The 11th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth (AMMY), the 7th ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Youth, and AMMY Related Meetings were held from 16 to 20 July 2019 in Vientiane, Laos.Assistant Secretary Paul AnthonyPangilinan, Commissioner-at-Large of the National Youth Commission (NYC), headed the Philippine delegation to the AMMY meetings, which comprised of Ms. Cristabeth Jacinta Asor Madrigal, Assistant Division Chief of the NYC Social Marketing Division and AMMY Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on Youth Focal Point, Mr. Juan Carlo V. Marquez, Executive Assistant III at the NYC, and, Ms. Sarah Jean BulalacaoGrutas, Presidential Staff Officer of the NYC.
In addition, the 23rd ASEAN Youth Day Meeting (AYDM) was held on 17-19 July 2019, and the Philippine representatives were Ms. Ray AlyannahLagasca, President of Empower: Youth for Agricultural Development, Vice President of the 12th National Youth Parliament Philippines, and National Secretary at the Youth for Mental Health Coalition, Inc.; Mr. Ramon Nikko Angeles Elnar, Technical Assistant at the Duty Free Philippines Corporation and Fellow at eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN Programme; and, Mr. ShernanFajutnaoGamol, Founder and Chairman of Keep Hope Alive, and consultant at the Philippine House of Representatives.
The over-all purpose of the AMMY and AYDM meetings was to review the progress of the ASEAN in terms of promoting the rights of the youth and aiding in their advancement so that they would be able to contribute to the ASEAN’s goals of peace and growth in the region. The AMMY and AYDM meetings also highlighted how the ASEAN youth were becoming more active and engaged in the socio-economic development of their respective countries.
During the Opening Ceremony of the 11th AMMY on 19 July 2019, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone noted that the youth was the backbone of the nation[s] and the frontline force contributing to all sectors of national socio-economic development. Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay said that the youth of ASEAN-6 countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) should be encouraged to continue to render their support to the youth of the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) in the form of technical assistance and people-to-people exchanges.
Mr. AlounxaySounalath, Secretary General of the Lao Youth Union, hosted a gala dinner on 19 July 2019 at the Landmark Mekong Riverside Hotel in Vientiane, which featured a baci(blessing) ceremony cultural performances by various Lao artists, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the AMMY and AYDM meetings. During the gala dinner, young entrepreneurs from ASEAN countries were awarded for their respective contributions to various communities in the ASEAN member states; Ms. Lagasca was awarded for her contributions to youth empowerment for the Philippines. END.
