The Philippines’ national hero Dr. Jose Rizal once said “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”. As it rang true back then, so does the statement hold until today. To celebrate the capacity of the youth to bring change for the good of society, Quezon City District 4 Councilor Hero Bautista has launched the 1st Hero Youth Achievement Awards.

The award is part of Bautista’s education-based projects and it hopes to shine the spotlight on students that persevered and succeeded against all odds. The winners will be given laptops to help them in their online classes and school workload. “Education is one of my priorities for the youth. I experienced how difficult it is to have financial challenges when I was in college and through this program, I hope that deserving students would be given the tools to help them succeed in their academics,” he said. RMPangilinan