1. Voice of the Youth (VOTY) Network
Submitted by dheimann on June 24, 2005 - 1:15pm
The Voice of the Youth (VOTY) Network is about encouraging Filipino youth to believe in themselves
and their ability to make a difference in the Philippines. It is a multimedia organisation that seeks to
create environments where people are exposed to new thinking, a diversity of voices, and new
opportunities. Driven by youth, the goal of the VOTY Network is to foster a sense of leadership and
social entrepreneurship through the innovative use of technology and media, creating meaningful
experiences for the youth in the Philippines. It seeks to facilitate youth participation and intergenerational
partnership in national decision making, to support collaboration among diverse youth organisations, and
to provide tools, resources, and recognition to positive youth actions in changing the country. It is part of
the Global Youth Action Network International Youth Foundations' Youth Action Net. VOTY was
founded in 1996 by a youth advocate, Mr. Pocholo Gonzales, with 4 other radio broadcasters, voice
talents, and singers. VOTY Network is headquartered near the University of the Philippines in Diliman
and currently has 15 regional networks under development.
Communication Strategies:
VOTY is centred around youth engagement, partnership, and action. It consists of youth ages 15-31 who
are dedicated to empowering their peers through leadership, advocacy, and education. VOTY links youth
organisations in every province and region to assure that the youth voice is heard, and provides an
opportunity to connect, participate, and act to change their own lives and the lives of their fellow
community members. The goal is to make the sharing of information, knowledge, and resources among
youth organisations and individuals more efficient to prevent duplication of effort and to facilitate
stronger local, national and international collaboration and cooperative youth-adult partnerships. VOTY
draws on youth energy to create a national platform for dialogue, self-expression, community
involvement, and cultural exploration to ensure that the voices of youth are heard and that their initiatives
are supported and acted upon - with concrete community impacts.
Specifically, the VOTY Network uses four main communication channels to facilitate information
sharing, dialogue, and collaborative action among Filipino youth: the internet and email, text messaging
to cell phones, AM radio, and face-to-face exchanges.

2. The VOTY website contains information on youth participation; a calendar of local, national and
international events; newsletters; and relevant links and issues. It is interactive, providing access to e-mail
discussion groups that enable youth to share what they know and network with one another. It also draws
on various new technologies, such as online video, blogs, and podcasting to connect youth.
VOTY takes advantage of the extensive use of text messaging in the Philippines to connect youth. The
network uses General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), which allows information to be sent and received
across a mobile phone network. VOTY had informed and reached more than 100,000 youth through
email, and another 5,000 through SMS and is continuously collecting more emails and mobile phone
numbers.
The youth-centred VOTY radio programme "Lakas Kabataan, Tinig Kabataan! Recharged! " (Youth
Power, Voice Of The Youth!! Recharge!!) airs every Saturday on DZME 1530 khz. from 12-1pm. VOTY
believes that AM radio can provide an alternative source of quality information and entertainment. Click
here for details about the particular segments.
VOTY also engages in various community-based activities in an effort to empower other youth "to
duplicate, innovate or do something different that would have an impact to their communities". Driven by
a spirit of cooperation and collaboration, VOTY organises various public policy and awareness
campaigns in an effort to encourage and mobilise the energy, commitment, idealism, and experience of
young people while highlighting their community contributions. For example, as part of the Clean-Up in
Hinulugang Taktak (CU in HT), VOTY helped celebrate the 6th Global Youth in Service Day 2005 by
engaging youth in local environmental clean-up projects.
The group also works to develop and support a peer-to-peer learning environment where youth teach each
other through workshops aimed at skill-building, showcasing projects, and building mentorship
relationships among the network.
Development Issues:
Youth.

3. Key Points:
"Young people - ages 15 to 30 - make up one-third of the Filipino population, they play an increasing
large role in the development of Philippine society," says VOTY founder Pocholo Gonzales. "Their
attitudes, values, mindset, and priorities have a critical role to play in shaping the future of our country."
Technology is thought to be a key tool in facilitating that role: "We believe that media technology,
regardless of its advancement, should be fully utilized to be able to reach more to communities and to the
grassroots level. Radio and the Internet should go hand in hand in involving the often misrepresented and
unrecognized youth [in] nation building."
Partner Text:
Global Youth Action Network, Network of Campus Journalists of the Philippines, Abot Kamay
Foundation.
Source:
VOTY Network website; and emails from Mr. Pocholo Gonzales to The Communication Initiative on
October 5 2006.