Three days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia may seem like a too short travel itinerary for most people. To a young ABM student leader, however, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become an advocate for change on the international stage.
Jacqueline “Jacque” Jocson, a Monarch from 12-Service and the Student Council ABM Strand Representative of AY 2023-2024, attended the Global Goals Youth Summit 2024 from January 25-27, representing the school and the entire country as an ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The international forum, held at Royale Chulan and with the theme of “Advancing Sustainable Development: A Call to Action,” invited the senior high student to a symposium with various young multicultural leaders.
“I was one of the youngest delegates there, yet I was able to make many friends and connections from many different countries and backgrounds . . . a group of diverse individuals who are willing to create a positive impact in the world and people’s lives,” Jacque recalled.
Jacque’s time as a delegate in Kuala Lumpur came about when her father presented the opportunity to enlist in the conference, noting that it would be an avenue for her to share her advocacies and develop her leadership skills. She explained, “At first I genuinely didn’t think I would even get a chance to be picked . . . [and] it was something so out of my comfort zone. [Luckily] enough, I was one of those people and also received a merit scholarship for the program.”
As the Youth Summit only accepts a select few qualified registrants each year, she was among the only six delegates who were from the Philippines. During the conference, Jacque set forth to advance her connection with the SDGs in the United Nations-sponsored event alongside over a hundred other country representatives, attending seminar talks from international SDG advocates. Coordinating with other delegates of varying nationalities and ages, she also planned and presented proposals for various global issues with them.
However, the most compelling aspect of this conference to Jacque was that it was a platform to share her passionate belief—that children are the future of humanity. Jacque tackled SDG 4 - Quality Education during the Youth Summit, citing her lifelong advocacy of bringing better education for Filipino youths. She elaborated, “One passion of mine has always been to help children because I really believe that the youth will be the future of each nation. Education for youth in the Philippines is obviously not that great and I want to play a part in making a change towards this issue.”
“With the current educational system in our country and the never-ending poverty, many children suffer from [not] getting proper access to education,” she added. Jacque’s advocacies thus shone when given the opportunity to delve directly into the education sector. Tasked with penning an essay about major issues faced by the SDGs, the student leader took part in the 3 Minute Speak Up Session where she presented her speech in front of the whole conference hall. That discourse focused on the education problems faced by the Philippines and how advancing SDG 4 could help solve those.
Ultimately, she earned a Global Goals Youth Award after the Inauguration Night of all delegates and is recognized as a Global Goals Action Ambassador for 2024. She even had the opportunity to put her learnings into action while visiting a Somalian refugee children’s center to connect and educate its residents before departing back to the Philippines. “The role is still quite new to me . . . but, it's never too early to start learning and growing towards what I stand for and what I want to achieve,” she said.
Her journey does not end there, however. Two months later, on March 22, Jacque’s achievements in advancing education earned her recognition locally. Invited to the Gawad Pilipino Awards 2024, she was bestowed a Babae Ka Award, which was given to distinguished Filipino women in different fields. The award was under the category of Mga Natatanging Pilipina sa Larangan ng Edukasyon (Distinguished Filipino Women in the Field of Education), and was presented to Jacque for her role as a Youth Action Ambassador.
As the Gawad Pilipino Awards recognizes Filipino citizens for their substantial contributions to national society, Jacque’s feat was exceptional for her age. As with the Global Goals Youth Summit, she was the youngest recipient of the Babae Ka Award. Surrounded in Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s Tejeros Hall by other big names, such as Tourism Secretary Ma. Christina Frasco and Senator Cynthia Villar, Jacque stood out as a rising youth with the potential to contribute much more over time.
Through it all, Jacque hopes to continue furthering her mission to bring a brighter future for impoverished Filipino youths by striving to improve the country’s education system, not stopping at just the awards she received; she is set to attend more conferences sponsored by the United Nations, particularly the Japan Peace Innovation Summit. Jacque emphasized, “I'm a strong believer that the youth is the future, and for a better future, we must invest in our youth.”
Jacque concludes, “With my experiences during the Global Goals Youth Summit and Gawad Pilipino Awards, I have met many like-minded individuals who seek to make the world a better place through the different SDGs.”
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