CABANATUAN CITY (PIA) — Young people in Nueva Ecija and across Central Luzon are set to gain stronger access to legal education, assistance, and global representation following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Nueva Ecija Chapter and the Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition (SKC Philippines).
This partnership brings together the institutional mandate and legal expertise of IBP Nueva Ecija with SKC’s nationwide youth network and international platforms.
IBP Nueva Ecija Chapter President Maria Carmela Wenceslao emphasized that collaborating with youth communities enhances preventive legal education and supports responsive service delivery.
“This collaboration creates a two-way learning process where both lawyers and young people benefit from shared knowledge and experience,” Wenceslao added.
The two-year MOU creates a framework for joint community outreach initiatives, youth-focused access to justice efforts, and professional development opportunities for both lawyers and emerging youth leaders.
This partnership also supports coordinated representation in international platforms, including the United Nations, where Filipino youth perspectives—strengthened by legal insight—can contribute to discussions on justice, governance, and sustainable development.
SKC Founder and Board Chair Ellirie Aviles emphasized that empowering youth with legal knowledge strengthens civic participation and community resilience.
Initial joint activities will begin in the second quarter of 2026 under the supervision of a Joint Committee composed of representatives from both institutions.
Both organizations see collaboration as a long-term effort to enhance government justice programs and encourage inclusive, youth-responsive civic engagement throughout Central Luzon and across SKC’s national network. (CLJD/CNG, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
