Thirty-seven young leaders from Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor were empowered through the 9th batch of the Negrosanon Young Leaders Summit (NYLS), the flagship youth leadership program of the Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc. (NYLI Inc.), held from December 16 to 19, 2025, at SMO Promiseland in Murcia, Bacolod City.
Recognized as one of the country’s Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in 2024, NYLI continues to strengthen youth leadership and meaningful participation in governance and community development across the Negros Island Region (NIR).
Throughout the four-day summit, participants, referred to as “young leaders”, engaged in interactive learning sessions on child protection, climate and energy justice, education and financial literacy, community health and well-being, grassroots democracy and youth participation, Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), and community care. On the third day, workshops on project development, financial management, and project pitching and storytelling equipped participants with practical tools to help them develop their advocacies into concrete, community-based initiatives.
These activities culminated in the development of 27 community-based projects addressing pressing local needs, demonstrating the capacity of young people to move from learning to action and to design solutions rooted in their communities.
Three projects were recognized as Best and Most Promising which include Project Food Wise: Zero Waste Cooking Mobile Caravan by April Ann C. Obando, Project TABANG, which provides accessible disaster risk reduction and climate change education to farmers in Barangay Camandaa, La Castellana, by Hydie Rubio, and Project Pagbatyag by Bianca Beatriz A. Perez.
The Most Innovative Project Award was given to Bianca Naig for Sustaining Stitches, a project that repurposes excess clothing to support and sustain the local art community.
Several initiatives were also recognized through the NYLI Centers’ Choice Awards which include: Project Food Wise by April Ann C. Obando; KaBAYEnihan sa Paraiso: Women’s Strength and Safety through Livelihood Empowerment by Clark Dominic Marpa, Aikha Cristine Temblor, and D’Jones Agravante; Pagnama-ag sang mga Paglaum: A Hinoba-an Mental Health Youth Ambassador Program by Neil Famyr Olac; and Project Bangson by Dyn Michael Lozan and Rachel Gulahab.
“These young leaders have the ability to see potential in people and communities and inspire others to believe in a better future. The challenge now is to take consistent, grounded action so these visions can translate into meaningful and lasting change,” said NYLS Program Lead Therese Mae Dedoroy.
Now in its ninth year, the Negrosanon Young Leaders Summit remains a vital platform for empowering Negrosanon young people to take an active role in shaping inclusive, democratic, and sustainable communities across Negros Island and beyond.