile, Dr.Cerafin L. Ngohayon, president of IFSU, while introducing Palatino, also apologized to the Kabataan Partylist scholarship beneficiaries for the harassment and vilification dealt them by military elements believed to be under the 86th IB and military intelligence group.

In this connection, earlier this year, the UNICEF sent a notice to the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct a fact finding mission on the human rights violations against Kabataan Party list beneficiaries. Fact sheets were sent to the Committee on Human Rights and the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance for further investigation and documentation. # nordis.net