The executive director of the Center for Students & Co-curricular Affairs of the Department of Education urged students to acquire skills while still in school to make them more competitive in the professional world. “Students should be trained in skills jobs even while they are still in elementary and high school years.” said Joey Pelaez, who was also once chairperson of the task force on Youth Development from 1996 to 1997.

“They should be conscious about their actions, the good and the ill effects [that such actions], “he added. His advocacy for good citizenship, leadership development, environmental protection, skills & entrepreneurship training development are reflected in his programs that he pioneered and organized such as the Student Government Program, the Youth for Environment Program, the student Technologists & Entrepreneurs of the Philippines, and the Youth Entrepreneurship & Cooperativism in Schools. Most of these have been organized in public secondary schools, and now being adopted in the elementary public and private elementary schools. Pelaez emphasized that most companies and industries in the country are running out of well-trained skilled workers who have decided to work abroad. He said he does not deny the fact that our country relies so much on overseas workers who continue to pump in dollars into the Philippine economy.

Pelaez, whose main goal is to maximize the potentials of the youth, also organized the Youth for Environment Summer camp, the Go Negros Teen Edition, the National Leadership Training for Student Government Officers, and the National Skills Development & Competition. He stressed that awards and scholarships are given by government to poor and deserving students. He lamented the statistics that show an alarming rate of more boys in the 3rd and 4th grades dropping out of school. He said he wants to address this problem by giving more opportunities for the Filipino youth to the develop their skills.