Textbooks, case studies, and mock exercises within the four walls of the classroom are frequently used to teach legislation and theoretical principles. However, the 6th Baguio Youth Parliament offered something far more significant to a group of student leaders from the University of Baguio‘s Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Program. Handing over a seat at a real table of local governance, where the bills they drafted carried the weight of actual civic impact.
From August 15 to 16, 2026, a distinct group of academic individuals placed third overall and won Best in Ordinance at the two-day event. Held at the CDDRMO Office (Lower Rock Quarry), and Baguio City Hall, the composition reflected the breadth of student leadership, drawing members from various council heads and organizations across the university.
A Team Built on Youth Leadership
For political science students, involvement in student governance is not a separate pursuit from academic learning, rather, a natural extension of it.
Dubbing themselves as the “Power Puff Girls”, each member brought a practical grasp of representation, deliberation, and accountability. With residing principles that were fundamental to their political science coursework that helped them apply concepts against actual legislative stakes.
- Kyra Kelly – Supreme Student Council President
- Justine Deguzman – School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts Student Body Governor
- Christian Peralta – SSC Junior
- Aprielyn Liwan – Politis and BIMAAK Representative
- Jocelyn Lupasi – BIMAAK President
The achievements were formally recognized during the Linggo ng Kabataan Culminating Activity and Recognition on August 31, 2026, at the Venus Parkview Hotel. Held under the theme “Starry Night,” the ceremony saw the awards presented by Hon. Sean Benedict C. Villamor, Hon. Johaiver Ampaso, Hon. John Rhey L. Mananeng, and Mr. Dave Homer F. Ariola.
The Youth Parliament, which was organized as part of Baguio City’s youth engagement programs with the theme “Empowering Youth, Shaping Tomorrow,” showcased 56 participants from ten groups to every step of the legislative process, including the drafting of ordinances, committee discussions, formal debate, amendments, and voting.
Alt Text: Distinguished members from the University of Baguio’s Political Science program student leaders during the 6th Baguio Youth Parliament along with Baguio City officials
Legislating for a Purpose
The aforementioned team anchored its proposal in economic empowerment, one of the ten priority points of the Sangguniang Kabataan agenda. The result was a proposed ordinance for the implementation of a Youth Financial Literacy Seminar and Inclusion Fair in Baguio City, with the City Mayor’s Office designated as the lead implementing office.
Rather than a hypothetical policy exercise, the lack of easily accessible financial literacy programs for the city’s youth the kind of useful, community-responsive policymaking that political science education seeks to foster in its students revealed the real gap that this proposal was designed to fill.
In addition to serving as a reminder of what they have already learned, UBian student-leaders’ participation serves as a reminder of the ongoing discipline needed to develop in leadership, communication, proper procedure, and decorum lies within the same standards expected of those who aspire to serve in public office.
The legislative initiative resonates directly with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) — by equipping youth with financial literacy skills that build long-term economic resilience and open pathways to sustainable livelihoods
- SDG 4 (Quality Education) — by expanding access to practical, life-relevant education beyond the traditional classroom
- SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) — by targeting inclusion, ensuring that financial knowledge and opportunity are not limited to those with prior access or privilege
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) — by proposing collaboration between youth sectors and local government, embodied in the ordinance’s design to have the City Mayor’s Office serve as lead implementer
Recognition and Reflection
The 6th Baguio Youth Parliament gave participants the opportunity to sharpen skills in leadership, ordinance-making, parliamentary procedure, and formal debate. For the Political Science Program, the significance of this achievement extends beyond the trophies.
It was more than just a competition; it was a practice for the positions that many of these student-leaders might eventually occupy: public servants, legislators, and policy advocates who shape their communities from within the halls of government rather than just watching from the outside. Skills that are directly applicable to the realities of public service and local governance.
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Written by: Christian Peralta; Christian Bitong; Kyra Kelly
Article enhancement by Gabriel Madriaga
