Three Silliman alumni to represent the Philippines in the 50th SSEAYP
Three Silliman University (SU) alumni have been selected among the 18 Philippine Participating Youth (PPY) for the 50th Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP), marking the first time three Sillimanians will join the Philippine delegation in the same year.
The alumni are Aprille Roselle Vince Juanillo (Bachelor of Mass Communication, 2020), Rhyn Anthony Nique Esolana (BA Foreign Affairs, 2020), and Shem Lord Rosales (BA Theater Arts, 2019).
SSEAYP is an annual cultural exchange program organized by the Cabinet Office of Japan in cooperation with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Established in 1974 to foster multilateral relations, the program brings together young leaders from Japan and Southeast Asia for cultural exchanges, dialogues, and other activities aimed at strengthening regional cooperation.
The milestone 50th edition celebrates five decades of regional diplomacy and youth leadership, excluding the program’s three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three Sillimanians will represent different regions of the Philippines. Juanillo, whose roots are in Sta. Catalina and Bayawan City, is the sole representative from Negros Oriental. Esolana, a native of Dumaguete City, represents the National Capital Region, while Rosales, who hails from Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, represents Region IX.
For Juanillo, their simultaneous selection is particularly meaningful, as it provides an opportunity to demonstrate how their shared Silliman education has prepared them to engage with fellow youth leaders from across the region.
“Not only are we making SSEAYP history by representing our regions as part of the 50th Philippine contingent, but we’re making Silliman history too. I’m incredibly excited to see how our Sillimanian upbringing manifests in the work that we do,” Juanillo said.
The three alumni have also assumed leadership responsibilities within the Philippine contingent. Esolana was elected Youth Leader, Juanillo serves as Assistant Youth Leader, and Rosales heads a subcommittee of the Cultural Committee.
Their involvement in SSEAYP also reflects the values they developed during their years at Silliman. For Rosales, the University’s emphasis on the Five Cs—Classroom, Church, Culture, Court, and Community—continues to shape his understanding of leadership and service, particularly in engaging with people from different cultural backgrounds.
“Silliman’s Five Cs have always resonated with me, especially Community and Culture…. As I join SSEAYP, I hope to embody these values by representing my community with humility, embracing cultural differences with curiosity, and bringing home learnings that can create meaningful connections and impact,” Rosales shared.
The three alumni also share a history of student leadership at Silliman. Juanillo served as Student Government President during school year 2019–2020, with Esolana as Vice President, while Rosales chaired the Student Government’s Socio-Cultural Committee during school year 2018–2019. All three were active in various student and civic organizations during their undergraduate years.
Their experience working together in student government has taken on new significance as they assume leadership roles in an international youth exchange program. Esolana said the responsibilities they carried as student leaders helped prepare them for the collaborative work expected of the Philippine delegation.
“Silliman was not just where we studied, but where we learned to lead, collaborate, and take responsibility for something bigger than ourselves. Having worked alongside Aprille and Shem in the Silliman University Student Government, it is fulfilling to bring those lessons into our leadership roles in the Philippine contingent as we represent our country on the international stage,” Esolana said.
The 50th Philippine contingent, known as Batch Sinagtala, takes its name from the Philippines’ cultural roots as way finders while honoring the legacy of the 49 preceding delegations. As official Ambassadors of Goodwill, the delegates are tasked with advancing the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through cultural diplomacy.
This year’s program also marks the debut participation of Timor-Leste and the return of the Philippines as a port of call and host of homestay activities for the first time in eight years.
The program includes organized dialogues, institutional visits, homestays, and cultural exhibitions designed to deepen mutual understanding among ASEAN and Japanese youth.
Following the program, the Philippine contingent will undertake post-program activities that will allow delegates to apply their learnings and contribute to nation-building.
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