BAGUIO CITY(PIA) - - Be inspired to be our ambassadors of goodwill to your fellow youth and be the partner of government in nation building, Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte urged the participants of the National Rizal Youth Leadership Institute (NRYLI) during the opening of the 3–day event at Teachers’ Camp here on Thursday(Dec. 15).
Spearheaded by the Order of the Knights of Rizal in partnership with the Department of Education and in coordination with the City Government of Baguio, the event is attended by more than 300 youth leaders from the different parts of the country. Set from December 15 – 17, the 60th Rizal youth national convention adopts the theme, “Rizal in Dapitan: An SDG Hero Ahead of his Time.”
Duterte, in her keynote message, encouraged the youth to be inspired with the patriotism of Rizal and be the government’s partner in nation building in their respective communities and also to be ambassadors of goodwill to their fellow youth.
“A few words for our youth leaders. Let me thank you for your willingness to immerse yourselves in the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal. I hope that in this activity you will be inspired to be our ambassadors of goodwill to your fellow youth.”
“I believe that every Filipino has a social conscience like Rizal. I hope that having a piece of his life in exile empowers you to action. The Philippine government needs partners like the Filipino youth to spread the importance of education,” the VP said.
The VP commended the organizers for providing Fliipino youth leaders an avenue to experience the life, values and works of Dr. Jose Rizal, especially in working for the good of the country and the Filipino people even during his exile in Dapitan.
“I commend the organizers for gathering Filipino youth leaders and providing them valuable learning experiences by discovering and appreciating the wisdom and genius of our national hero. Your organization is key in molding young Filipinos into dynamic nation builders within their respective communities,” Duterte said.
Knights of Rizal Calabarzon Regional Commander Morris Sarsido, in an interview, shared that the NRYLI, which was last conducted in 2019, generally aims to mold the Filipino youth with the patriotism and idealism of Dr. Jose Rizal that will guide them in pursuing a better future and become the leaders of the next generation of Filipinos.
“This is in line with the Knights of Rizal’s vision to propagate the idealism ng ating pambansang bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal at maipatupad ang pangarap ng ating pambansang bayani na - ang kabataan ang pagasa ng bayan,” Sarsido said. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)