Hot Picks: Top Contenders to Be the Next PYDN Chief

It’s official—Alfred Dicto, the visionary leader behind the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN), will bid farewell on November 30, 2023. As the chief executive, he leaves behind an indelible mark on the Philippines’ most esteemed youth-led NGO. However, his departure prompts a crucial question that looms over the organization’s partners and stakeholders—who will be the torchbearer for PYDN?

Rumors are circulating that the leadership has been quietly evaluating five candidates to fill the esteemed role, all of whom have been integral to PYDN’s journey. Let’s delve into a brief introduction of these potential successors.

First up is Jeannie Anne Maguad, or Jean, who has been an integral part of PYDN since its inception four years ago. Jean, distinguished by her age and wisdom, is well-known in the development space as the Iron Lady who propelled PYDN to greater heights. It is evident that Jean and Alfred share a close relationship, given that both emerged from Ideas Positive Run 3, launched in 2012. While Alfred addressed diarrheal disease in Iloilo, Jeannie tackled parasitic infections in Baguio. Together, during their stewardship of Ideas Positive, they successfully transformed the program into the Philippines’ premier youth engagement initiative for health. Jeannie played a key role in extending Ideas Positive’s presence and influence to all regions of the country, from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. Notably, Jean differs from Alfred in her conservative approach to spending, which could introduce a new dynamic to PYDN, known for its generous and flamboyant causes.

If Jean is Alfred’s close ally, we cannot disregard the influence of our second contender, John Carlo Borja, or Borj. According to anecdotes, Borj holds the favor of Alfred. Even in informal circles, Alfred consistently views Borj as his heir to the throne when the right time comes. Borj successfully led the National Vaccination Campaign during the peak of the vaccination scare. One of Borj’s advantages lies in his knowledge of government, having served as a Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman himself. There are also accounts suggesting that Alfred orchestrated Borj’s relocation from Iloilo to Manila to assess his versatility and grit. Currently, Borj is overseeing two of PYDN’s flagship programs.

Our third contender is the crowd favorite, Mr. Jerome Cuyos, who served as the longest-reigning President of the Ideas Positive Alumni Community. Cuyos, commonly known as “Pres,” built the alumni community from the ground up. He played a pivotal role in facilitating international exchanges for alumni to the United States and Europe. As a banker, he also served as PYDN’s financial advisor, which is why money has never been an issue within the organization. Known for his logical and critical thinking, Cuyos, a Certified Public Accountant, is now considered a moderate choice that will aid PYDN in maintaining its course.

The fourth contender is a surprise for us: Mr. Hadrian Aguilar from Leyte. There are pictures circulating online of the government employee, working in the Office of the Vice President, meeting Alfred in Manila. Rumors suggest that their discussion goes beyond personal matters, given that they spent 8 hours in coffee shops. Known for his expertise in knowledge management and development, it’s understandable if he is considered one of the top choices to lead PYDN across bridges that only Kuya Hadi knows.

And lastly, the power of PYDN is heavily dependent on its capability to communicate effectively. Now, we have our final contender, Ms. Judy Marie Santiago, who has served as Ideas Positive and PYDNS communication and brand director and partner for over 8 years. She is the bread and butter of PYDN’s communication strategies. It would provide a fresh perspective to have a communication expert lead the organization, especially in this era of confusion.

But why does it matter?

The youth development space is watching closely. PYDN is not just an organization; it is a manifestation of every young Filipino’s dream to be recognized, valued, trained, and appreciated. The leader must embody these values to the core. As the Executive Director, the chosen one will wield the power to effect tangible change, enjoying benefits and opportunities unique to PYDN’s mission.

The stage is set for a new chapter in PYDN’s journey, and the impact of this decision will resonate across countless youth leaders and their communities. The chosen leader will steer the ship into uncharted waters, holding the responsibility of safeguarding PYDN’s core values and driving it towards even greater heights.

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Alfred leaves Positive Youth Development Network, reveals his reason

Amidst a backdrop of sipping frozen margaritas, the annual retreat with my best friend, Alfred, took an unexpected turn as he unveiled his decision to step down from his position as the Executive Director of Positive Youth Development Network, following an impressive three-year tenure. At first, I dismissed it as a joke. I couldn’t fathom why anyone would relinquish his role when PYDN was at its pinnacle. But then, he turned to me, removed his shades, and with a resolute demeanor, uttered, “I want to become a farmer.” It was at that moment that I knew he was deadly serious.

