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At a glance

A hand holds out a piece of woven Indigenous art. © Ugnayin PH
Programme:
Youth Youth
Years Funded:
2026
Ecosystem Focus:
Tropical Forest
Geographic Focus:
Asia, Philippines
Social links:

Ugnayin National Indigenous Youth Network Philippines (Ugnayin PH)

The Ugnayin National Indigenous Youth Network Philippines (Ugnayin PH) is a network of organisations across the Philippines that champions Indigenous Youth at local, national, and international levels.

Formed in 2022, Ugnayin PH is an NGO that advocates and calls for the strengthening of Indigenous youth action for forest conservation, culture and youth rights.  

Indigenous youth are faced with struggles in the form of limited participation, mounting threats to ancestral lands, gaps in education, risk of early marriages, and the slow disappearance of Indigenous culture and language. As part of our Chrysalis Youth Fund, Ugnayin PH works towards a reality where Indigenous youth are free to engage politically, living in stable, comfortable, and secure protected ecosystems and ancestral lands.  

To achieve this vision, they focus on key long-term outcomes:  

  1. Rights  
  2. Environment  
  3. Culture  
  4. Education & Livelihood  
  5. Health  

 

5 people stand around a poster with written on post-it notes. They are speaking with each other and sitting at a table. © Ugnayin PH

Ugnayin PH members at a planning meeting during the I-YES Camp 2026. © Ugnayin PH.

Their team's commitment to youth empowerment is not only external, but evident in the structure of their organisation, with the Board of Trustees consisting entirely of Indigenous youth. Ugnayin has also co-facilitated the YEEHA 2025 regional youth camps, bringing together Indigenous youth from around the country to connect, explore sustainable forest governance, and encourage political participation.  

They have continued with this commitment to community gathering, holding the I-YES (Indigenous Youth for Environmental Sustainability) Camp 2026 as their annual General Assembly in Quezon City, allowing their members to visit multiple government offices and engage in lobbying for the Diliman Declaration – calling for Indigenous youth to be recognised by the government, civil society actors, and the private sector as key partners in the protection of ancestral land and territories. 

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