Pasay city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in partnership with the National Youth Commission, will hold the ASEAN Youth Summit 2026 on Aug. 5 and 6 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

According to Philippines News Agency, the summit is supported by the United Nations Development Programme and the Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It aims to provide a platform to empower young people and strengthen their competencies in digital literacy, online ethics, and responsible innovation.

"As part of its chairship of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), the DSWD wants to promote an enabling environment for young people to participate and strengthen their competencies to become responsible users of artificial intelligence (AI), new media, and other emerging technologies," DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release Tuesday.

Dumlao stated that the department also seeks to address challenges brought by technology, including the spread of fake news, online scams, cyberbullying, privacy concerns, and the impact of social media on mental health. "These are real issues affecting young people not only in the ASEAN region, but globally. To address these, we want to promote digital resiliency among the youth, with the ultimate goal of helping them distinguish facts from misinformation, protect themselves online, understand their digital rights, and use technology responsibly and ethically," she said.

Around 300 participants, including youth leaders, institutions, development partners, and representatives from local youth sectors across ASEAN member states, are expected to attend the two-day event. The summit will focus on critical digital literacy, digital resilience and mental well-being, youth empowerment in digital governance, and the use of technology for advocacy and innovation.

The ASEAN Youth Summit is part of the DSWD's activities as chair of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community under the "Smart Youth and Innovation" thematic framework. It is also supported by the Social Protection, Inclusion, and Gender Equality Program, the Joint SDG Fund, and the Embassy of the United States of America.