BAGUIO CITY – Two young professionals from this city are among the 27 youth leaders from across the country selected as Philippine Ambassadors of Goodwill for the 46th Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP).
Franzes Ivy Carasi, a part-time college professor at the University of the Cordilleras and Adrian Fernandez, president of the alumni group of the Outstanding Students in the Cordillera Administrative Region (OSCAR), will join the other youth leaders for a 52-day journey on board the luxurious cruise ship MS Nippon Maru along the oceans of Asia to enhance their diplomacy skills on various topics that are relevant to society.
They will participate in a wide range of activities including discussions on pressing issues, cultural introductions, club activities, institutional visits, home-stay experience and community service and will sail to ports of call in Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam.
Carasi is the assistant youth leader of the Philippine contingent to this year’s SSEAYP that will run from 0ctober 23 to December 13.
As former personnel of the Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera, Carasi is championing disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) alongside her other advocacies focusing on information and media management, education, and environment.
Carasi, who was a participant in the World Youth Congress in Hawaii in 2017, said that she wants to keep reminding her fellow youth from the whole of Southeast Asia, Japan and the rest of the world that DRRM is everyone’s responsibility.
Fernandez, a former tourism operations officer of the Department of Tourism – Cordillera, continues to encourage young people to participate in nation-building through responsible and sustainable tourism, and financial literacy.
“It has always been my mission to travel with purpose while embracing cultural differences. My message to the 30 million Filipino youth – make sure to live a meaningful life in the service of others,” he said.
Fernandez was awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Cordillera Administrative Region (OSCAR) in 2009. He now heads the OSCAR Alumni Community that is active in serving the nation through training, facilitation, and coordination services especially among the young sectors in order for youth leaders to learn and deepen their appreciation for leadership and nation building.
SSEAYP is an annual peace-building, and cultural exchange program started in January 1974, and is funded by the Cabinet Office of Japan. More than 300 youth leaders from Japan and member states of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations embark in a life-changing journey in Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Singapore.
The program is an opportunity to promote the Philippines’ rich, diverse cultural identities.
Delegates are also given the chance to meet the head of states and immerse themselves in various cultures through homestay programs.
This year’s batch is called “Sakabyas,” a Maguindanaon word which means unique or new faces. The group believes that each individual is a unique piece that may be different from one another but their individual pieces contribute to create one beautiful mosaic(JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)
