National Youth
Commission chair Aiza Seguerra will represent the Philippines at the meet. File
photo
The Philippines will push for regional
cooperation on education and on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during
the meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders and youth
representatives in Laos.
National Youth Commission chairperson and
singer Aiza Seguerra will represent the country during the ASEAN Leaders’
Interface with representatives of the regional bloc’s youth at the Lao capital
of Vientiane later Monday.
“There is a strong need (to encourage
participation) in education, health issues, mental health and HIV,” Seguerra
told Laos-bound reporters at the Suvarnabhumi Airport Sunday night.
“The main thrust is education,” Seguerra
added.
The NYC chair noted that the number of HIV
cases in the Philippines is on the rise despite the downward trend in global
infections.
A total of 841 new HIV cases were reported in
June, the highest ever since 1984, according to the health department. Of the
new HIV cases, 104 have developed into full-blown AIDS.
Seguerra said the Philippines would also help
in the crafting of an ASEAN youth index, which will serve as a basis for the
crafting of a youth development plan.
The initiative will take into account
indicators like the Sustainable Development Goals and the Human Development
Index.
Like President Rodrigo Duterte, it will be
the first time for Seguerra to represent the Philippines in an international
conference.
'First time without a guitar'
“(It’s) weird, man. I was packing my stuff
yesterday (Sept. 3). This is something different…It will be the first time I
will travel without a guitar,” Seguerra said. “All my life, I’ve been a
performer and now it’s like a new job and the first time…I’ll just get used to
this. It's like singing the first song in a concert.”
The ASEAN leaders’ interface with the youth
is one of the events of the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits to
be held in Laos from Sept. 6 to 8.
Seguerra said the NYC would also be pushing
for the adoption of a Philippine youth development plan, which aims to empower
young Filipinos to make them productive citizens.
The NYC has already crafted such plan but
previous administrations had failed to adopt it, Seguerra said.
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