Senator Cynthia Villar encourages the youth to engage in social enterprises to help reduce poverty in their communities.
Since the Villar Foundation, which she leads, believes in poverty reduction and youth empowerment, it gives the youth an opportunity to make decisions in their community to assist them in improving their living conditions and the lives of the lives of the people around them.
To motivate them to take action and participate in efforts to minimize poverty, she launched in 2017 the Villar Foundation Youth Poverty Reduction Challenge, a friendly competition among Filipino youth through social enterprises that was designed to help reduce poverty in communities and the country in general.
In her address during the 7th Villar Foundation Youth Poverty Reduction Challenge awarding ceremonies held at the Villar Sipag Complex in Las Piñas City, the senator cited that poverty, which has many faces affecting a person, family, community, and country, is a big challenge for most Filipinos.
“Poverty is oftentimes a hindrance, or it sets limitations to acquiring education, taking care of one’s health, having enough food on the table, or finding a job,” also said Villar, a known advocate of social enterprises.
Due to this, he called on the youth to be active partners in pushing for various programs to combat poverty.
This year, more than eighty (80) entries joined the challenge, twenty (20) were shortlisted, and eight emerged as winners and received a cash prize of P150,000 and a trophy.
Four (4) Most Promising Youth Groups also received a cash prize of P100,000 and a trophy. Likewise, special recognition was given to three (3) youth organizations , which received P75,000 and a certificate from Villar.
The senator congratulated all the winners and told the youth that they do more than what they think.