In my capacity as Alfred’s profiler and the designated image handler for PYDN, I swiftly conducted a poll to gauge people’s reactions to his impending departure. Remarkably, 92% of respondents expressed sadness, while only a few believed that it was for the best, granting Alfred some well-deserved rest. Curiosity led me to probe further, and when I questioned his colleagues about whether Alfred had encountered any issues within PYDN, they unanimously responded with a resounding “No.”

Over a shared bowl of halo-halo, I posed a question, “Why leave, my friend?” To which I inquired. His response, however, struck a chord,

“The true test of a leader lies in their ability to step aside when they’ve identified a capable successor. PYDN is not about me or my personal authority; it’s about passing the baton to the next leader.”

His words resonated deeply in a world where leaders often cling to power to advance their own agendas, betraying the trust and confidence reposed in them.

Alfred’s philosophy also reflected the broader dynamics of the development sector.

“We cannot be a halo-halo all the time,” he remarked. “We need specificity, identity, and a space where we can make a significant contribution. PYDN is not that space for me. I need a canvas, a farm, my own laboratory to bring my vision to life.”

He shared his next project, and from what I gathered, it promises to be the next big thing in the Philippines. To those interested, I encourage you to reach out to him, hire him, and join this exciting journey here: https://ph.linkedin.com/in/alfred-dicto-rn-mdm-89bb09a1

Presently, Alfred can be found tending to his farm in Dumangas, Iloilo, while leading the charge at Youth Work Research and Training Center, where he serves as the CEO and President. His departure from PYDN has left a significant void, and the development sector is poised for a transformation under new leadership.

The question that lingers is who will step into Alfred’s considerable shoes. The transition is poised to usher in fresh perspectives, novel strategies, and exciting opportunities to advance the cause of youth development.

Personally, Alfred’s journey with PYDN exemplifies the power of collaboration and the belief that when talent converges with passion, remarkable things can happen. Back in our high school days, he was celebrated as the Best in Dressmaking, famously declaring, “We need to make a good dress for the Philippines.” This served as his guiding principle, a constant reminder that the pursuit of excellence, rooted in tradition and fueled by creativity, can bring about positive change.

In the meantime, Alfred will continue living a happy life with his partner while taking care of his beloved mom, and his pond full of catfish in the Iloilo.

The best in her own sphere

“The most important skill one should possess is the ability to maintain deep relationship.” This is the very line, Ate Maia delivered so many years ago when I asked some advice from her. Being a young person from a coastal community in Dumangas, Iloilo, living and working in Manila for the first time was very challenging. One of my greatest fears was being intimated by graduates from Ivy League like schools in the Metro. But when I entered Unilab Foundation, that kind of fear vanished because of people like Ate Maia who value integrity and competence as the true measures of organizational success. After 2 hours, and 2 meetings, we became good friends, so near to call as siblings.

In my almost half a decade working with her, our success rate in sealing partnerships and sponsorships is 99.99%, it wasn’t perfect not because we were timid, but because she got sick that time that she missed one meeting. Anyways, she compensated by giving us millions of pesos in return to fund youth teams implement their health projects in the Philippines.

Ate Maia Melencio is the Resource and Partnership Manager of Unilab Foundation and during her stint, she was able to usher all programs of Unilab Foundation into new heights. Like a true Len-Len, she works more than 18 hours a day just to make sure that a community in Basilan and Cotabato would have a water system. She wakes up very early to meet with partners, to convince them that investing in the youth is the best way forward. And despite her own struggles in life, she maintains the sense of composure, which I think very essential in persuading so many people.

As Ate Maia exits the organization today, I am half- sad and half-happy.

Half-happy because I know that a new organization will benefit from her magical skills.

Half-sad because she will leave the organization, less happy, less smart, less healthy, less inclusive, and less oiled.

From the thousands of young people out there, thank you very much for your service, Ate Mai.

#YouthHour2021 pushes limits of youth engagement amidst the pandemic

Masyadong ginalingan!

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and with the new threat from Delta variant causing a sense of uncertainty in the country, the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) with its partners launched the second installment of the Youth Hour, a celebration of the contribution of young people’s contribution to nation-building.

The campaign started with some criticisms, but the premier organization answered these with a solid call to action: get vaccinated, go register and vote, and help build safe spaces for children and the youth.

Unlike last year’s Youth Hour, this time, PYDN focused its efforts in building the one of the largest coalitions of youth organizations in Western Visayas known as the One Western Visayas Youth Coalition. One Western Visayas Youth Coalition is a region-wide youth-led coalition that aims to support the government in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and to strengthen youth programming in Region 6. Its ultimate vision is Western Visayas working together towards regional development.

