Quezon City and Plan International Pilipinas Champion Girls’ Rights and Safer Schools at Girls Summit 2026

Young Filipino advocates call on leaders to strengthen child protection, improve mental health support, address online abuse, and create a future where every girl can learn, lead, and thrive.

Every girl deserves to grow up without fear, pursue her dreams without barriers, and have her voice heard when decisions are made about her future. At Girls Summit 2026 in Quezon City, young Filipino girls and women brought this message directly to government leaders, development partners, and community stakeholders, calling for meaningful action to build safer schools and more inclusive communities.

Organized by Plan International Pilipinas and the Quezon City Government in celebration of the International Day of the Girl, the summit placed girls at the heart of discussions about the challenges they face every day, including school safety, online abuse, mental health, climate-related risks, and unequal access to education and livelihood opportunities.

Under the theme “Stand with Girls: Building the Future Girls Want,” the gathering emphasized a powerful message: protecting girls and empowering them to shape their own futures must be a shared responsibility.

Filipino Girls Call for Action, Not Just Promises

For many girls, feeling safe at school, at home, and online remains an ongoing concern. Beyond raising awareness, Girls Summit 2026 created a platform for young people to share their experiences, present practical recommendations, and engage directly with the people responsible for shaping policies and community programs.

A central feature of the summit was the Girls’ Agenda, a set of recommendations developed by girls and young people themselves. It outlines four key priorities: protecting girls from violence and abuse, ensuring access to health and support services, strengthening community resilience to climate-related risks, and expanding opportunities for education and economic empowerment.

The agenda reflects what girls want for their future and what they need from the institutions entrusted with their welfare.

“Girls are not merely beneficiaries of development. They are leaders, innovators, advocates, and changemakers,” said Cathy Seco, Program Director at Plan International Pilipinas, in her keynote address.

“They already know what kind of future they want and deserve. Our role is to listen, support, and act alongside them.”

Her message reinforced the summit’s central principle: girls should not simply be included in conversations about their lives. They should have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions that affect them.

Why Girl Safety Must Be a National Priority

The need for stronger child protection measures is underscored by alarming figures on online abuse and exploitation.

A 2020 Plan International study found that seven in 10 girls and young women in the Philippines had experienced online harassment. Meanwhile, the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 1.7 million CyberTipline reports from the Philippines in 2024.

These reports concern suspected child sexual exploitation material and do not represent a count of individual children. Nevertheless, the figure highlights the enormous challenge facing authorities and communities as they work to protect children in digital spaces.

For girls, online safety is inseparable from their right to learn, communicate, participate in public life, and express themselves without fear of harassment or exploitation.

The summit addressed these concerns through discussions on effective local government responses to Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials (CSAEM). Participants examined how successful local initiatives could be strengthened and replicated in other communities.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasized the importance of local leadership in creating safer environments for children.

“A city is only as strong as the safety it gives its girls at home, in school, and online. Quezon City has taken steps to protect children from abuse and exploitation, and we are ready to share what works so other local governments can do the same,” Belmonte said in her welcome remarks.

Her statement highlighted the role of local governments in translating child protection commitments into accessible services, responsive systems, and concrete action.

Mental Health, Climate Change, and Education Are Connected

Keeping girls safe also means addressing the broader challenges that affect their health, wellbeing, and ability to stay in school.

At the summit, five thematic panel discussions explored the realities confronting Filipino girls and young women. Topics included mental health challenges in schools, local government strategies against online child sexual abuse and exploitation, the effects of climate-related disasters on sexual and reproductive health and rights, child, early, and forced marriages, and the need for safe and inclusive school infrastructure.

The discussions highlighted how these issues often overlap, placing girls at greater risk when support systems are inadequate or disrupted.

Climate-related emergencies, for example, can interrupt education, limit access to healthcare, and increase the difficulties families face in protecting children. These disruptions can leave girls more vulnerable to unintended pregnancies, early marriage, and other risks.

