Plan International Pilipinas and the Quezon City Government, through the Quezon City Gender and Development Council Office, launched a collaborative partnership to champion the rights of girls and young women amid some of today’s most pressing challenges: climate crisis and disasters, online harm, and barriers to inclusive quality education, entrepreneurship, and decent employment.
The initiative is part of Plan International Pilipinas’ national campaign for the 2025 International Day of the Girl (IDG), #StandWithGirls, which calls for collective action to advance policies, programs, and investments for girls’ future and enable their participation in spaces where decisions around their lives are made.
“Every day, young women across the country are forced to navigate challenges that threaten their safety, silence their voices, and limit their potential,” said Plan International Pilipinas Executive Director Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang.
Plan International Pilipinas Executive Director Ms. Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang’s Opening Remarks
“By working with the Quezon City Government under the leadership of Mayor Joy Belmonte, a long-time ally in advancing gender-responsive and child-centered governance, we are ensuring that their voices are heard where it matters most. We will keep pushing boundaries until every young Filipina can learn, lead, decide, be resilient and thrive,” she added.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte’s Keynote Address at the Girls Summit, 2025
Quezon City continues to lead with landmark programs that empower and protect girls and young women. Under its Gender and Development (GAD) framework, the city implements a holistic Cycle of Care for Adolescent Girls—including menstrual health education through Period Talk for Teens and the Batang Ina Summit for young mothers—while ensuring safe spaces through the Anti-OSAEC ordinance, the QC VAW Centralized Databank, and rescue operations under Task Forces Sampaguita and Magdalena.
The Youth Development Office also expands access to scholarships, skills training, and livelihood through Pangkabuhayang QC, Be Your Own Boss, and the Digital Beauty Academy, complemented by youth engagement programs such as GAD for Youth and M.O.V.E. (Men Opposed to Violence Against Women Everywhere).
“When girls are safe, educated, and empowered, an entire city rises with them,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte. “As long as I am Mayor, our girls will always have an ally, a protector, and a champion in me.”
The #StandWithGirls campaign reached a major milestone with the Girls Summit held today, October 30, bringing together more than 400 young women leaders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The summit served as a platform for girls to present their recommendations through a Girls’ Agenda—a list of priority issues they want government, civil society, and the private sector to address—and to launch the National Girls’ Network, a youth-led coalition that will continue advancing girls’ rights and advocacy beyond the event.
“The Girls’ Agenda gives us a voice to speak up about what really matters to us. And with the National Girls’ Network, we’re not just sharing our ideas, we’re working together to make change happen for all girls in the Philippines,” said Hannah, 18.
Mayor Belmonte delivered the welcome address, reaffirming Quezon City’s ongoing efforts to make policies and programs more responsive to the needs of girls and young women.
Panel discussions throughout the summit explored pressing themes such as online safety, resilience in crises, and economic empowerment. Among the notable speakers were Christian Halaas Lyster, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Philippines; Rachel Ann Herrera, Commissioner of the Climate Change Commission; and Nimisha Jain, Country Manager of Beiersdorf Philippines, along with other distinguished leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector.
The Girls’ Agenda was formally received by Undersecretary Angelo Tapales, Executive Director of the Council for the Welfare of Children, and Joseph Ortega, Chairperson of the National Youth Commission.
The Girls Summit builds on a series of nationwide activities for the International Day of the Girl, including youth-led symposiums and Girls Takeovers across the country. In Quezon City, girls took over the offices of 2nd District Councilor Aly Medalla and 6th District Councilor Ellie Juan.
