‘YSpeak 2.0’: A safe space for face-to-face discourse
In 2004, social media was in its infancy, and having internet at home was a luxury enjoyed by only a few. So, when the youth debate show “YSpeak 2.0” first aired on television, it became a public forum for a generation that had plenty to say, but nowhere to broadcast it.
Today, having a microphone and camera in front of you is no longer the rare privilege it once was. With social media and digital tools, almost everyone now has a platform. What role, then, can a program like “YSpeak” still play? That’s the same question its upcoming revival hopes to answer.
While one might assume that its format—two opposing sides laying out their arguments, moderated by a panel, with a live student audience weighing in—is now obsolete, the opposite may actually be true. Because, sure, everyone can speak. But are others even willing to listen, much less engage in productive discourse?
Breaking echo chambers
Amid content saturation, voices inevitably get drowned out. We can easily delete comments and block people we disagree with, and our feeds inevitably show us only what they think we want to see. Behind anonymity, online debates can quickly become toxic.
But in a structured, in-person setting, it becomes much harder to dismiss someone as a “troll” when they’re sitting three feet away from you, and you’re compelled to listen to opinions and stories you would otherwise scroll past on your phone.
By reviving “YSpeak,” now dubbed “YSpeak 2.0,” co-producers ABS-CBN and Caritas Philippines aim to provide a “safe space” where people can disagree—even impassionately—and still emerge richer for it.
“Minsan, online, nagtatanong ka pa lang, binabara ka na, eh. You don’t see them, and you don’t even know their names. So it would be great to really talk to each other,” director Alco Guerrero says at a press conference. “We have to live through other people’s eyes, and the only way to do it is to look them in the face.”
And to break out of our echo chambers, it’s important to create neutral ground and include people from different social, political, and religious backgrounds and perspectives.
“There will be chances given to sides whose beliefs you don’t really agree with. There will be topics where you have your own personal biases, preferences, and principles. But we want to be objective and open to everyone, regardless of the discourse,” says Elijah Canlas, who will share hosting duties with Aya Fernandez, Robbie Jaworski, Ralph de Leon, River Joseph, and KD Estrada.
After all, the goal, Fernandez says, “is not to go home right and vindicated, but with a wider perspective and lens.”
Personal advocacies
While the original run revolves primarily around debate, this new iteration, Caritas executive director Fr. Tito Caluag says, will have more segments, such as in-depth conversations with youth personalities and street interviews. The hosts are also encouraged to speak up about causes they feel strongly about.
Canlas, an outspoken youth advocate, bats for mental health and autism awareness, the creation of safe spaces, and highlighting the struggles of Indigenous peoples.
Joseph, who used to own a business making eco-friendly bags from cassava starch, hopes to discuss environmental issues. Mental health is also close to him because he lost his brother to depression and anxiety.
Jaworski, the son of Pasig Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski Jr., has been exposed to public service from a young age and is an advocate for education and community development.
Meanwhile, Fernandez, who works closely with coconut farmers and Indigenous communities in Sierra Madre through her “eco-uling” (charcoal briquettes made from coconut waste) initiative, looks forward to sharing her knowledge on the circular economy and sustainable livelihoods.
Can’t run away from politics
With these discussions and debates on current issues, “YSpeak 2.0”—which premieres on ABS-CBN platforms on May 9—envisions itself as a bridge between online discourse and real-world civic action. They say today’s youth is the hope of the future, and the hosts agree that this can only happen if they feel safe and are empowered to think critically, speak up, and engage.
“We must take agency in the society and ecosystem that we live in, despite corruption, weakening trust, and the youth’s uncertain future. We want to show them and make them feel the importance of being open. Maging bukas tayo sa diskurso at sa opinyon ng isa’t isa para mas lumalim ang empathy natin sa isa’t isa,” Canlas says.
The persistent problems that plague the country can be overwhelming, but now isn’t the time to be indifferent or numb, Fernandez adds. “We shouldn’t freeze or back down. It’s time to rise up, listen, discern, and act.”
While politics and social issues are often tough, polarizing topics, no change has ever come from running away from them. “If we really care about the country, you have to face them,” Joseph says. “All of us have to face them.”
