WHO WE ARE

Young Life Philippines, Inc. is a non-denominational, non-sectarian Christian organization that aims to give every Filipino kid an honest introduction to Jesus Christ.

Since 1970, Young Life Philippines, Inc. has been at the forefront in the mission of bringing Filipino kids from all over the Visayas to opportunities where they can have honest introductions to Jesus Christ.

Christ is the strongest, grandest, most attractive personality ever to grace this earth, but a careless messenger with the wrong approach can reduce all this magnificence to a level of boredom.

Jim Rayburn, Founder of Young Life
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FROM OUR STAFF

Check out what our staff members have to say.

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“Being a part of Young Life has given me the endless desire to serve God more through ministry. I have committed more of my time to listening to kids so I can deeply understand their feelings and emotions. Now, being a staff member, I can fully say that I have gained the courage to acknowledge that I can learn from them. Through YL, I have learned that I should put these kids’ needs before mine.”

Emma "Daisy" Saladaga

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“As a YL staff, dako kaayo og impact ang ministry sa akoa. Daghan og mga panghitabo sa akong life nga makaingon ko nga I’m so blessed because of Young Life. Young Life is my answered prayer. Ang YL maoy nakapasabot nako unsa kanindot og ka importante ang relasyon sa Ginoo. Ganahan sad ko nga unsa akong na experience sa ministry kay ipasa pud nako sa mga batan-on nga wa pa kaila ni Jesus. Karon nga naa na koy pamilya, ang akong ampo kay unta makita pud sa akong anak ang akong kalipay sa pag-alagad sa Ginoo pinaagi sa Young Life.”

Jeffrey "Jeff" Luague

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“It is in Young Life that I was able to deepen my personal relationship with Jesus. As a staff for almost 5 years now, I was able to find my place where I could enjoy knowing Jesus, and be part of a greater purpose and that is, to share the Gospel. I found a family that continually cares, encourages and guides me as I walk through life—A family that helps me understand that life is hard, but it's worth living. They (staff) always make me feel that I am not alone in this journey, that I have Jesus in me and that I have them as well. I can't wait for all the kids out there to have this kind of safe place where they could grow in their faith and enjoy the family that Jesus has given them.”

Dayanara Jai "Dayan" Alpuerto

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“As a Young Life staff and a leader, YL plays a vital role in my spiritual growth. It shaped me to who I am today and who I will become in the future. Even when I strayed back in 2013, YL gave me another chance to serve the Lord by continuing to welcome me and allowing me to serve as a volunteer staff in 2016. This ministry allowed me to be a channel of blessings to kids all over my area. And finally, I am so grateful to have been given the chance to get my kids and husband involved in the ministry.”

Mary Grace "Grace" Ybañez

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“YL has been God's instrument for me to take big and daring leaps in life. Being an Area Director made me realize that there is so much more to learn about myself, about this world, about the people in it, and about my true purpose and responsibility in this temporary place. It taught me to go beyond what I thought was my capacity and calling because I realized that I was not just called, but I am chosen—chosen to be in this amazing team. This is certainly a very magical place to be. The big and daring leaps are all worth it, and will always be worth it.”

Katrina Frances "Kaykay" Yasi

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“Being a YL staff helped me become a grateful person. Grateful for the opportunities to witness what God has been doing in our community especially among the youth. Grateful for every relationship I have with the other staff, adults, supporters, parents, volunteers and contact kids. Grateful for every blessing, miracle and even circumstance I get to encounter everyday for it all makes me a better and more dependent-on-Him person. Thank you, Lord!”

Melona "Milô" Yasi

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“I’ve been with Young Life since 2010 and have been a staff member for 5 years already. Young Life impacted my life in so many ways. First, I became a better person and have been blessed to be surrounded by people who encourage me to do better in life and make wise decisions. Second, being in Young Life helped me with balancing my responsibilities in both ministry and personal life. Lastly, being on staff helps me grow closer to God. It helps me know Him more and grow my personal relationship with Him.”

Kimberly "Kim" Codera

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“The people in Young Life have always been welcoming to me and to the other newbies even when I first set foot in a Young Life Center. It has become my second home and family. It was in Young Life that I found friends for life. It was in Young Life that I grew in my knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ. It was in Young Life that I experienced a "stirring" to serve God. As a staff member for more than thirty years now, this was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. When I gave up my dreams to serve Him through Young Life, I never guessed that in serving Him, I will fulfill all my dreams!”

