As the Philippines continues its post-pandemic recovery, two interconnected challenges remain critical: creating meaningful employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth in the tourism industry and building genuine climate resilience in communities that are increasingly exposed to extreme weather events.
In Palawan, one of the country’s premier tourism destinations, luxury resorts often hire staff from Manila or abroad, leaving local marginalised youth, including out-of-school orphans and underprivileged young people, excluded from formal employment. Many lack access to traditional four-year degrees and the practical skills needed for hospitality careers. At the same time, in La Union, communities are still recovering from back-to-back super typhoons in 2025 that affected over 487,000 residents, damaged nearly 39,000 houses, and caused losses exceeding USD 115 million. Youth in these areas are experiencing large-scale climate disasters for the first time, heightening psychological distress and highlighting the urgent need for local preparedness.
To respond to these realities, two Philippines organisations are implementing targeted projects under Maybank & ASEAN Foundation’s eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN (eYAA): Cohort 6. The five-day Regional Capacity Building Workshop, held from 2 to 6 July 2026 at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, brings together 110 Youth Volunteers and representatives from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Social Enterprises (SEs) from across ASEAN.
This year’s cohort represents two important milestones for the programme. For the first time, Lao PDR joins as an implementing country and Timor-Leste’s accession as ASEAN’s 11th Member State led to an increase in the number of Youth Volunteers from 100 to 110.
The timing of eYAA: Cohort 6 is particularly significant as 2026 has been proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026). This global recognition underscores the vital role of volunteerism in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, building resilient communities, and fostering social inclusion. As the world observes this landmark year, eYAA stands as a powerful example of how structured, cross-border youth volunteer programmes can deliver tangible impact at the grassroots level across Southeast Asia.
The eYAA workshop serves as a platform for volunteer teams to finalise 10 community projects that will be implemented across eight ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation said “Cohort 6 reflects ASEAN as it is today, with eleven Member States, eight implementing countries, and a generation of young people who are co-designing solutions with local communities rather than simply delivering them. What makes eYAA distinctive is that every project begins with a local organisation that deeply understands its community, and every volunteer enters as a partner, not a visitor. From Viet Nam in Cohort 5 to Lao PDR in Cohort 6, our expansion is deliberate, and every step is built to last.”
As a long-term partner with ASEAN Foundation since 2018, Maybank Foundation continues to support the programme with grant funding of up to USD 25,000 per project team.
At the event, Datuk Shahril Azuar Jimin, Group Chief Sustainability Officer of Maybank said “”Since the inception of eYAA, we have seen young changemakers go beyond volunteering to become catalysts for meaningful community transformation across ASEAN. Their ability to connect with local communities, understand real challenges and drive solutions embodies the spirit of positive social impact. At Maybank, this aligns closely with our ROAR30 commitments to impact society positively and create value beyond banking. Together with the ASEAN Foundation, we continue to build a platform that empowers youth to turn passion into action and ideas into tangible outcomes, leading to real life impact for communities.”
Cohort 6 marks a significant step forward in alumni engagement, featuring the established Alumni as Mentors programme alongside the newly introduced Alumni Accelerator Programme. Through the Alumni as Mentors programme, selected alumni from previous cohorts will provide cultural orientation, local insights, and peer support to this year’s volunteers. Meanwhile, the Alumni Accelerator Programme offers grants of up to USD 2,500 to alumni-led project teams, empowering them to develop and implement community initiatives that create meaningful local impact.
Since inception, eYAA has empowered 482 youth volunteers, implemented 50 community projects, and directly benefited over 114,000 individuals across ASEAN. The programme continues to grow through a deliberate, phased approach, adding new countries only when robust local partnerships and the right community infrastructure are in place.
The ten projects in Cohort 6 focus on community building, arts and culture, environmental diversity, and education. This year, the Philippines is home to two distinct but complementary initiatives.
In Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Filipino Hospitality Management and Consultancy is implementing “Y.E.S. We Can! Youth Empowerment Series”. The project delivers practical training in core hospitality services, digital skills for tourism, and tourism entrepreneurship to disadvantaged youth, including out-of-school orphans and members of minority groups. Through accelerated micro-credential courses, job placement support, and entrepreneurship workshops, the initiative aims to transition vulnerable young people into dignified employment while strengthening the local tourism workforce. The project directly benefits 1,240 people, including 1,000 hospitality students through online modules, 180 youth through face-to-face training, and 60 local entrepreneurs. It also reaches 5,140 indirect beneficiaries and targets 75,000 in digital outreach.
“For young people, developing these skills not only enhances economic independence but also significantly contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education and Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth,” said a representative of Filipino Hospitality Management and Consultancy. “In today’s era of rapid technological change and economic uncertainty, fostering entrepreneurship among youth is more urgent than ever. This helps equip them to create job opportunities, drive economic resilience, and support sustainable development in their communities.”
In La Union, CURMA Group Inc is leading “Climate Resilient Communities”. The project strengthens local climate preparedness by training 100 community leaders and youth representatives as Climate Resilience First Responders. Participants receive hands-on training in disaster preparedness, psychological first aid, environmental stewardship, and community-based climate action. The initiative also supports livelihood enhancement for coastal households and establishes permanent learning resources at the CURMA Center. It directly benefits 3,000 residents, reaches 5,000 indirect beneficiaries, and targets 50,000 through digital campaigns.
“Lack of preparation amongst the people of La Union will result in large economic losses,” said a representative of CURMA Group Inc. “This can occur on both national and local scales, driving poverty incidence especially in coastal communities as they depend on coastal resources for subsistence. By equipping youth and community leaders with practical skills in disaster response and environmental stewardship, we are building long-term resilience from the ground up.”
By addressing both economic opportunity and climate resilience in the Philippines, eYAA: Cohort 6 demonstrates how targeted, community-driven projects can create lasting pathways out of vulnerability while strengthening the country’s overall resilience during the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.