Youth Redefine Climate Resilience: From Survival to Systems Change at Mindanao Climate Conference

Climate resilience isn’t about merely surviving. It’s about thriving through collective action and reimagining the systems that govern our communities. This was the resounding message from young climate advocates across Mindanao who gathered at the Mindanao Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) on September 26-28, to challenge traditional notions of climate adaptation and demand meaningful participation in policy-making.

“Resilience does not come out of nowhere, it is an outcome of experiences and people,” declared Koko Salazar, program officer of the Kabataang Resilient Program, setting the tone for what would become a pivotal gathering of youth voices demanding to be heard in climate governance.

The LCOY themed “Resilience Redefined: Championing Children and Youth in Local Communities,” brought together young leaders from across the region to confront a critical question: How do we move beyond simply enduring climate impacts to actively transforming the systems that perpetuate vulnerability?

Climate Change: Personal, Political, and Urgent

For Mindanao’s youth, climate change is no longer an abstract future threat. It’s a daily reality reshaping their communities. Engr. Hassan Maguindra from Cotabato City’s Environment and Natural Resource Office described how flooding patterns have dramatically intensified, “What once took days now occurs overnight,” he said. 

Aldwin Clark Fiesta from Bangsomoro Youth Commission Maguindanao also captured the visceral shift in his community’s experience. “Years before kaya yung init, pero ngayon napapaso na,”  (We could handle the heat before, but now it’s burning) he echoed.

These testimonies underscore why climate adaptation matters from both environmental and social justice perspectives. Climate impacts disproportionately affect marginalized communities, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, and low-income populations, who have contributed least to the crisis but bear its greatest burdens.

“We need to give empathy, but not pity,” stressed Marvelous Dainty Camilo from Dyesabel Philippines, emphasizing that climate solutions must preserve community dignity through co-created partnerships rather than top-down interventions. This approach recognizes that effective climate action requires respecting local knowledge, cultures, and beliefs, a principle particularly crucial in Mindanao’s diverse cultural landscape.

From Policy Demands to Practical Action

What distinguished this gathering from typical climate youth conferences was its dual focus on both systemic advocacy and grassroots innovation. Young delegates did not just discuss problems; they showcased solutions already taking root in their communities.

Princes Justine Baculio from the Kagay-anon Youth Network Alliance highlighted microfarming as a climate adaptation strategy that addresses food security while creating economic opportunities. Her presentation demonstrated how even urban professionals like doctors can implement small-scale farming. “Naka harvest na ka, nakapabaligya pa ka,”  (You’ve harvested and can even sell your produce) she said.

Success stories from across the region illustrated the breadth of youth-led climate action: Kids Who Farm’s microfarming initiatives, Dyesabel’s mangrove restoration with the Sama Badjao community, Cotabato City’s waste-to-resource programs transforming plastic into usable products, and the Bangsomoro Youth Commission’s work engaging young people in policy brief creation.

Demanding Access, Not Charity

Perhaps the most powerful theme emerging from the conference was the rejection of tokenism in youth climate participation. Young advocates made it clear they’re not seeking permission or handouts. They’re demanding systemic change.

“We want to push a just system for us to be able to access resources we need as advocates so that we don’t need to beg for them,” emphasized BARMM youth Crizza Mae Decena, articulating a sentiment that resonated throughout the gathering. This reflects a crucial shift in youth climate organizing: from requesting seats at decision-making tables to fundamentally restructuring those tables.

Nirold Altiguire from UNICEF Philippines reinforced this vision in his opening remarks, challenging young people to redefine resilience beyond survival. He said, “Let us ensure that every program, policy, and partnership reflects our needs, rights, and potential.”

Looking Forward: 2040 and Beyond

Delegates envision a 2040 where Mindanao thrives through cleaner communities, empowered youth leadership, and policy-driven sustainability. 

“We aim to create a space where people live in harmony, a world where we no longer imagine that children can enjoy the beauty of nature [but where they actually can],” shared Zamboanga Peninsula youth Lyster Maliao.

This vision matters because it challenges narratives of climate doom, replacing them with actionable hope grounded in ongoing work. The National Youth Statement on Climate Action and Disaster Resilience developed during the conference will be elevated to the national LCOY in October 2025, ensuring Mindanao’s perspectives shape broader policy discussions across the Philippines.

The conference’s true measure of success is not found in the sessions and workshops themselves, but in the ripple effects that extend across Mindanao as delegates return home to implement innovations, strengthen their networks, and continue organizing their communities. From agricultural projects to waste management programs, from policy advocacy to mangrove restoration, these young leaders are proving that climate resilience isn’t about waiting for change. It’s about creating it.

As Irish Joy Tan from Cotabato City Mayor’s Office reminded participants, “Aksyon ang solusyon,” (Action is the solution), for Mindanao’s youth climate champions, that action has already begun.

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The Mindanao LCOY represented more than a gathering of young activists. It marked a turning point in how youth climate leaders position themselves in the broader movement for environmental justice and sustainable development. By refusing to accept roles as mere participants and instead claiming their space as essential decision-makers, these young advocates have set a new standard for youth engagement in climate governance.

The conference’s impact extends beyond the walls of meeting rooms in Cotabato City. It lives in the microfarming plots that will be established in SOCCSKSARGEN, the mangrove saplings that will take root in coastal communities, the waste management innovations that will be replicated across municipalities, and the policy briefs that newly empowered youth councils will draft. Most importantly, it lives in the relationships forged between young leaders across Mindanao’s diverse communities, creating networks of solidarity that will sustain climate action long after the conference banners have been packed away.

As these delegates carry forward their commitments, they do so with a redefined understanding of resilience. One that recognizes survival as insufficient, that demands dignity alongside adaptation, and that insists on transformation rather than mere coping. In a region facing intensifying climate impacts, this shift from reactive endurance to proactive systems change may prove to be the most critical outcome of all.

This article was written and prepared by Jysel Ashley Ayop of LUNHAW (Leaders of Understanding Nature and Heritage through Art and Writing) the Environmental Journalism Hub of Cagayan de Oro.