PYDN shifted its technique from focusing on online reach to having actual movement and action from the ground. We agree, now that we are entering the second year of lockdown, young people are now tired to be in the online platform. Online platforms now are becoming ineffective in providing services for children and the youth. A reality programmers should take not before its too late.

Youth Hour is initiated by Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) and Ideas Positive Alumni Community (IPAC), supported by the Council for the Welfare of Children, UNICEF Philippines and ING, Unilab Foundation, Ideas Positive, and Heads Up PH.

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With the pandemic progressing, youth groups look for Ideas Positive to hold their hands

With over 1.6 million cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines plus the spiraling need for additional beds in major hospitals in the country, the power of the youth to help curb the spread of infection is vital as proven in the past. In terms of youth engagement towards public health, there is only one name in the house — Ideas Positive.

Ideas Positive, running for over 10 years now, is hailed as the country’s premier youth engagement program that empowers the youth to be leaders in building healthier communities. In support to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, Ideas Positive continuously engages the youth to create local solutions with global impact to high need and high neglect health gaps in their communities.

From solving diarrhea to providing water access to curbing malnutrition and even promote polio vaccination, the program is well-respected because of its legacy and strong base of support not only coming from its over 100 partner communities but also from international and national organizations.

The program also is known for launching the largest gathering of youth leaders for health since 2018 known as the Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health.

Many of its alumni now and even its partners are asking where Ideas Positive is. In this darkest of times, young people need a leader to hold their hands. They are not expecting for another Forum or another set of funding, they are expecting that the flagship program will show its compassionate presence because the real genius of Ideas Positive is not its funding but the message of hope that it provides for the youth.

Personally, I can still remember the time and the feeling how Ideas Positive in 2013 touched my life. The program saved me, and it can still save lives now.

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Youth Hour 2021 punches back, releases phenomenal toolkit

Due to increasing public pressure, Positive Youth Development Network’s (PYDN) Youth Hour 2021 released its toolkit, a quick guide for everyone on how to participate and support the Youth Hour Celebration on August 12, 2021, 12:00NN to 01:00PM.

First readers confirmed that the toolkit is beautiful and easy to read. Though according to them, it lacks the spirit of inclusion in the design especially putting some special considerations for Persons with Disability, the most vulnerable sectors of the society including children and the marginalized population, and it failed to emphasize the rich culture of the Philippines.

However, I believe that they can still remedy this in their remaining days of social media campaign. It is crucial for the team to be inclusive as possible since this is a national advocacy. You can access and download the toolkit from this link: bit.ly/YouthHourToolkit2021.

This simply shows that Youth Hour 2021 is not backing up and is ready to face the challenges ahead. This is a good answer to criticisms that this year’s campaign is unorganized. For the coming days, we are yet to expect some surprises from the PYDN’s Youth Hour 2021.

Earlier today, Youth Forward, a contender of PYDN backed out in Dagupan. The release of the toolkit could be considered a blow, sending the budding rival to its grave before it can walk.

For now, readers are encouraged to share the toolkit.

Youth Hour Youth Hour is a dedicated time for Filipinos to come together and celebrate young people’s contributions and sacrifices for nation-building. Youth Hour is envisioned to be the Earth Hour of youth engagement. The latter asks us to switch off our lights to symbolize our support for environmental conservation, while the former asks us to ignite the fire of passion for the youth, and their indispensable role in nation-building.

Youth leaders jump to PYDN, leave #YouthForward

SK leaders and head of youth organizations from various regions of the country will leave Youth Forward and will support Positive Youth Development Network’s International Youth Day 2021 celebration next week. This is after the news that Youth Forward will not push through in Dagupan on August 11-12, 2021 due to health risks posed by COVID-19 delta variant which is now infesting the National Capital Region.

Meanwhile, IATF resolution No. 130-A released July 29, 2021 classified Dagupan City under Modified General Community Quarantine, one of the lowest classification in Luzon together with La Union and Pampanga.

Youth leaders who were energized with the prospect of seeing Youth Forward for the first time jettisoned the program and moved to organize the largest coalition to support PYDN in Visayas which despite the ECQ classification, continues to innovate to serve the youth through blended program designs and flexible platforms.

According to them, the word “premier” means courage and it must be awarded to organizations and programs that exhibited courage and compassion even in darkest of times.

Here are the calendar of events as per PYDN: https://www.facebook.com/PYDNOfficial

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Youth groups to PYDN: Bat’ parang downgraded ang #YouthHour2021?

