More than 10,000 youth pilgrims and volunteers are to attend the National Youth Day (NYD) 2025—a journey of faith, friendship, and mission—in Cáceres, Naga City, Bicol region, Philippines.
The June 10-14 event will welcome participants from 84 ecclesiastical territories and 22 Catholic youth organizations, according to Fr. Juan Pablo Carpio, archdiocesan catechetical director of the Archdiocese of Caceres.
The whole program is anchored as young pilgrims of hope.
This year’s theme is “Youth Empowerment for Nation Building.” It highlights the crucial role young youth play in shaping the country’s present and future trajectories with faith, hope, and service.
Carpio said that young people are not only the future of the Church and society, but they are the present.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)—Episcopal Commission on Youth is the event organizer with archdioceses/dioceses in the Bicol region.
Initiated by Pope John Paul II, the NYD is a local manifestation of World Youth Day (WYD), last hosted in the Philippines in 1995.
The national version of NYD started in 1986 when the CBCP decided December 16 would be National Youth Day. Since then, the event has become a celebration of young faith and solidarity; the last NYD in Cebu City in 2019 attracted over 20,000 attendees.
Naga City—known as the commercial, financial, educational, religious, and cultural center of the Bicol Region—is ready to host such an important religious event this year.
Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of the Archdiocese of Caceres will welcome delegates, accompanied by a team led by Fr. Dan Vegas, who heads the Archdiocesan Commission on Youth and Campus Ministry.
Youth pilgrims will be accommodated in mission stations and foster homes.
Patterned after the yearly Peñafrancia Fiesta, a Catholic festival honoring Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the cherished patroness of Bicol, pilgrims can also expect a mini-traslacion and mini-fluvial procession.
Calling on every parishioner and Naga City resident, Fr. Carpio urged cooperation among all to guarantee the success of the event. "We have a shared responsibility to assist this historic assembly of youth and faith," he said.
The final event will be the liturgical celebration at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Barangay Balatas, Naga City.
Naga City is once again preparing to serve as the pilgrimage city for the country's youth, with preparations underway.
Meanwhile, government officials and police have implemented measures to address traffic congestion and ensure security for everyone.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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