MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Welcome to the Compassionate Filipino youth

Compassionate Filipino youth is a collaborative programme dedicated to developing Filipino youth as compassionate leaders and drivers of systemic change.
The initiative supports young people in cultivating systems thinking, ethical leadership and collective action to advance equitable well-being on a healthy and peaceful planet.

Established under the auspices of Global Compassion Coalition, Compassion Connectors Philippines and The 50 Percent, the hub brings together research, dialogue and community engagement to respond to the Philippines’ most pressing social, ecological and cultural challenges.

CULTIVATING COMPASSIONATE YOUTH LEADERS FOR SYSTEMIC TRANSFORMATION

Compassionate Filipino youth engages young people aged 16 to 30 in learning journeys that combine systems thinking, compassionate action and virtuous citizenship.
Through fellowships, trainings, research initiatives, community engagements and public dialogues, participants strengthen their capacity to address complex challenges — from inequality and planetary health to social fragmentation and ethical decision-making in a rapidly changing world.

The hub is a space for youth who believe that meaningful change requires both inner transformation and collective, systems-level action.

CORE COMMITMENTS

Dialogical re-thinking
We foster a dialogical culture that challenges dominant notions of progress and enriches the narratives shaping social development. By centring lived experiences and diverse worldviews, young leaders learn to engage critically and creatively with complex realities rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions.

Compassionate action
Compassion is understood not as a fleeting emotion, but as an ethical commitment to address avoidable suffering. Youth leadership is grounded in a deep sense of shared responsibility, moving participants beyond complacency toward thoughtful, transformative action.

Systemic change
Participants critically examine structures of excessive individualism, consumerism and inequitable competition. Through systems inquiry and collective reflection, development is redefined as caring, creative and multidimensional — enabling young people to question assumptions, confront biases and design alternative futures.

Virtuous citizenship
The programme nurtures civic virtues such as justice, fortitude, prudence and temperance. Personal transformation and societal change are treated as inseparable, strengthening ethical decision-making, resilience in times of polycrisis and responsible collaboration for long-term impact.

OUR APPROACH & METHODOLOGY

The programme operates through both online and in-person formats and includes:

Dialogical forums and critical conversations
Compassion-based awareness campaigns
Fellowships, trainings and webinars
Research and experimental community projects
Cross-sector collaborations with local and national organisations

OUR FILIPINO TEAM

Nathanael V. Navarro
Chief National Youth Representative for the Philippines

Jhon Matthew P. Vasquez
Deputy National Youth Representative for the Philippines

Shekinah Fearl F. Dela Cruz
Executive Secretary

Stephanie P. Cagayat
Auxiliary Programme Manager for Creative Publications and Artistic Productions

Rasheed Enric T. Itoriaga
Auxiliary Programme Manager for In-Person Event Management

Kheana A. Urbano
Auxiliary Programme Manager for Online Event Management

Samantha Lora Jane A. Licardo
Special Administrative Assistant I for Communications

Mariel P. Avecilla
Special Administrative Assistant II for Communications

Nicole A. Mercado
Special Administrative Assistant I for Online Event Management

Ckeirstine Faith A. Mangubat
Special Administrative Assistant II for Online Event Management

Arriane Rose C. Dayag
Special Administrative Assistant III for Online Event Management