Seven youth teams presented their community-driven solutions during the Liwliwa Ya Sursuro (LYS) 2.0 Final Pitching and Recognition Day held on November 22 at the Baguio City Hall Multipurpose Hall. The event is part of the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) Program, implemented by the Cordilleran Youth Center (CYC) in partnership with ICLEI Southeast Asia, Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA) and the Baguio City Local Government through the City Planning, Development, and Sustainability Office (CPDSO), and the SIGLAT Youth Innovation Hub.
The finalists delivered pitches addressing safety issues related to limited spaces for meaningful civic participation, unsafe and underutilized public spaces, and urban blight and low livability index, reflecting weeks of mentoring, caravans, and collaborative workshops.
After evaluation from the jury panel, two initiatives were selected for support and implementation: Team Verdan Spires, consisting of team members Russel Allen Treptor, Brianna Gionet Encarnacion, and Anny Carl Tegwa, accompanied by Ms. Raven Mensenas and Mr. Niño Mark Bantiloc, for the Verdant Spires Community Greenhouse. And Team SalinTanglaw, with team members with their project Play It Forward: Redesigning a Park for All. Members Kzy Ayan, Jushual Johann Cariño, Hannah Shane Kiyawan, Russel Omolida, and Wade Frenzel Torcuan are joined by mentors Ms. Belle Mila and Arch. Krshzeus De Jesus.
The remaining finalist teams— Team Bida Bata, Team Ligaya Co., Team ADSG-BYA, Team UB SBAA Student Body, and Team Kafagway—were recognized for their promising proposals and contributions to youth-led community building.
“The passion and clarity these young leaders carry reflect the realities they face and the futures they want to build,” said Janice Militar, Programme Manager of the Safe and Sound Cities Baguio. “Their ideas show that when youth are empowered to take up space, change becomes not only possible but inevitable.”
CYC also expressed appreciation to the jury, mentors, and partner organizations whose guidance strengthened each team’s project throughout the program.
The two selected teams will proceed to a post-selection preparation phase in the coming days, marking the start of their journey toward project implementation in early 2026.
Liwliwa Ya Sursuro is Safe and Sound Cities Baguio’s youth innovation challenge designed to empower young people to design solutions that contribute to safer, more inclusive, and youth-responsive communities in Baguio City.
