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Young Focus

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Young Focus

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We are a non-government organization that works towards making education accessible to the poorest children in the Philippines.

Our main area of operations is in the Smokey Mountain communities of Tondo Manila.

20/09/2026

PROUDLY PRESENTING ANOTHER ‘BATANG YF’ WHO TURNED THEIR DREAMS INTO ACHIEVEMENTS! 💙🎓

This is Ryan on his graduation day, wearing his black gown, school medal, and, as a tribute to Young Focus, the garland/lei he received during our Recognition event.

Ryan became part of Young Focus during his second year in college. What started with weekend tutorials eventually grew into his involvement in different extracurricular activities, which became an important part of his college journey. Along the way, he gained new friends, learned new skills and found a community where he felt he belonged.

One of the highlights of Ryan’s journey was discovering and developing his passion for music through NYtLYF (Saturday evening creative program) and the HIMIG Club. He had the opportunity to practice his skills, learn from mentors and share his love for music with others.

One particularly memorable moment was when the HIMIG Club was invited to practice at Synchrony. With the guidance of new mentors, Ryan and his fellow musicians continued to improve and eventually performed at Filinvest Alabang in front of a large audience. For someone who once felt shy about facing other people, standing on a big stage was truly a dream come true.

Indeed, Ryan’s years with Young Focus helped him become more confident, open and willing to step outside his comfort zone. From being a shy student to being able to confidently standing in front of a crowd, his growth is something worth celebrating.
And now, after years of hard work, challenges, friendships and countless memories, Ryan has finally reached this milestone.

Congratulations, Ryan! 🥳🎓 May this graduation mark the beginning of another exciting chapter. Keep pursuing your dreams, growing, and sharing your talents wherever life takes you. We’re proud of you, Ryan! Your Young Focus family will always be cheering you on!

And to all our staff, partners and sponsors, this celebration is also yours. Thank you for being part of Ryan’s journey and for helping make stories like his possible.
🎓 Bachelor of Physical Education, Cum Laude

10/09/2026

🎉 CONGRATULATIONS, SOLOMON! 🎉

We're so proud of you for graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology! 🎓
Over the years, you've shown what dedication and hard work can achieve:
🏅 With Honors (Grades 8-10)
🏅 With Honors (Grades 11-12)
🏅 Dean's Lister (2023-2025)
🏅 President's Lister (2026)
🎓 Cum Laude
🏅 Young Focus Student Leader
🏅 Young Focus Outstanding Student

Solomon's (aka Salomon, Solo ☺️) journey with Young Focus began in Love2Learn, a program that helps out-of-school children return to education. For more than 10 years, he’s been part of the Young Focus family. Through the years, he stayed focused on his goals, embraced opportunities to learn and grow, and developed into a student leader who inspired others by his example.

In his message to Young Focus, Solomon described YF as his "second home" for a decade. He shared how it became the foundation for many of the opportunities and successes he experienced, and thanked the staff team for believing in him and encouraging him to keep dreaming despite life's challenges.

Now, Solomon joins the growing community of Young Professionals of Young Focus, carrying with him the lessons, values and determination that have brought him this far.

Solomon, thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. We’re grateful to have walked alongside you over the years and excited to see what lies ahead for you.
Congratulations once again, Solo! 💙 We’re proud of you and will always be cheering you on. 🎉

P.S. Check also his journey in Young Focus on this video:
https://youtu.be/eCxYoYGLYHI?si=Qd8CI_lVKD8E1BEP

05/09/2026

A CELEBRATION OF LANGUAGE, CULTURE & FILIPINO PRIDE!

Celebrating 'Buwan ng Wika' (National Language Month) helps boost the confidence, self-esteem and socialization skills of the students in 'Catch-UP’ (Young Focus program for school dropouts). This activity is important as the students face the challenges of starting a new year of education. Although there was heavy rain and a cancellation of classes (announced by the government), our students showed up and wanted to support their classmates in this special celebration.

The official theme this year was ‘Filipino Language and AI: A Tool for Research and a Bridge to the Wealth of Information’. The staff team prepared a month-long series of activities for the students to share their talents, knowledge and teamwork to represent their love for our national language.

There were many highlights, including the presentations of national costumes, cultural dance and a speech choir. Also, our students with artistry and poetry skills presented their talents through slogan making and poetry, plus a group of 24 students participated in a quiz bee. And, with the use of technology and alignment with the theme, a digital poster-making activity was held, participants creating their artwork using AI prompts.

25/08/2026

JOVER – ‘OUR’ MR. BEADS 😊

(Reposting his Facebook posting with permission.)

Jover is currently in Grade 11 and taking up Entrepreneurship after completing his Alternative Learning System (ALS) High School education. Through Young Focus and Project CREATE, led by our partners from the Rotaract Club of Manila, Jover learned how to make bags, wallets, and accessories using beads.

With our support, he was able to start his own small business called Mr. Beads. Through beadwork, Jover has been able to earn additional income and help support his family. His father and sibling also learned how to make bags and wallets, allowing them to be involved in his small business as well.

Through this, Jover learned basic selling and marketing, as well as how to promote products through social media. He recognizes that he still has a lot to learn when it comes to managing and growing a business, but with the support of Young Focus, he continues to learn every day.

Jover is also part of the Youth Empowerment Sessions by our partner Synchrony, where he learned about public speaking, time management, and financial literacy.

