By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — The Quezon City Government hosted on Thursday (Oct. 30) the 1st Girls Summit 2025 with the theme: “Stand with Girls” at the QC MICE Center here attended by more than 400 young women leaders from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
In her welcome remarks, Mayor Ma. Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte said “the city has a million children, nearly half of them are minors.”
Mayor Belmonte cited for an instance that “in Novaliches, Quezon City, there were 10 women, including 7 minors, who were victims of sexual exploitation, were rescued by the City Government.”
Belmonte said “according to the United Nations, women girls are 14 times vulnerable during disasters due to lack of knowledge and awareness on gender and development.”
She added “free mental health services are offered and available in mental health centers in Quezon City.”
Mayor Belmonte thanked the partners in the advocacy for being there whenever needed.
Belmonte stressed that the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Trafficking has closed down establishments such as hotels or motels that are used as venues for child exploitation.
Belmonte is a champion of gender and development advocacy.
“When girls are safe, educated, and empowered, an entire city rises with them,” Mayor Belmonte said.
“As long as I am Mayor, our girls will always have an ally, a protector, and a champion in me,” she added.
Under its Gender and Development (GAD) framework, the Quezon City Government implements a holistic Cycle of Care for Adolescent Girls — including menstrual health education through Period Talk for Teens and the Batang Ina Summit for young mothers — while ensuring safe spaces through the Anti-OSAEC Ordinance, the QC VAW Centralized Databank, and rescue operations under Task Forces Sampaguita and Magdalena.
The Youth Development Office also expands access to scholarships, skills training, and livelihood through Pangkabuhayang QC, Be Your Own Boss, and the Digital Beauty Academy, complemented by youth engagement programs such as GAD for Youth and MOVE (Men Opposed to Violence Against Women Everywhere).
Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang, Executive Director of Plan International Pilipinas (PIP), thanked the national government agencies such as the Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of Justice (DOJ), the teachers, exhibitors, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Sanchez-Ogang said “today is not only to celebrate the 2025 Girls Summit but to ‘Stand with Girls’.”
“Every day, young women across the country are forced to navigate challenges that threaten their safety, silence their voices, and limit their potential,” she added.
“By working with the Quezon City Government under the leadership of Mayor Belmonte, a long-time ally in advancing gender-responsive and child-centered governance, we are ensuring that their voices are heard where it matters most. We will keep pushing boundaries until every young Filipina can learn, lead, decide, be resilient and thrive,” Sanchez-Ogang stressed.
October 11 marks the International Day of the Girl (IDG) as established by the United Nations in 2011.
This year, the IDG will be celebrated through a national, multi-thematic campaign calling for solidarity with girls and young women in building a more equal, inclusive, and just world.
The Girls Summit builds on a series of nationwide activities for the International Day of the Girl, including youth-led symposia and Girls Takeovers across the Philippines.
In Quezon City, girls took over the offices of 2nd District Councilor Aly Medalla and 6th District Councilor Ellie Juan.
In a press conference, Atty. Ma. Lara Dominguez Sanchez, of DOJ NCC OSAEC-CSAEM, on the culmination of the GAD program this year, “GAD is reporting may be we will be pushing for behavioral changes.”
*One of the objectives of the International Day of the Girl is to show and inform the public about the role of women,” Atty. Sanchez said.
The IACAT addresses complaints on sexual exploitation, and violence against women and their children.
*We were able to contribute to class healing,” she said.
Sanchez had been to the Hague, the Netherlands.
She challenged other girls out there to be advocates themselves in the future.
Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang, Executive Director of PIP, said” as a partner of QC Government, this is part to celebrate International Day of Girl and the celebration of 2025 Girls Summit.”
“This is the first time for you to hear about PIP but we have been here for 64 years,” she said.
“In terms of foot print, we are already in the grassroots with 6,000 volunteers,” she added.
“With Mayor Joy Belmonte, this is a strategic opportunity for PIP to reach out to more people and local government units,” she said, adding that, “the role of frontliners are really important.”
“In fact, we will be launching the Girls Fund this afternoon and we are hopeful that we will be reaching out to more volunteers,” Sanchez-Ogang said.
“We need to disseminate, including women empowerment, and through the media, that women are not just wonen,” she said.
“We were able to send a young woman to the United Nations 69th General Assembly and shared her experiences and we have collaborated with the national government,” she added.
Sofia, Youth Advocate from Eastern Samar, said “girls do not have to expose their bodies.”
“We should empower girls because women have the power.,” she said.
Sofia now knows that “i should be confident to represent them and we should be confident with our body and mind.” ###
