Two teams from the Xavier University – Agriculture Student Council participated in the Philippine Development Youth Congress 2026 (PDYC 2026), held at Ateneo de Manila University on 21 to 22 March 2026. PDYC aims to provide a space for the youth to make a difference in their respective communities. It envisions a generation of youth leaders who see themselves as capable, informed, and enduring climate champions, able to act today while designing projects that remain relevant, resilient, and sustainable in the future.

Both teams successfully secured placements within the Top 3, which showcase the council’s strong performance on a national platform and passion for agriculture. Team 1, presenting Project XUba, was declared Champion and awarded a grant of PHP 20,000 to support project implementation. The members were JC Andrei Cruz, Charles Clement Dacer, Bea Faye Nilles, Dessa Jean Nilles, and Miguel Lorenzo Redoble.

On the other hand, Team 2, with Project Pina-AGGIE, achieved a Top 3 finish and was also recognized with the Rising Star Award. The members of Team 2 were Hannah Andrea Cruz, Erin Dana Go, Mc Humphrey Maglasang, and Jun Irish Zarate. The delegation was accompanied and guided by their moderator, Ms Ereca P Ampoloquio.

The participants engaged in a two-day congress which included keynote speakers who tackled topics on the climate crisis in the Philippines and going beyond climate advocacy, workshops on sectoral analysis, initiative design, project monitoring, and sustainability, group discussions and World Café, networking, mentoring sessions in preparation for the project pitch, the actual project pitch competition, and Socials Night (with Awarding Ceremony).