Cee Jay Asotea Sureta is an 18-year-old from Manila, Philippines. After graduating from high school with Highest Honours, she is now undertaking a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Economics. From a young age, she has been a fierce advocate for youth empowerment and child representation, participating in her university’s Supreme Student Council and taking on the role of active youth leader in Children International Manila. 

Having attended elementary and secondary school in the Philippines, Cee Jay has noticed substantial gaps and faults in the curriculum, particularly when it comes to comprehensive civic education. The current educational system encourages memorisation and rote learning, leaving little room for critical thinking and practical application. 

Through her project “Active Citizenship: Imparting Civic Education on 21st-Century Learners”, she is determined to address this issue. Her campaign falls in line with SDGs 4 (“Quality Education”), 11 (“Sustainable Cities and Communities”), and 16 (“Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions”). 

Cee Jay strongly believes that the cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy lies in active civic engagement, which should commence with the youth. As such, she is planning on conducting an educational seminar for a large group of students at F.G. Calderon Integrated High School. To prepare students to become contributing members of society, she intends on educating them on civil and constitutional rights, as well as fundamental political concepts and government processes. 

To widen the reach of her project, Cee Jay is partnering with the Supreme Student Government (SSG) and has invited influential government officials to join the seminar. She also plans on sharing her project on the Facebook pages of both Pasig City and Manila Public Information Offices, collectively reaching an audience of 1.5 million. 

Cee Jay is dedicated to equipping students with the necessary tools to engage in civic action. Her aspiration is for the seminar to enable students to strengthen their critical thinking skills while fostering a healthy and productive discussion surrounding politics.