Estela "Telay" Hernandez

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“Choosing to be part of the Young Life staff team was a life-changing moment for me. I had prayed for this and God answered my prayer. Now, I've been a Young Life staff member for almost 5 years and I can say that being on staff has been a big privilege. It has given me so many opportunities to do ministry in my own family and community. I am forever grateful because I'm doing ministry as a full-time job and I get to serve the Lord and enjoy His plan for my life. Indeed, God put me here for a great purpose. ”

Kizzy "Kiz" Ho

OUR STAFF MEMBERS

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Joyce Villamor

Area Director Cebu South
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John Paul Jeremiah Teves

Area Director NORSU YLU
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Cindy Lyn Tan

Area Director Talisay
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Mary Grace Ybañez

Volunteer Staff Lapu-Lapu
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LATEST NEWS & UPDATES

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Monthly Devotion: His Grace Abounds - April 2025

PASSAGE: 2 Corinthians 12:10
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

REFLECTION:
As someone who has been through a lot, I remember one particular storm that humbled me and reminded me of God's grace in my life. It was during the time my parents separated and my father passed away. It was one of the darkest valleys I went through.

My family was broken. Our finances were unstable. I was depressed. I wanted to end my life. I rebelled. I turned to alcohol. I neglected my studies. I partied a lot and indulged in worldly pleasures.

As I look back, I can’t help but ask myself how I managed to survive all that. Now that I’m older, things are starting to make sense. God gave me hope and strength. My pain has a purpose, my story can be someone else's source of hope, and even in my weakest moment, God gives me the strength to keep on.

God allowed me to experience those things because today, as I serve in ministry, I am working with kids who are going through the same situation and struggles I did. I thank God for the privilege to share with them how God rescued me, how God gives me hope, how God helped me survive, and how God changed my life because of His grace.

2 Corinthians 12:10 is a reminder that whatever season you may be in right now, do not give up. Just keep on going, because God is with us. Our weakness creates space for God's power. Life doesn't always make sense, but God's grace always finds a way. I didn't just survive, I witnessed God's grace in action.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your sufficient grace, love, and faithfulness. Teach me, Lord, to remain steadfast in any circumstance I face. Remind me of Your grace. I pray that my life will be a testimony of Your goodness and mercy. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen!

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Monthly Devotion: Beauty and Purpose in Brokenness - March 2025

PASSAGE: John 9:2-3 (NIV)
"His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’"

REFLECTION:
Some of the world’s most accomplished people overcame what others called “imperfections.” Beethoven composed masterpieces even after losing his hearing, and Helen Keller inspired millions despite being blind and deaf. Society often teaches us to see challenges as flaws or failures. At times, we feel like our struggles or perceived imperfections make us unworthy, but Jesus sees them differently. And what if those challenges are actually a setup for something greater?

Think of a cracked clay pot used to carry water. The cracks might seem like flaws, but as the pot is carried, water seeps through and nourishes the ground along the way. What appears broken can actually bring life and growth to others. In the same way, our struggles are not meant to define us but to show God’s glory as He works through them.


Instead of asking, “Why me?” we can shift our perspective and ask, “How can God use this for His purpose?” Our weaknesses, our challenges—these might be the exact things someone else needs to hear to find hope and inspiration.

In Japanese culture, there is a concept called ikigai, which speaks of finding purpose and fulfillment in life. Like the ancient art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, God restores our brokenness in ways that make us even more beautiful than before. He doesn’t just mend our cracks; He refines us, giving us a deeper sense of purpose. What once felt like a weakness becomes part of the unique story He is writing in our lives.

Let us find strength in God, leaning into prayer and Scripture to remind ourselves of our worth in His eyes, no matter our circumstances. Our perceived imperfections are not barriers but bridges for God’s glory. He can take what feels like emptiness and fill it with love and purpose.

PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for reminding us that our struggles and imperfections are not punishments but opportunities for Your work to shine through us. Help us to trust Your plan, knowing that You can turn what seems broken into something beautiful. Like kintsugi, may Your grace and love be the gold that restores us, making us even more whole and purposeful. Fill us with confidence in Your purpose and remind us daily that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Monthly Devotion: The Grace That Carries Me Through - February 2025

Passage:
1 Corinthians 15:10
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Devotion:
As I reflect on the things that have gone through in my life—the victories and failures, the seemingly impossible that happened—I realized that it was not my strength but the grace of God that carried me through. This quote perfectly describes where I am now: “I still have a long way to go but I'm already so far from where I used to be.”

This also led me to God's Word in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

I cannot take credit for any of these things because I know how weak I can be. There are moments when I am filled with doubt. Oftentimes I limit myself and what God can do through me, and I would just end up crying—feeling so down and hopeless. But despite all these emotional struggles, Jesus always rescues me. Jesus always saves me and He always saves the day.

Life may take us to many different directions, but it’s the grace of God that will keep us going and on track. In all of life’s challenges, let's have full confidence in God's grace. May we always find grace and discover what the Lord has in store for us. Whenever things get tough, let's be gentle on ourselves because He is gentle toward us. It is by His grace that He will carry us through.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for being the Father who cares for us and loves us so much that You only want what is best for us. Lord, thank You for showering us with the grace that keeps us on going. May we always seek You—nothing else—for strength and protection. Cover us from the worries of the day. As we face life’s challenges, we pray that You will keep us grounded in Your presence. Help us find patience and rest as we trust in Your loving care. In Jesus' name we pray and give thanks, amen.

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