MANILA, Philippines 鈥� To young Palawenyos, it comes as second nature to welcome visitors and to show ways of caring for Palawan鈥檚 extraordinary natural beauty.
But to be enthralled by their own youthful energies as they come together for leadership training, sports and dance routines?
Presented as bundled activities in assemblies, several groups from the Palawan youth sector have come to realize that these are not just fun, but also engaging opportunities to vastly improve their capabilities.
And they are looking forward to more activities of this kind in the future.
1Pacman Party-list organizers coordinated with the schools and local authorities on the Palawan Youth Summit that was implemented in seven Palawan municipalities in the last three months.
They noted the zest-filled participation of students, guests, and even teachers.聽
Participating municipalities were Taytay, Roxas, San Vicente, El Nido, Aborlan, Narra, and Quezon.
1Pacman Party-list first nominee Milka Romero stated that the summit聽 provided an avenue for young Palawenyos to discuss the importance of sports as a lifestyle.
鈥淭he summit encouraged the youth to adopt sports for their physical and mental well-being,鈥� she said.
It also聽 emphasized the vital role of young individuals in the development of Palawan by fostering leadership skills and community involvement.聽
Romero pointed out that since the honing of leadership skills was a goal of the summit, 鈥渋t鈥檚 gratifying to note that the participants went away empowered to act on the concerns they hold as important.鈥澛�
The students noted the lack of sports facilities, equipment, and overall support for athletes in Palawan.
They said many young Palawenyos feel deprived and disadvantaged when it comes to competing in sports due to these limitations.
However, through the Palawan Youth Summit, participants were inspired to overcome these challenges.
鈥淭he program instilled a sense of empowerment and motivation, showing them that they, too, can excel in sports with determination, training, and perseverance,鈥� said Romero.
Romero is a multi-awarded business, socio-civic, and sports leader who is now set to take the helm of the 3-term 1Pacman Party-list under the leadership of her father, Rep. Mikee Romero.
She started her chapter in public service as the 1Pacman Partylist chairman, handling its socio-civic programs including the successful Save-A-Heart program, together with education, health and medical assistance.
A former player for the women鈥檚 national football team, Romero now is the owner of Capital1 Solar Spikers in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
One of the highlights of the Summit was the zumba competition.
Packed with games, raffle draws and sports equipment donations for schools and universities, the summit also provided聽 financial assistance for select students to help them with their education.
鈥淭he event successfully brought about enthusiasm, unity, and motivation to the youth, reinforcing the importance of sports, leadership, and community engagement in shaping the future of Palawan and the Philippines as a whole,鈥� she said.