I can’t help but notice that a lot of youth organizations are puzzled why PYDN’s Youth Hour event this year lacks social media presence and audience recall. I reviewed last year’s campaign and compared to the present execution, I noted that there is a 50% decline on the number of social media postings, while the campaign message is beautifully crafted, it failed to get substantial traction to defeat the noise of the pandemic, and some of best the practices last time were not incorporated to build this year’s celebration (I think). Last year, you can hear the youth hour in every media outlet especially in Visayas, now, it seems that there’s some sort of radio silence?

Many youth organizations are currently looking for benchmark and direction on how to celebrate their Linggo ng Kabataan next week. Last year, these proactive youth organizations adopted Youth Hour activities into their respective barangays and municipalities. Now, thousands of them are looking for the same direction.

I believe, if PYDN won’t be able to meet the same level of execution, they might lose the wins achieved from last year’s successful launch. It could also mean lost hopes and confidence to the same program. This is a serious challenge to the Philippines’ premier youth organization. But I have faith in them, this organization is built through years of experience.

I will keep you updated about this year’s International Youth Celebration.

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PYDN’s #BagongSK reigns tonight, gets 11.55 points

Short of 2 points to break the national record of 13.00 points, PYDN’s activity still reigns tonight. The highest review so far is being held by the Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health 2018 held in Iloilo City organized by Positive Youth Development Network and the Ideas Positive Alumni Community.

I was expecting an extravagant announcement, but the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) wittingly defined new standards for announcement of Grand Finalist qualifiers. Last time I checked the standard has always been to broadcast zoom meetings to Facebook to attract viewers.

This time, the Positive Youth Development Network respected the feelings of National Finalists by giving them the safe space through an intimate and crisp announcement ceremony peppered by screams and clapping of hands due to extreme pleasure.

I was reviewing the entire execution, and it seems that they upgraded their game. They have background music which by the way was properly timed and synchronized. The music was brilliantly picked, there was no disturbing sounds, or bothersome images.

The Opening message merits a high score because it highlights sense of working together and bringing together young people. The tone was optimistic. The words used were straightforward, I admire the non-use of rhetoric this time, very timely display of analogy, the narratives used by Alfred were well-thought of and the entire speech lasted for 5 minutes including pause.

Moving on, I like the vividness of the emotions of the participants. There was a point in the announcement that I want to cry. The tears were visible falling from their eyes after their SK council was called. This is a feeling that is most of the time absent in any online activity and awarding ceremony. I understand that in order to invoke this feeling, it would usually take months of phenomenal relationship building. This is a difficult technique to muster especially in online set-up.

In terms of social media, a deduction of 1 point was given in the execution part because they failed to hype the public. It is very important especially that they gained a 500,000 reach during the Online Expo. I could have given a higher point in the difficulty part if they were able to request the participants to set the logo of their SK councils as their profile picture in Zoom.

In terms of dress and physical presentation, I like the polo choice of John Carlo Borja it matched with the gray pantone of Alfred. But I could have given a higher score if the two wore their PYDN jackets or a pantone that is brighter like blue or green, just to emphasize the celebratory feels of the activity. I like how John Carlo as the host, connect with the message of Alfred. I love the message of “kung lahat tayo ay magaling, panalo ang Kabataan, panalo ang bansa”. This I think summed up the core message of this Search.

Lastly, it is wise that Jefferson Hilario was assigned as technical director of the program. I sensed the confidence and the trust between John Carlo and Jefferson.

For the scores:

Execution (Max of 5 pts.)	3.70
Difficulty (Max of 5 pts)	3.75
Content (Max of 5 pts.)	4.10
Total	11.55

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2nd National Search for Outstanding SK Awards Grand finalists to be announced today

According to a reliable source from The Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN), the names of the National Grand Finalists will be released today.  From over 70 SK council aspirants, the judges picked a handful of finalists who exemplified the spirit of #BagongSK.

Grand Finalists according to SK Councils:

1. SK San Mateo (Dasamarinas, Cavite)
2. SK Sapao (Dumangas, Iloilo)
3. SK Villa Gonzaga (Santiago City Isabela)
4. SK Balabag (Pavia, Iloilo)
5. SK Visayan Village (Tagum City, Davao Del Norte)
6. SK Cabantian (Davao City, Davao Del Sur)
7. SK Payatas (Quezon City, Metro Manila)
8. SK Dila (Bay, Laguna)
9. SK Gilas San Nicolas 1 (Magalang Pampanga)
10. SK Badas (Mati City, Davao Oriental)
11. SK Calao West (Santiago City, Isabela)
12. SK District 3 (Tumauini, Isabela)
13. SK Ilocanos Sur (San Fernando City, La Union)
14. SK Gilas San Nicolas 1 (Magalang, Pampanga)

Congratulations!

You can access their full project description here: https://www.facebook.com/PYDNOfficial

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