The Situation
UNICEF Philippines wanted World Children’s Day 2022 to be the biggest celebration yet. The event fell on November 20, just two weeks after the Philippines resumed full face-to-face classes for all students. After two full years of online schooling, children had lost access to physical interaction, socialization, and school-based support services. Many had dealt with stress and anxiety with limited opportunities for expression.
UNICEF‘s challenge was to create a live event that did more than celebrate. It needed to give vulnerable children a platform to form and freely express their views in their own language, through their own chosen medium. The event had to feel like the children were the storytellers, not the subject of someone else’s story.
The Approach
Phase 1: Youth Storytelling Workshops With Seasoned Mentors
Paired young people from varying circumstances with seasoned storytellers in film, photography, and dance. Each mentor-mentee pair developed a story concept based on the theme “Walang Iwanan” (Leave No One Behind). The children chose their medium and told their story in their own way, with UNICEF providing ethical filming guidance and child-friendly storytelling support.
Phase 2: Sigaw ng Kabataan Festival Design & Production
Developed the Festival of Youth event theme and title: “Sigaw ng Kabataan” (Voice of the Youth). The concept centered on reinforcing childhood’s basic enjoyments and reimagining a better present and future for Filipino children, as reflected in their own voices. The festival featured the finalized projects and performances from the workshop participants.
Phase 3: Multi-Sector Activation & Go Blue Campaign
Coordinated the live event with UNICEF goodwill ambassadors Anne Curtis and Gary V, who moderated youth panels and performed. Government and implementing partners reaffirmed their commitments to children’s rights at the event. Youth-led organizations ran activity booths. LGUs and organizations participated in the “Go Blue” activation, lighting buildings, monuments, and landmarks in blue to draw attention to children’s concerns.
The Results
- Live event Festival of Youth produced as the largest World Children’s Day celebration to date
- Go Blue activation LGUs and organizations lit landmarks in blue across the Philippines
- Government recommitment Implementing partners reaffirmed children’s rights commitments at the event
Campaign Highlights:
- Young people paired with professional storytellers in film, photography, and dance for mentor-led workshops
- Anne Curtis and Gary V served as UNICEF goodwill ambassadors, moderating panels and performing
- Event theme “Sigaw ng Kabataan” developed to center children’s voices and experiences
- Youth-led organizations ran activity booths giving young attendees interactive experiences
- “Walang Iwanan” (Leave No One Behind) served as the storytelling theme across all workshop outputs
The Takeaway
A children’s advocacy event works when the children are the content, not the cause. UNICEF‘s Festival of Youth succeeded because every workshop, every performance, and every story came from the young people themselves. The organization provided the platform. The children provided the reason anyone showed up.
- Industry: Public Sector
- Service: PR & Digital Campaigns
- Solution: For Enterprise
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you produce a children’s advocacy event that feels authentic rather than institutional?
By letting the children be the storytellers. UNICEF‘s workshops paired young people with mentors and let them choose their medium: film, photography, or dance. The festival showcased their work, not UNICEF‘s. When the event is built around what the children created, the audience hears their voices, not the organization’s.
Why was a live event important for World Children’s Day 2022 specifically?
Because Filipino children had just returned to face-to-face classes after two years of online schooling. A virtual event would have reinforced the isolation the pandemic caused. A live festival gave children physical interaction, creative expression, and a shared experience that signaled the return of the opportunities they had lost.
What role do celebrity ambassadors play in a children’s advocacy event?
They draw attention and lend cultural weight. Anne Curtis and Gary V brought audiences who might not otherwise engage with a UNICEF event. Their role as panel moderators and performers gave the festival energy and visibility, while the children’s storytelling content provided the substance.
How does the Go Blue activation extend a single-day event’s impact?
By making the event visible across the country. When LGUs and organizations light landmarks in blue, the campaign becomes a national conversation rather than a single venue event. The visual activation draws attention to children’s concerns from people who weren’t at the festival but saw their city’s buildings change color.
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