PH leads ASEAN youth forum on digital resilience

The Philippines, as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), formally opened on Wednesday the ASEAN Youth Summit 2026 as part of its push to produce a more “digitally-responsible” youth in the region.

The summit gathers youth leaders from across ASEAN to elicit insights on ways to shape the bloc's policies on digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital resilience.

“Throughout the summit, we must bravely confront a fundamental question that will guide our dialogues and every decision we make: To whom is the digital ASEAN really built for?” Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in his opening statement at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

“The government cannot answer that question alone; we need the energy, the creativity, and the leadership of young people. It must reflect your voices, respond to your realities, and create opportunities for every young person across our region,” he added.

Gatchalian said the two-day gathering, running from Aug. 5 to 6, is expected to come up with the ASEAN Youth Declaration on Digital Resilience as its outcome document.

In crafting the declaration, he encouraged the participants to make the statement “practical, forward-looking, and bold.”

“Let it reflect the aspirations of young people across the Southeast Asian region. Let it also challenge governments, the private sector, civil society, and development partners to act,” he said.

The summit is held in coordination with the National Youth Commission (NYC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

It will focus on the following key themes and discussion points: Critical Digital Literacy for an Informed ASEAN Youth; Digital Resilience and Mental Well-being in the Online World; Youth Empowerment in Digital Governance; and Using Technology for Advocacy and Innovation.

The ASEAN Youth Summit is part of the major activities of the DSWD’s chairship of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, under the "Smart Youth and Innovation" thematic framework.

-Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/Philippine News Agency