SOME people only dream about what they can achieve. But for youth and civic organizations leader Mark Jacinto, it isn’t enough to just attain your goal, because you must strive to do more and make a lasting impact on others’ lives.
The 25-year old lad from Quezon City who has accomplished so much at a young age for earning various citations here and abroad—the recent of which were his being selected by the Common Purpose as one of the 25Under25 Awardees and A-List Youth recipients of Eco-Business in Singapore—does not sit on his laurels. He keeps his passion to excel further in his involvement with various causes to become a social entrepreneur someday.
“Awards and recognitions are always opportunities and challenges,” Jacinto told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview. “It is an opportunity as we are acknowledged for our efforts, and connect to fellow leaders. However, it is a challenge as we need to continuously translate it to impact.”
Unlike others who enter into the foray of social entrepreneurship with lack or totally without an experience to put up a business-for-a-cause, the young achiever makes sure that he’s already made to succeed in this selfless endeavor.
Hence for the past years, he has joined various organizations that champion youth empowerment and leadership, education, environment, and economy, among others.
“We have believed in the capability of people to transform themselves and others towards the development of all,” he said.
One with his peers
SHOWING support to today’s young generation, Jacinto has affiliated himself with the Online SDG Youth Action Forum (OSYAF), a web-based community with 24,500 members aiming to bridge opportunities to youth, and help them transform for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We believe that we need to make the SDGs relatabale and simplified for the youth to understand their role in it,” he said of the 17 objectives, also known as the Global Goals, that were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
In doing so, the online community, wherein he serves as a curator, has linked more than 800 local and international opportunities to youths, including those that they might not know or heard of.
“We are continuously connecting them to opportunities that will enhance their skills, and develop them and their organization,” Jacinto noted, adding that they have also done activation events and enabled their members to contribute to the SDGs’ attainment.
According to him, there are a lot of ways that the young populace can help in achieving the latter.
With social media and rise of online platforms, he cited that various organizations have been collaborating, communicating and coordinating with fellow groups or even the Sangguinang Kabataan (SK) for them to effectively contribute to their local development.
“For those who are just starting or not yet comfortable in doing big actions such as mobilization, and volunteering, they can do small, simple actions that they can make it consistent, and integrate it as a part of their habit and routine,” Jacinto suggested.
Among the Global Goals, many youths are involved to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), he bared, while pointing out that “other SDGs also need utmost importance”.
Change under ‘new normal’
AMONG the issues that the country and the rest of the world are now facing, young people can play vital roles in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Jacinto, there has been already a massive surge of youth-led actions being done to help recover from the health crisis, and even provide necessary support to affected communities.
To effect change under the new normal, they have a wide range of platforms to be active. Using both online and offline methods, they are able to convey their points, and mobilize people to act.
“For the past years, social media has been an important tool for youths to be involved and engaged, encouraging them to do actions such as sharing factual information, donating for relief, and other substantive actions,” he said.
Post-pandemic, the curator of OSYAF believes that they must be given more channels, both in the local, regional and international level to lead.
Unfortunately, he said some youth organizations and youth actions have to hurdle challenges like lack of resources, mental health of volunteers, academics, and other issues that are affecting the organizational sustainability of the actions.
“The capacity and capability as well of youth leaders and youth organizations are also needed to be strengthened for them to effectively lead in the post-pandemic,” Jacinto stressed. To make this happen, he emphasized the need to further invest in them like what has been done by some local government units in the country.
“[They] have been integrating their youth organizations through the Provincial/Local Youth Development Councils, and coordinating with their respective Sangguniang Kabataan to conduct substantive projects,” he shared.
With the Philippine Youth Development Plan ending this year, Jacinto called on the government to enjoin the young leaders “from grassroots to national levels for us to craft a sound youth development plan moving forward.”
“For OSYAF, we are consistently doing dialogues with youth leaders from our community, and discussing potential issues leading in the post-pandemic. Aside from this, we are continuously connecting them to opportunities that will enhance their skills, and develop them and their organization,” he said.
Other causes
SERVING to change lives, Jacinto has been also active with other causes through the Rotary Club of Midtown Quezon City, where he works as the Club Information and Communication Officer.
At the forefront of saving the environment, the organization has so far led this year the Scrapangarap, a scrap collection initiative aimed to promote zero-waste, transform scraps into upcycled plywoods made of recycled materials, and donate it to build a learning hub. The project was able to gather 12,000 kilos of scraps, transform it to 50 pieces of 4×8 feet plywood, and donate it for the hub.
Another notable project of the club is the EduKatutubo, wherein it partnered with Masungi Georeserve, to build a learning hub extension for the benefit and preservation of Dumagat Remontados tribe in Tanay, Rizal. With various social and environmental threats confronting them, the center is serving as a safe space for them to gather.
To enable the youth to do their share in the SDGs, the group also consistently integrate its Rotaract Club of Midtown QC and Interact Club of New Era High School for them to strengthen their skills, and give them mentorship and guidance to grow.
“We have also done projects related to economy and other focus areas,” he said. “We actively involve our youths as they have enough enthusiasm, energy, and compassion to serve to change lives.”
Jacinto, who is currently taking up Masters of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman, takes pride of his involvement with this kind of organization. On a personal note, he is confident that this will enable him to reach his goal to venture into a social enterprise that helps Indigenous Peoples and other underserved sectors.
“It is close to my heart due to my project with Rotary Club of Midtown Quezon City. Aside from that, enterprises that can help uplift minorities can be okay as well,” he said.