01/06/2026
๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐!
Conservation International Philippines successfully brought together more than ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ from over ๐ฑ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ across ๐ด ๐๐๐จ๐, including Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons and officials, leaders of local youth organizations, and representatives from academic and campus-based organizations, through ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ: ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ to spark collective action, strengthen watershed stewardship, and empower the next generation of champions for the Calumpang River Watershed.
Held in partnership with ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ-๐๐๐ก๐ฅ๐ข ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ, KASALIGAN 2026 served as a platform for learning, dialogue, and collaboration among young leaders committed to protecting and sustaining the watershed.
โNature conservation today requires youth actionโyoung people bring energy, a sense of urgency, and innovation,โ said ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐
๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป during the summitโs opening. โAs the future stewards of the planet, they should have a role in decisions and actions that will shape their future.โ
He also emphasized the vital ecological connection between the Calumpang River Watershed and the Verde Island Passage, alongside ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ of DENR-CENRO Lipa, ๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ ๐. ๐๐ด๐บ๐ฎ๐ of PENRO Batangas, and ๐ก๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ, who underscored the important role of youth leadership in advancing watershed governance and collective action.
Youth leaders also engaged in a series of learning sessions grounded in science, innovation, and governance. ๐๐ฟ. ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ of the PGENRO presented the current status and key realities of the Calumpang River Watershed, providing the youth with a deeper understanding of the watershedโs ecological importance and pressing challenges. This was followed by ๐ ๐. ๐ฆ๐๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ปฬ๐ฎ of ThinkLAB Innovations, who led an insightful session on Reframing Youth Action Beyond Reactive Environmental Programs, encouraging young leaders to design more strategic, long-term, and systems-driven environmental initiatives. Another session by ๐๐ฟ. ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ ๐ฃ. ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ of Batangas State University, focused on Institutionalizing Watershed Actions into Local Youth Governance Systems, highlighting pathways for embedding watershed stewardship into local youth policies, programs, and governance mechanisms.
The summit culminated in a ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ where youth leaders developed ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ for watershed stewardship, translating learning into actionable commitments. This was followed by a collective ๐ผ๐ฎ๐๐ต-๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, where participants pledged their commitment as stewards of the Calumpang River Watershed.
๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ reaffirmed that when youth leaders are equipped with knowledge, connected through collaboration, and empowered to act, they become a powerful force in shaping governance for a more resilient Calumpang River Watershed.
๐ท Photos courtesy of DENR CENRO Lipa and PENRO Batangas
