"Sa Lungsod ng Biñan, kabataan ay nangunguna at nakikialam."
In today’s world where our youth is increasingly becoming aimless, confused and prone to giving in to the pressures of the digital age, it’s not enough to make them aware of the issues that affect them.
Some believe that what is needed is for our youth to become actively involved in creating the better future that they dream of for themselves and for succeeding generations.
In the Philippines, this is where local youth development offices (LYDOs) come into focus – a specific local agency that provides the youth with an avenue to express themselves and be prepared for the challenges of the real world.
In Biñan City, Laguna, the local Youth and Sports Development Office (YASDO) fulfills that role - and has once again demonstrated the "above and beyond" leadership style of the LGU over the years.
Last September 12, the Biñan City YASDO once again bagged the Outstanding Local Youth Development Office (LYDO) under the Component Cities and Municipalities Category at the Philippine Sangguniang Kabataan Awards 2026.
The Philippine Sangguniang Kabataan Awards is an annual event organized by the Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN).
This award seeks to recognize the role of youth councils and LYDOs in shaping the future of the Philippines’ youth.
No easy task
This marks the fourth consecutive time the Biñan City YASDO has received this award, earning the local office the coveted “Hall of Excellence Award.”
And, according to YASDO head MC Larnel Aliluran, earning the Outstanding LYDO distinction four times in a row is no easy task.
"Ang pinakamahirap po kasi ay yung i-establish po natin yung system, yung mga programa para sa ating mga kabataan," Aliluran explained in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
"Hindi lamang po kasi tayo magko-comply sa lahat ng requirements ng awarding committee.
"Kailangan po yung mga programa ay realistic, hindi po yung gagawin lang natin the sake of the award."
Tangible results
The success of a program, local officials in Biñan have long believed, is best gauged by the results – not just mere statistics, but actual people whose lives were changed.
And for Aliluran, the best metrics for the success of the YASDO are the city’s youth who have found opportunities for themselves through their programs.
For instance, he related, many of the city’s youth who have participated in the “Junior City Officials” program are now either members of the Sangguniang Kabataan in their respective barangays, or leaders of various advocacy groups in Biñan City and beyond.
“Ang common denominator po ng lahat ng ito ay ito po ang mga kabataan na nabigyan ng pagkakataon para makapaglingkod sa lungsod ng Biñan,” the YASDO head noted.
Active participation
For Aliluran, another key to the YASDO’s winning streak is the active participation and involvement of the city’s youth in their programs and projects.
As the YASDO head himself emphasized, the youth should have a voice in their programs and projects.
"Kung 'tokenism' po kasi ang paiiralin natin, yung tipong nandiyan lang sila as a representation pero hindi sila gumagalaw, mahihirapan po kaming i-duplicate ang nais naming effect sa ibang mga organization sa lungsod," he explained.
This is especially true in an era where the youth have become increasingly disillusioned, critical and disinterested in exploring the world beyond the confines of social media or the “digital world.”
“Dito po natin isinusulong yung ‘grassroots’ approach – kami na po ang lumalapit sa mga kabataan para makuha natin ang kanilang pulso at ma-involve sila sa mga proyekto na sila rin po mismo ang makikinabang,” Aliluran added.
"We're giving them the liberty to conceptualize their programs, tapos sila na rin po ang mag-iimplement nito. Ang gagawin lang po namin sa YASDO ay magd-disburse ng financial support.”
This not only gives the city's youth confidence that the local government trusts them, but also enables them to be responsible for the success of their programs, he pointed out.
New programs
The Biñan City YASDO’s holistic approach to youth has also led to two major programs that were implemented under Mayor Gel Alonte’s administration: the GEL Young Leaders and Athletes Academy and the KAMU Chat.
According to Aliluran, these two programs highlight Alonte’s focus on education and mental health among Biñanense youth.
The GEL Young Leaders and Athletes Academy is an institute which aims to produce young leaders and athletes who can showcase their best talents to Biñan City and beyond.
So far, Aliluran reported, the academy has provided training for two batches of young leaders, most of them leading students of Biñan City’s schools as well as Sangguniang Kabataan members.
The KAMU Chat, on the other hand, is the flagship project under the Purple Movement, a youth-centered and youth-powered mental health initiative that promotes emotional well-being, resilience, and safe spaces for young people.
The platform provides young Biñanenses with an outlet for their concerns and gives them, through a screening and risk assessment system, access to various support systems such as counseling and psychoeducation.
"We're now planning to create a KAMU mobile application na mas maa-access ng mga bata, kung saan kahit nasa labas sila, pwede silang mag-chat at maka-access ng support," he added.
Sports development
Sports development has always been a vital part of the development of Biñan City’s youth (and the young at heart as well).This is especially true with Mayor Alonte, who has been a keen sports enthusiast before entering politics.
This is where Coach Almer Almazora, now YASDO's focal person for sports, comes in.
“Actually po, even before, active na active na po kami ni Mayor Gel sa mga sports programs, including yung Inter-Barangay sports fests,” he told OpinYon Laguna.
Under Mayor Alonte, sports have become an indelible part of the city’s holistic development program not just for the city’s youth but for its local employees as well.
This was evidenced by the recent celebration of the Civil Service Month in Biñan City, Laguna, where the local government hosted an expanded lineup of sports competitions ranging from volleyball, tennis and basketball to even bowling.
In general, Almazora added, YASDO’s sports development sector has followed the agency’s “grassroots” approach in helping discover new talents among Biñanense youth.
“Gusto po talaga nating palakasin yung mga batang nagsisimula pa lang, ma-discover po natin kung anuman ang talent na mayroon sila,” he said.
As part of its support for promising young athletes in Biñan City, the YASDO has deployed coaches for various sports disciplines (and not just basketball, as had been stereotyped among Filipinos, Almazora emphasized) so that these athletes can receive the specific training they need – for free.
“Nagpupunta kami sa mga schools, nakikipag-coordinate po kami sa mga school officials, para po matutukan yung training ng mga bata at makita natin ang kanilang potential,” he told OpinYon Laguna.
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