Central Taytay National High School Youth Empowerment Program: Preparing a New Generation of AI-Ready, Humanity-Ready and Environmentally Responsible Leaders

News | National Posted on 2026-08-15 00:36:23

TAYTAY, PALAWAN – A new generation of Filipino youth is being challenged to become not merely users of technology, but responsible leaders who can help shape a more humane, sustainable and resilient Philippines through a Student Symposium and Interactive Workshop at Central Taytay National High School, Taytay, Palawan, Region IV-B (MIMAROPA).

Carrying the theme, “Empowering Filipino Youth to Thrive in the Future AI Era Through Human-Centered Digital Leadership and Environmental Stewardship,” the three-hour program brings together school leaders, local government officials, educators, technology advocates, environmental advocates and youth participants in an initiative designed to connect technology, humanity, environmental responsibility and cooperative development.

The program is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and is intended for Junior and Senior High School students.

At the heart of the initiative is a simple but powerful message: the future of the Philippines will not be defined by technology alone, but by the character, wisdom and leadership of the young people who will use it.

From the School to the Future of the Nation

The event begins with the participation of the school administration and community leaders, led by Hon. Levi M. Dalumpenis, School Principal III of Central Taytay National High School, whose opening remarks set the direction for the youth-centered gathering.

The program also features a message from Mr. Adrian C. Ramosa, PTA President, followed by an inspirational talk from Hon. Vice Mayor Delma P. Edep of the Municipality of Taytay and welcome remarks from Hon. Mayor Norbert S. Lim of the Municipality of Taytay.

Their participation demonstrates that youth development is not the responsibility of schools alone. It requires the collective commitment of families, educators, government, communities, cooperatives, technology organizations and private-sector partners.

Introducing the Cooperative Way to the Youth

An important dimension of the initiative is the introduction of the cooperative way as a model of participation, shared responsibility, collective ownership and community development.

Through the support and participation of CCNPh Inc., EliS Inc., HDWSI Group, PRIT Group and BB 88 Solutions, the program seeks to open the minds of young Filipinos to a broader understanding of how cooperation, innovation, technology and social responsibility can work together.

For the youth, cooperative development is not simply about forming organizations. It is about learning how individuals can combine their talents, knowledge, resources and ideas to create solutions that benefit the larger community.

This message is particularly important in a rapidly changing world where artificial intelligence, digital platforms, environmental challenges and economic transformation are reshaping the future of work and society.

The participating organizations are extending their expertise and advocacy toward a common purpose: to empower young people to become contributors to national development rather than simply spectators of change.

HDWSI: Keeping Humanity at the Center of the AI Era

One of the major highlights of the program is Symposium 1: Human-Centered Digital Wellness & Social Intelligence (HDWSI): Empowering Youth to Thrive in the Future of the AI Era.

The session will be led by Henry V. Bayubay, technology entrepreneur, digital transformation advocate and developer of the HDWSI Framework, as well as Vice-President of the Filipino Inventors Society Multipurpose Cooperative, President-CEO of BB 88 Solutions and Migs Masters Institute for Graphics.

The discussion introduces students to the profound changes brought by Artificial Intelligence in education, careers, communication and society.

But rather than presenting AI simply as a technological revolution, the session challenges young people to understand the importance of responsible AI use, digital wellness, emotional intelligence, social intelligence, cyber ethics, online safety and digital citizenship.

Students will also explore the uniquely human capabilities that technology cannot simply replace—including critical thinking, creativity, empathy, collaboration, resilience and ethical judgment.

The central message is clear:

“Artificial Intelligence can transform the world, but humanity will always define its future.”

The objective is to help develop Filipino youth who are both AI-Ready and Humanity-Ready—young people who can use emerging technologies responsibly while preserving compassion, integrity, creativity, critical thinking and social responsibility.

From Listening to Doing

The program goes beyond traditional lectures.

Following the HDWSI presentation, students will participate in an Interactive Digital Wellness, Responsible AI & Ethical Leadership Workshop.

