Louella Mae Sas ||

The long-awaited awarding ceremony for the Philippine Science High School System Model United Nations Youth Summit 2020 (PSHS MUNYS 2020) was live-streamed last June 10, 2021, from 10:30 in the morning to noon. Aside from the coaches and participants, all Social Science teachers and Grade 11 students were also encouraged to watch.

With the year’s theme “Good Health and Well-Being,” the MUNYS aimed to provide the scholars an opportunity to exercise roles of responsible citizenship and leadership by organizing a platform for their engagement in meaningful research, inclusive dialogue, and constructive discussion patterned after the framework of the United Nations.

The youth delegates’ were tasked to do research about their country assignment and to formulate the country’s policies and action plans in ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all through the four programmes of the United Nations: United Nations Security Council (UNSC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

The PSHS-EVC was assigned the United States having eight participants and two advisers namely, Ma’am Noemi Agner and Sir Eman Patata.

The UNSC committee, with its members Nicole Anne P. Erroba and Manuel Rafael C. Quiero VII, was tasked to focus on the subtheme: strengthening the capacity for early warning, risk reduction, and management of national and global health risks. Their policy paper “Invisible Defense Against the Unknown War” asserted that the global cooperation in countering bioterrorism is critical and timely as the nature of the attack is random and requires tightened regulations to prevent gaps in security and that the US can protect the world by building its walls with its strengthened defense against the elusive but invasive power of bioweapons. The pair placed 1^st Runner-up for Best Policy Paper Presenter for the UNSC.

The UNDP committee, with its members Jean Lourd B. Misa and Louella Mae A. Sas, was tasked to focus on the subtheme: achieve universal health coverage and access to quality essential health care services. Their policy paper “Unmasking The Cost of American Health Care and Services” highlighted that there is an inequality in the access to health coverage in the US and the absence of regulated pricing structures and varied care delivery patterns prevent some individuals from getting the quality health services they need without being exposed to a financial burden. The pair placed 2^nd Runner-up for Best Policy Paper Presenter for the UNDP.

The UNEP committee, with its members Bryan Justine G. Dela Cruz and Jamea Marcy Y. Magallanes, was tasked to focus on the subtheme: substantial reduction of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals, and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination. Their policy paper “Safety First: Ensuring Healthy Water for Life” emphasized that the existing water safety regulations are capable of ensuring public safety from unsafe water. Enhanced surveillance, accurate data-sharing, and coordination of well-informed decisions can ensure that the existing water safety and regulation in the US could prevent a likely occurrence of a water crisis in the future.

Lastly, the UNESCO committee, with its members Julianna Rosh Nebrija and Shawn Elizarde, was tasked to focus on the subtheme: substantial increase in recruitment, development, training, and retention of good health and well-being of the workforce. Their policy paper “Bridging Health Gaps with Cultural Competence” stressed that cultural competence as part of medical care could result in a better quality of the health care system. Since informed choices may influence health outcomes, the role of culturally competent health workers is critical in ensuring that health concerns in LEP communities are well-expressed and understood.