Youth formation activities in the Diocese of Malolos started with the Youth Development Program (YPD) of the Bulacan Social Action Council (BUSAC) which started in September 1972 and concentrated on the Out-of-school (OSY) youth

 

The program for the studentry on the other hand was started by Rev. Fr. Efren S. Dato in June 1973 upon his appointment as the Diocesan Director of the Committee on Youth. He started organizing the

Student Catholic Action of the Philippines (SCAP) in schools. While he was supervising the SCAP expansion, the BUSAC-YPD started coordinating its activities with the general program of the youth formation committee.

 

This was followed by a series of evaluations of both of the SCAP and YPD up to December 1976. The evaluation has brought about the merging of the two existing programs. The program developed and matured through consultation meetings with the youth conducted in the parish, vicarial, and diocesan level.

 

Aside from consultations, a research was made to estimate the density of youth in the diocese. Based on the 1970 statistics, there were approximately 1811, 683 youth aged 14-25 or 21.7 percent of Bulacan total population.

 

In 1970, the students totaled 49,934 and the out-of-school youth 51,874, it is feared however that the OSY had increased in proportion and number due to economic instability that erupted in the diocese since 1970.

 

This big number of the youth populace and the results of the consultation meetings spearheaded the birth of the Diocesan Youth Formation Program (DYFC) in June 1977. Leadership Awareness Seminars were emphasized to prepare the youth for a more meaningful and relevant organizational activity. Cultural activities are likewise given highest priority in firm belief that it is the most effective medium of developmental changes that the youth can contribute to the society.

 

In the ensuing years, Rev. Fr. Reggie Asuncion took the stewardship of DYFC. During his term the program suffered a lot in the hands of repressive whims of the Martial Law regime. Student leaders joined rallies term that the first Youth Encounterers were sent to Virac, Catanduanes.

 

In July 1987, ten years after, the First Diocesan Synod gave birth to the new era of youth program in the Diocese. The Diocesan Commission on Youth (DCY) was created with Rev. Fr. Jojo Galvez as its first Director. Under his term, the Diocese saw the renewal of spiritual seminars through the Youth Encounter Seminar. This signaled the reactivating of Parish Youth Organizations (Parish Youth Councils and the likes) throughout the Diocese. Two years later, the stewardship transferred to Rev. Fr. Monic Cadiz which opened the door for the DCY to a more wider participation in youth ministry. This time, the DCY helped a lot in the establishment of Regional Youth Council comprising the Archdiocese of San Fernando (Pampanga), Dioceses of Iba, Cabanatuan (N.E.), Balanga, Malolos, San Jose (N.E.) and Tarlac.

 

In 1993, a more energetic director was chosen to oversee the DCY in the person of Rev. Fr. Dennis Espejo. Committed to involved the majority of the parishes in the Diocesan youth ministry, youth leaders were called to a series of consultations and program re-orientations; the regular Quarterly Conference was scheduled and student catechist were organized. The program was further reinvigorated with celebration of the 10th World Youth Day in Manila, in January 1995 that involved the participation of some 4,000 youths based in schools and parishes.

 

December 1998, when the Bishop of Malolos and also the Chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth, Most. Rev. Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona hosts the first National Youth Day Celebration in the Diocese of Malolos attended by hundreds of youths in the country. And in October 2001, the diocese hosts the 3rd Central Luzon Youth Pilgrimage (CLYP) which participated by thousands of youths in Central Luzon.

 

To date the DCY is more committed in consolidating parish youth organizations and formation seminars still as its priority program. Amidst the burgeoning social problems affecting the youth and hierarchical impediments, the Commission still struggles in its goal; to evangelize youths of the diocese who in turn will be an effective agent of evangelization towards Total Human Development.

 

The history of the youth ministry doesn’t end here. There are so many things to be done. With so many unchurched youth in our midst, we cannot just sit and do nothing. The exodus of countless misguided youth to the camps of fundamentalists; the unaccounted number of youths falling prey to the evil scheme of media and drug addiction and prostitution pose a big threat to our church and to the community in general.

 

The youth, being part of the laity, is also responsible in the mission of the church. We are all agents of evangelization; we are called to be evangelizers of our peers.