“PFP is a family of inspiring people who see a better place through engaging in experiential learning that promotes peace through games."
—Tweety Manayan, Youth Facilitator, Play for Peace Cebu
Tweety Manayan joined the Play for Peace Cebu club when she was in junior high school. As an active youth volunteer, she was looking for more soulful adventures and wanted to learn more. Through PFP, she met other facilitators who shared the same quest for meaningful contributions to the community. In a community craving collaboration, Tweety took the opportunity while hosting her first Play Session, to encourage collaboration. In the Philippines, communities are divided into sitios, which are most commonly related to rural areas in the U.S., and the elders have clashes with other sitios. Tweety finds that acting as one community is quite a complex problem, and that the youth tend to separate themselves and connect less with others. Tweety shared that common youth problems stem from family dysfunction, financial burdens, peer pressure, and challenges in school. Youth who have no healthy outlet to address these issues are
often stricken with anxiety and depression, and those who lack a strong support system could lead to thoughts of uselessness, hopelessness, and suicide. This is where a family—like Play for Peace—comes in.
“Youth need support as they journey through life,” Tweety said. Inspired by its core values of fun, inclusion, cooperation, and caring, PFP accepts anyone and listens to anyone without judgment. By creating a venue for recreation through games and play, the atmosphere helps to transport youth into a safe space.
“PFP creates a circle of trust and support for whoever needs it,” Tweety said. Though creating programming for the Cebu club is relatively simple, it is quite difficult for youth in the group to see their own purpose. Opening their eyes and molding them for higher purpose is a tough job, and Tweety’s challenge is to provide another way of learning through experience. PFP gives her more knowledge on how to handle and connect with people and makes her realize how one can create a better community through fun and games.
