How about the youth?

About sixty percent of the population of Aklan are young. The figures could be higher in as much as a twenty eight year old man/woman is considered some years ago by the CBCP as “young”. This is understandable since the development of young persons today, especially the generation X is slower. Age of maturity becomes higher and higher. Consider that Canon Law, about some decades before, considered the age of fourteen as a marriageable age.

The State of the Diocese Address (SODA) of the bishop of Aklan has this to say regarding its youth Apostolate: “The Youth Apostolate is picking up and there had been a number of youth encounters in the diocesan as well as parish level. Like the family the youth of today is very vulnerable to the inroads of mass media and the environment that are not always value-oriented. Our youth need direction and guidance to be able not only to thwart the evils in society but also to sharpen their capacity to be “useful” and value, person and community oriented.”

Outrightly, this “picking up” is due to the efforts of a priest who is himself young: Fr. Glen Magpusao. This this does not mean that it was going down in the past. The sheer number of young people of Aklan makes it almost physically impossible for any Diocesan Youth Director to meet all these young people. Yet, thanks to Fr. Glen, since “there had been a number of youth encounter.” These “encounters” are very good capsulated formation course for three to four days designed by the Episcopal Commission on the Youth Apostolate for our Filipino youth. It is substantial in doctrine, relational in its approach and very actual in its response. But how many of the 60% of almost half a million population of Aklan attended this? Certainly, only a fraction.

Thanks to the youth themselves who retain their ideals in the their hearts and foment their relationship with God through other means: fraternity is one, respect for parents – another, joining advocacy groups is a good sign among others, participating in the liturgical celebrations in the church is a very good help. Another interesting sign among the youth are the involvement in actions for the sake of the common good under the leadership of some by our NGO’s. Volunteerism seems to be on the rise. But the bishop admits they are “very vulnerable to the inroads of mass media and the environment which are not always value oriented.” It is encouraging to note that some youth involved in the media (like the group responsible for this online news) take unto themselves in presenting not only the bad sensational news but those that could be called “good” news.

As a whole the bishop admits “our youth need direction and guidance.” Christianity in the first centuries of growth in Rome, became an agent of change and influenced their pagan society and environment for the better, rather than being influenced by them for the bad. Their faith in Christ urged them to have a vision of society according to the values and principles of their Master, who is the Lord of the universe and at the same time, is continuously going along with them in their desire to build a better world. And they succeeded, not without pains and sacrifices, sometimes, heroism – to the point of martyrdom. We cannot deny, in spite of contradictory signs, the roots of Europe is Christian. Even our Christianity comes from her.

As the he bishop aptly said, they need guidance so that they “be able not only to thwart the evils in society but also to sharpen their capacity to be “useful” and value, person and community oriented.” Social evils in Aklan need social and concerted solutions. The youth have this capacity for a fraternal and group commitment, if guided accordingly. They have the great capacity to be of service through volunteerism, inner capacity and sensibility to human dignity and the common good. So what are the youth waiting for?