They will examine healthy and unhealthy digital habits, explore responsible and inappropriate uses of AI, analyze ethical decision-making scenarios and develop their own personal commitments for responsible technology use.

Each participant will be encouraged to produce a “My Digital Wellness & Responsible AI Commitment,” transforming the lessons of the symposium into a personal promise that can guide their behavior beyond the event.

PRIT: Connecting the Youth to the Environment

The second major learning session turns the attention of the students toward another critical challenge facing the country—environmental sustainability.

Symposium 2: “A Circular Economy Solution for Municipal Solid Waste Management: Introducing the PRIT Concept for Environmental Sustainability and Community Resilience” will be led by Dr. Virgilio Lazaga, environmental advocate, cooperative development leader and sustainability resource speaker.

The session will introduce students to municipal solid waste management, waste reduction and segregation, circular economy principles, recycling, resource recovery and community participation in environmental protection.

It will also connect environmental stewardship to broader issues involving climate resilience, watershed and forest conservation, biodiversity, food security and sustainable community development.

The PRIT Concept will be presented as an educational framework linking forests, watersheds, biodiversity, waste management, climate resilience and sustainable development—helping young people understand that environmental problems are interconnected and require collective solutions.

Youth as Environmental Leaders

The environmental symposium will likewise transition into a Youth Environmental Action Workshop, where students will be encouraged to reflect on the environmental challenges within their own communities and consider how they can become part of the solution.

This is particularly significant for a generation that will inherit the consequences of today's environmental decisions.

The program seeks to inspire students to understand that protecting forests, watersheds, communities and natural resources is not merely the responsibility of government agencies or environmental organizations.

It is a responsibility shared by every Filipino.

A Collective Effort for National Development

The success of the initiative is anchored on collaboration.

The school administration provides the educational environment. The local government provides leadership and community support. Parents and teachers provide guidance. Resource speakers provide knowledge and inspiration. Meanwhile, organizations such as CCNPh Inc., EliS Inc., HDWSI Group, PRIT Group and BB 88 Solutions contribute their respective advocacy, expertise and networks toward the common objective of youth empowerment.

Together, they demonstrate an important principle:

When institutions cooperate for the development of young people, the investment goes far beyond one school, one municipality or one event—it becomes an investment in the future of the nation.

Lighting the Torch for the Next Generation

As the program concludes with an open forum, sharing of insights, commitment messages, certificates of appreciation, closing remarks and a photo opportunity, the most important outcome will not be the certificates received by the students.

It will be the knowledge they carry home, the commitments they make, and the people they inspire after leaving the school.

The organizers hope that every participant will carry a torch of knowledge and wisdom and share its light with other young people they encounter.

They are encouraged to become a “virus of good news”—a positive force that spreads the lessons of responsible technology use, environmental stewardship, cooperation, leadership and service.

The challenge is to transform learning into action.

To transform participation into leadership.

To transform young students into community builders.

And ultimately, to transform today's youth into heroes of national development.

A Future Built by Young Filipinos

The Central Taytay National High School initiative sends a powerful message to the country: youth empowerment must begin before young people enter the workforce or assume positions of leadership.

It begins by giving them knowledge.

It begins by teaching them responsibility.

It begins by allowing them to experience cooperation.

It begins by giving them the confidence to create solutions.

And it begins by reminding them that technology must serve humanity, development must protect the environment, and progress must include everyone.

From Taytay, Palawan, this gathering becomes more than a school activity.

It becomes a call to action for the Filipino youth:

Learn. Cooperate. Innovate. Protect. Lead. Serve.

For the Philippines to thrive in the future, its greatest investment remains its people—and among its greatest hopes are the young Filipinos who are now learning to carry the torch.

Mabuhay ang Kabataang Pilipino! Mabuhay ang Kooperatiba! Mabuhay ang Central Taytay National High School!
Mabuhay ang Taytay, Palawan! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!