TINGOG Party-list formally files nine youth-drafted bills at the House of Representatives, joined by delegates of the Eastern Visayas Young Leaders’ Parliament (EVYLP). The proposals reflect the aspirations of young leaders across the region and were developed during the EVYLP held last December.
TINGOG Party-list has formally filed nine legislative measures crafted by delegates of the Eastern Visayas Young Leaders’ Parliament (EVYLP), turning the ideas of young Eastern Visayans into concrete proposals now on the legislative table.
Held last December 10 to 15, 2024, the EVYLP gathered emerging youth leaders across the region for a week-long exercise in deliberation, policy-making, and regional development planning. On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, that effort culminated in the filing of bills covering youth welfare, education, public health, climate resilience, and government transparency.
“As representatives of Eastern Visayas, we believe that leadership begins with listening,” said TINGOG Representative Jude Acidre, now Chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education. “These bills are a testament to what happens when we trust young people not only to participate, but to lead.”
Among the measures filed were the following:
1. Student Internship Allowance Act
2. Transparent Appointments in Government Act
3. Mangrove Buffer Act of 2025
4. Eco-Tourism Incentives Act of the Philippines
5. SK National Accountability Act
6. Leyte Sab-a Peatland Conservation Land
7. Amendments to RA 10742 (Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act)
8. Healthy Schools Food Environment Act
9. Public Health Workers Plantilla Regularization Act
TINGOG Representative Yedda Romualdez described the milestone as “a clear demonstration of how the youth can meaningfully shape national policy.”
“These proposals are rooted in experience and grounded in the realities of our young people—from ensuring accountability in youth councils, to promoting better food environments in schools, to preserving peatlands in Leyte,” she said. “This is what youth empowerment should look like—not symbolic, but substantive.”
TINGOG Representative Andrew Romualdez emphasized the significance of the initiative as both a youth leader and a legislator.
“As a young member of Congress, I see in these proposals the clarity and conviction of a generation ready to lead,” he said. “These young leaders have not only spoken—they have drafted solutions. It is our responsibility to make sure their ideas are heard, respected, and translated into real policy. This is how we build a future shaped not just for the youth, but with them.”
EVYLP Parliament Speaker Jan Reian Niño Saavedra, Deputy Speaker Joana G. Valore, and Majority Floor Leader Jeric B. Doblon were present during the filing and personally met with House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for the signing of the proposed bills—underscoring the importance of youth inclusion at the highest levels of legislative work.
TINGOG Party-list reaffirmed its commitment to developing youth leaders from the region and creating more platforms that bridge grassroots ideas and national policy.
“This is only the beginning,” said Acidre. “We in TINGOG will continue to build pathways for young leaders to shape the future they hope to inherit.”
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