METRO MANILA — Girls and young people are calling on decision-makers to turn their recommendations into concrete action, placing their experiences and priorities at the center of discussions on safety, education, health, and equal opportunities.
At Girls Summit 2026, organized by Plan International Pilipinas and the Quezon City Government in observance of the International Day of the Girl, girl leaders presented their experiences and recommendations to national and local government officials, development partners, and other stakeholders. The summit carried the theme “Stand with Girls: Building the Future Girls Want.”
A key feature of the event was the Girls’ Agenda, a set of recommendations developed by girls and young people themselves. It identifies four priorities: keeping girls safe from violence, ensuring access to health and support services, helping communities become more resilient to climate-related risks, and expanding opportunities for education and economic empowerment.
“Girls are not merely beneficiaries of development. They are leaders, innovators, advocates, and changemakers,” said Cathy Seco, Program Director at Plan International Pilipinas, in her keynote message. “They already know what kind of future they want and deserve. Our role is to listen, support, and act alongside them.”
The summit featured five thematic panel discussions exploring challenges that affect girls’ everyday lives. Topics included mental health challenges in schools; local government practices for combating Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials (CSAEM); climate impacts on sexual and reproductive health and rights; child, early, and forced marriages; and safe, inclusive school infrastructure.
Research cited at the summit highlighted the need for action. A 2020 Plan International study found that seven in 10 girls and young women in the Philippines had experienced online harassment. The US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 1.7 million CyberTipline reports from the Philippines in 2024. These reports concern suspected exploitation material rather than individual children, but they point to the scale of the challenge facing protection systems.
Climate-related disruptions can also affect girls’ health, safety, and continued education. Plan International’s global study Change Her Forecast, which surveyed more than 5,000 girls and young women across five countries, found that 76% reported difficulties accessing at least one sexual or reproductive health service in their communities following climate-related events. Thirty-six percent reported seeing more girls marry or enter a union before age 18, while 33% reported more unintended pregnancies.
These findings underscore the need to keep education uninterrupted during crises and ensure schools are safe, clean, healthy, and enabling environments where girls can access learning, support networks, and information about their rights and health.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte highlighted the city’s efforts to protect children and its willingness to share effective practices with other local governments.
“A city is only as strong as the safety it gives its girls at home, in school, and online. Quezon City has taken steps to protect children from abuse and exploitation, and we are ready to share what works so other local governments can do the same,” she said.
During the summit’s afternoon sessions, young people presented recommendations and took part in interactive workshops to develop community-based solutions for safer schools, neighborhoods, and online spaces.
Bea Marie A. Vicente, 22, an elected Sangguniang Kabataan member of Barangay Tanza 1 in Navotas City and a youth advocate of Plan International Pilipinas, called for protection systems that work in practice and equal opportunities for girls to learn, lead, and earn a decent living.
The summit also featured perspectives from business partners. Alisandrea A. Coloma, Senior Manager for Sustainability & Corporate PR at Watsons Philippines, shared how the company’s Pharmacy Assistant’s Apprenticeship Program, operating since 2023, provides young girls with free education through partner schools such as Punlaan and a direct path to employment in Watsons stores.
The gathering concluded with a collective call for government agencies, civil society organizations, schools, businesses, communities, and families to act on girls’ recommendations and turn their aspirations into meaningful policy and lasting change.
As Plan International Pilipinas celebrates 65 years of service in the country, it continues to call on all sectors to #StandWithGirls and help ensure girls have a meaningful role in shaping their futures.