The U.S. government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supported 70 barangay leaders in Quezon City in crafting new project proposals to address the unique conditions of out-of-school youth (OSY) in their communities.
Through a grant awarded to the Quezon City University (QCU) in September 2021, barangay leaders composed of local government officials, youth council members, and leaders of local community organizations completed the six-month “Executive Course for Barangay Leaders on System Delivery Support for OSY” conducted from November 2021 to April 2022. The grant is part of USAID’s five-year, Php1.9 billion ($37.5 million) Opportunity 2.0, a collaborative program designed to support existing programs and mechanisms for Filipino OSYs to improve their education, employment, and livelihood outcomes by 2025.
“With your commitment, resilience, and hard work, more young Filipinos will be supported to upskill, to be successful, and to become productive members and leaders in their communities,” said USAID Philippines Education Director Dr. Thomas LeBlanc at the closing ceremonies held on July 26. “The U.S. government, through USAID, remains committed to working with all of you in our shared goal of equipping the Filipino youth with the opportunities they need so that they can have a better tomorrow.”
QCU President Dr. Theresita Atienza noted that “USAID’s Opportunity 2.0 program has provided QCU with clear directions on how our programs can be relevant to OSYs.”
USAID also supported the establishment of a Youth Development Alliance in Quezon City, which aims to empower key players and organizations from both the public and private sector to implement joint youth development activities.
To date, USAID has awarded 64 grants to local organizations and institutions in an effort to strengthen actors and systems so that OSYs can more easily transition to employment, higher education, and entrepreneurship in 15 cities across the Philippines.