Plan International's global study, Change Her Forecast, which surveyed more than 5,000 girls and young women across five countries, found that 76% said girls and young women in their communities struggled to access at least one sexual or reproductive health service following climate-related events.

The study also found that 36% reported seeing more girls marry or enter a union before the age of 18, while 33% reported an increase in unintended pregnancies.

These findings underscore why access to education and essential services must remain a priority, especially during emergencies.

Schools provide more than classrooms and textbooks. They can offer stability, trusted support networks, information about health and rights, and connections to services that girls may otherwise struggle to access.

Safe, clean, healthy, and inclusive school facilities are therefore essential to protecting learners and helping them continue their education, even when communities face crises.

Young Women Bring Their Voices to Decision Makers

While experts and officials shared insights during the summit, young people remained at the center of the conversation.

In the afternoon sessions, girl leaders presented their experiences and recommendations to national and local government representatives and other stakeholders. Interactive workshops also encouraged participants to develop community-based solutions and identify practical steps to make schools, neighborhoods, and online spaces safer for girls.

Among the youth advocates who spoke was Bea Marie A. Vicente, 22, an elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) member of Barangay Tanza 1 in Navotas City and a youth advocate of Plan International Pilipinas.

For Vicente, safety must be more than a promise made during events or public discussions. It must be something girls can count on in their everyday lives.

“Girls should feel safe at school, at home, and online. I want our leaders to make safety a real commitment, with systems that work, so that girls know where to go and who will help,” she said.

“When girls are safe, we can reach our full potential, but only if we have the same opportunities as everyone else to learn, lead, and earn a decent living.”

Her message captured the connection between protection and opportunity. Girls need effective safeguards against abuse, but they also need access to education, leadership roles, skills development, and decent employment to build independent and fulfilling lives.

Creating More Career Opportunities for Young Women

Empowering girls also means helping them turn their education and ambitions into sustainable careers.

During the summit, business partners highlighted how collaboration between the private sector and education providers can create practical pathways from school to employment.

Alisandrea A. Coloma, Senior Manager for Sustainability and Corporate Public Relations at Watsons Philippines, discussed the company's Pharmacy Assistant's Apprenticeship Program, which has supported young women since 2023.

“Watsons Philippines has been supporting young girls through the Pharmacy Assistant’s Apprenticeship Program since 2023. We believe that every girl can do great things when given the opportunity, and through the apprenticeship, we are able to pave a way for girls to receive free education with our partner schools like Punlaan, with a direct path to employment in our stores,” Coloma said.

She added that many program alumni are already building careers with Watsons, reflecting the potential of initiatives that connect education with employment opportunities.

“So many of our alumni now thrive in their careers with Watsons. This is the path we want to open to many more young girls,” she said.

Programs such as these demonstrate how businesses can contribute to girls' economic empowerment by helping remove barriers to training, education, and entry-level employment.

When young women have access to relevant skills and meaningful career opportunities, they are better positioned to support themselves, contribute to their communities, and shape their own futures.

Building a Future Where Every Girl Can Thrive

Girls Summit 2026 concluded with a collective call for stronger cooperation among government agencies, civil society organizations, schools, businesses, families, and communities.

The challenge ahead is to turn the recommendations raised during the summit into lasting changes that girls can see and feel in their daily lives. This means strengthening child protection systems, improving access to mental health and health services, keeping schools safe and inclusive, preparing communities for climate-related risks, and opening more opportunities for girls to learn and earn.

It also means ensuring that young people remain involved in the decisions that affect them, not only during special events but throughout the policymaking and implementation process.

As Plan International Pilipinas marks 65 years of service in the country, the organization continues to call on individuals, institutions, and communities to #StandWithGirls and support a future where every girl can live free from violence, access equal opportunities, and participate in building a better society.

The message from Quezon City is clear: girls already know the future they want. The responsibility now lies with leaders and communities to listen to their voices, act on their recommendations, and create the conditions that allow every girl to reach her full potential.