Being the youngest woman in a male-dominated field and in a room full of more experienced individuals is often intimidating and no easy feat. This, however, does not stop Jade Mahayag from being a voice for the youth and standing firm in her beliefs despite potential blowbacks. From a very young age, Jade has had an increased awareness of the conditions faced by the area she was born and raised in. Overpopulation, poverty, an overly conservative environment, and the lack of knowledge with regard to family planning are issues that have and continue to plague her community. Her ERDA journey started in Grade 7, when the foundation started to support her educational expenses. Not only did she receive full financial support and quarterly provision of school supplies, but was also given the opportunity to participate and lead psychological seminars, teaching programs, and leadership training programs.
As a natural born leader and an active member of the community, Jade is an advocate for education, livelihood, family planning, environmental planning, mental health, and youth empowerment. During the height of the pandemic, she participated in a teaching program catered to the children in Baseco who’ve stopped their studies or have not yet been able to enroll in formal schooling due to financial constraints. Additionally, she has pushed for more family planning initiatives, as well as mental health seminars in her role as an SK Kagawad, all of which have deepened her knowledge on said issues as she continues to strive for lasting change for the betterment of Baseco community. She attributes her achievements to Miss Mae, the ERDA Foundation, and her benefactors while continuously acknowledging the impact of the support provided to her thus far. She shares that she carries the ERDA values with her wherever she goes. It is a driving force that aids her in the fullfilment of her advocacies, and serves as a reminder and inspiration for her to find channels that would enable her to give back to the community.
Jade Mahayag is a student at the Technological University of the Philippines, taking up a degree in Business Administration, Major in Industrial Management. She is also a youth leader in her local government, specifically Baseco’s Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and functions as a Kagawad. She is a proud ERDA scholar and a member of the ERDA Family, hailing from the community in Baseco, Manila.
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By the Ateneo Bigkis – BS Communications Technology Management Students