INTRODUCTION
Whenever I address the youth of the land, I feel a renewed sense of purpose in seeking to achieve the goals of my presidency.

Today I speak to our young Filipinos — a generation that may have missed the more turbulent times of their parents and elder brothers and sisters.

Many of you were born during martial law and grew up barely aware of the tyranny that enveloped our society then.

You may even have been too young to march at EDSA, except as curious kids brought along by your parents to witness an unfolding spectacle, the outcome of which still hung in the balance, but which we now know as one of our great historic events.

Today you may feel that life’s most exciting moments may have passed you by — that you face no great challenges, no moments of high drama, no exacting tests of fortitude.

Let me tell you now that nothing could be farther from the truth.
YOUTH’S CHALLENGE
For yours is the challenge and opportunity that we, your elders, wish we would have encountered, had we been blessed with your youth and your vitality.

This is the adventure of the 21st century — of building and shaping this country into something that our past heroes like Rizal and Bonifacio could only imagine and which my generation could only begin to plan for.

This is the challenge of turning the Philippines into one of Asia’s most dynamic and prosperous societies — equal to, if not better than, her neighbors and former masters.

This is your opportunity at greatness. And it is yours, and yours alone, to realize. This is your time. This is your moment, and I urge you to seize it while you can.

But we must — and we will — help you as much as we can. That is our responsibility to you and to the future.

For that reason, we have developed a comprehensive strategy for growth, which we have called “Philippines 2000!!!”.
A COLLECTIVE EFFORT
You have proven, many times over and in various endeavors, your ability to serve and your willingness to lead.

Let me commend the various projects of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officers from all over the country, the youth non-government organizations (NGOs) and youth organizations in community building, environmental protection and livelihood generation.

I would also like to recognize our hundreds of thousands of students in their continuing pursuit of academic excellence.

As youth leaders, you must continue being role models, inspiring and counseling your peers, and helping them when they have problems. You must act as society’s activists against such youth-related problems as drug abuse and juvenile delinquency.

You must continue practicing and propagating such values as self-reliance, hard work, honesty, dedication to family, service to community, love of God and love of country.

These are old and traditional values, but they have served our country and our people well.

And I realize that in urging these values upon you, I am asking for no less from your elders — those of my generation, who must provide the moral example for the youth to emulate.

But it will be up to you, the youth, to ensure that the Filipino future is better than any of us have experienced. You must succeed where we have failed, or where we no longer had the time to complete our agenda of development.

The best we can do is to provide you — today — with the means by which you can help yourselves — tomorrow.

This is the basic intention of the National Youth Development Plan (NYDP), which we are launching today.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The plan has three major objectives:

First, it seeks to maximize the youth’s vital role in society and their active participation in nation-building.

Second, it promotes and protects the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the youth through the conscious exercise of their rights and duties.

And third, it seeks to instill and encourage patriotism and nationalism among the youth.

The NYDP makes it possible for the millions of young Filipinos to contribute concretely to the realization of the goals of the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).

For the very first time in our country’s history, a youth development plan has been formulated to achieve specific goals. Thus, the plan’s components include a situational analysis of our youth today, action programs for your implementation, and a compilation and assessment of services for your benefit.

The plan also involves a listing of issues and challenges affecting the youth, as well as a presentation of approaches and strategies towards solving youth problems.

The plan maps out and coordinates a program of implementation, and puts in place a monitoring system to ensure that activities and projects are carried out as effectively as possible.

With this, the NYDP serves as an overall framework in identifying the role of the youth both as beneficiary of and contributor to national development.

As a compendium of pertinent data on your sector, the NYDP serves as a useful tool by which adults involved in youth welfare, as well as you yourselves, can have a better understanding of the problems you face as you strive to participate more responsively in national development efforts.

This plan is our legacy to you.

It represents my administration’s abiding faith in the idealism and patriotism of the Filipino youth as one of the foundations for establishing peace and prosperity in our country, during and long after our time.
PRO-YOUTH MEASURES
To ensure the success of the NYDP, there should be resolute and collective action from all government agencies concerned with youth programs.

I therefore direct all government agencies with youth programs to implement such programs in consonance with the NYDP.

I direct the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to allocate p2 million for the information campaign, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the NYDP to be done by the Presidential Council on Youth Affairs (PCYA).

In view of the forthcoming Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections before the end of the year, i direct the department of the interior and local government and the PCYA to prepare the necessary logistics as soon as possible to ensure the successful implementation of the 1994 SK elections.

And because the 10th World Youth Day will be held in Manila on January 10-15, 1995, I direct the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and all concerned agencies to use all their resources to ensure its success.

This international youth activity will be attended by no less than the Pope and observed by millions of youth from our country, from Asia and from all over the world.

It will put us on the world youth map, as a beacon to leaders of the future everywhere.
THE PATH TO THE FUTURE
I am confident that the NYDP will go a long way towards securing that future to the best advantage of a new generation of Filipinos.

I must commend the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the PCYA and the different agencies responsible for drafting the NYDP.

It constitutes another important dimension to our shared vision of “Philippines 2000!!!”, by insuring the transfer of our highest traditions of public service and leadership from one generation to another.

We Filipinos can compete and perform with the world’s best, in almost any field. We have some of the world’s finest engineers, doctors, businessmen, teachers and artists.

But we should go beyond individual achievements, and instill competitiveness in the regional and world arena as a national habit, as part of our national culture.

This can be pushed and reinforced if the capabilities of our people, most especially the youth, are developed to the fullest.

And this is where youth empowerment comes in. We intend to engage every young Filipino in the development effort — starting with developing his or her physical, intellectual and moral resources.

Only thus can we make sure that every hardworking Filipino will have sufficient food, adequate shelter, a sound education, a good job, and the basic amenities and comforts of modern life.

As your President, I will do everything possible to ensure that when you reach the prime of your lives, you can look around you and be proud of having a free, just and prosperous society — better than everything this country has ever had — and to be proud of being a Filipino!

But the road to that future is still long and hard. And it begins here and now. You must take it and march on it with us, and build it with us, all together.

You will go farther down the road than we ever will. I trust and I pray that you will rise to the challenge of that journey, that great adventure, towards and beyond “Philippines 2000!!!”.

Mabuhay ang Kabataan!

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!