For now, Jover is focusing more on his studies, but he accepts orders whenever he has time. He hopes to continue improving his skills and learn more about business in the future.

14/08/2026

CATCH-UP DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES

For students in our Catch-UP programs (for out-of-school youth) receiving a school bag full of supplies is one of the highlights in the school year. Each of the programs – Love2Learn, ALS and PostCare – is designated a color to help the students identify which one they belong to. The school supplies are also customized based on the requirements of each program’s teachers, including materials for assignments and life skills activities.

This is an essential part of what we do, as the families of these young people don’t have enough funds to purchase their own school supplies; it’s a way of supporting the parents too.

The distribution also gives the students a sense of readiness and excitement as they continue their classes, knowing that they have all the necessary materials to participate in their daily learning activities.

For some of the Catch-UP classmates – former school dropouts – it brings back good memories of their younger days in elementary school, when their parents were able to buy them school bags and supplies.

And Raymart, for his part, is even more excited: “I’m happy,” he declares, “it’s my first time receiving a bag!”

01/08/2026

CONGRATULATIONS, ABEGAIL!!!! 🎉
We’re so proud of everything you’ve achieved while being part of our Young Focus family for the past 16 years.
You’ve been through some very tough times. 16 years is a long time, and so much can happen. We’ll never forget the devastating fire in 2014 in the old Smokey Mountain 2 community, when your family lost your home…
Take care, Aby, and please stay in touch through Young Focus Pros. Once again, we’re so proud of you for completing your Bachelor of Science in Business Administration 🎓. We believe in you, and we look forward to seeing all that you will accomplish in the years ahead.

28/07/2026

Catch-UP Nutrition Month 2026

Our Catch-UP program (for out-of-school youth) celebrated Nutrition Month with the theme Sama-sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat! Nutrisyon at Kalikasan, Ating Pangalagaan. (Together for Good Nutrition for Everyone! Let’s Care for Nutrition and the Environment.) The celebration brought together learners from all program levels in a fun and educational activity promoting the importance of good nutrition and environmental stewardship.

One of the highlights of the celebration was the Ms. and Mr. Nutrition competition, where learners showcased the dresses and outfits they created aligned with the theme. Each participant confidently walked on the runway, eager to represent the collective effort of their teammates, who worked together to complete the costume. At the end of the competition, two learners from the PostCare program, two from Love2Learn Intermediate, two from Love2Learn Advance, and two from ALS were crowned Ms. and Mr. Nutrition for their respective categories. During the event, all of the previous year's winners attended the celebration and formally turned over their crowns to the new titleholders.

The event not only focused on the competition, but also delivered a meaningful message encouraging the learners to eat nutritious food, as well as take care of the environment, also because a clean environment can be a source of healthy food.

26/07/2026

On behalf of Young Focus: Thank you guys!!!! UP Career Assistance Program 💚

24/07/2026

START UP 2026

Start Up 2026 – Launching Dreams, Building Futures was a 10-day career readiness workshop organized by our Career Development Program for 19 college/university students from different degree programs. The workshop was designed to help students build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need as they prepare for their future careers.

Over the 10 days, the students became more confident and better prepared for the world of work. They learned how to communicate effectively, set SMART goals, write professional resumes and emails, prepare for job interviews through mock interview sessions, as well as discover their strengths. They also joined exposure trips to the offices of our partner organizations to get a closer look at different workplaces.

The workshop was made possible through the support of speakers from Young Focus and our partners. These included Canva Philippines, River Valley Irregulars / Rotaract Club of Manila and Mind Zone, who generously welcomed the students into their work and study hub; we had a trainer and facilitator with experience in recruitment and the virtual assistance industry; AIESEC volunteers; and a former Young Focus sponsored student. He inspired the participants by sharing how he went from being a Young Focus beneficiary to building his career and giving back to others. Together, all of our speakers encouraged the students to dream bigger, prepare well and move forward with confidence.

One participant, Koy, a 4th-year Hospitality Management student, began the workshop feeling shy and unsure of himself. By the end of the program, he was speaking confidently in front of the group and felt much more certain about the career path he wanted to pursue.

Another participant, Leslie, a 4th-year Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering student, summed up the experience by saying: “It was an honor to be part of this. I’ve always been a curious person, and this program gave me a safe space to ask questions about life. Thank you to all the mentors for answering them with patience and wisdom. And to my fellow students—let’s go, guys! We may not have everything figured out yet, but that’s okay, right? I wish you all nothing but success and happiness. Thanks again!”

03/07/2026

READY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

As the new school year begins, it’s time to hand out school bags once again! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors, all our students who need a school bag will receive one.

In a month’s time, our Catch-UP students (school dropouts) will also receive their school materials. In the meantime, over recent weeks, we’ve already distributed school bags and supplies to our elementary, high school and college students, equipping them with what they need to continue their education.

There was also a special event in Zambales, where one of our former managers now lives. Inspired by the children she saw walking to school every day, she contacted Young Focus to see if we could help. She shared: “I often see children walking to and from school every day. It reminded me of the work I used to do with Young Focus, and I thought, ‘What if we could do something for these kids?’ So, I reached out to Young Focus and asked if they could help. We’ve been able to give school bags and supplies to 19 students in the area, from elementary to high school 🥰.”

Address

284 C Dayao Street, Balut, Tondo
Manila
1013

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm
Saturday	9am - 6pm

Telephone

+63282528848

Website

https://www.youngfocus.org/

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