Clean teens in the scene
MANILA, Philippines - We can all agree that there’s nothing harder than being a teenager — those pimples, feelings, and mandatory math classes? Talk about torture.
The only thing harder than going through the motions of adolescence is feeling like you’re going through them alone. Having tons of questions, especially about the changes in one’s body, and not having the answers can be tough. Knowing this, personal care company Unilever pooled its top brands for the second round of Teen Week PH. Held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, the program aims to empower Filipino teens to be the best that they can be through knowledge on health, hygiene, and grooming.
“We visited about 250 schools nationwide,” says Teen Week PH president Mar Corazo. “We educated them on personal development and proper hygiene. We believe that doing these can help them boost their confidence and make them future-ready.”
Following the success of their first endeavor, the brains behind Teen Week PH have gone beyond merely discussing personal care with teens. They crowd-sourced teenagers’ opinions and preferences online to know what they’d really like to see in the program. More than thousands of votes and opinions flew in, with kids wanting to discuss their favorite OOTDs to who their favorite celebrities were.
With the help of Unilever’s personal care brands Pond’s, Creamsilk, Rexona, and Clear, Teen Week PH touched on a variety of topics based on a theme assigned per day. #MoveUpMonday discussed the various physical and emotional changes that came with adolescence. #TransformTuesday talked about beauty and self-esteem. #WorkItWednesday helped kids develop their confidence and enhance their talents. #ThinkBigThursday encouraged young people to pursue their passions, while #FutureFriday was all about forging friendships and building meaningful relationships with people around them.
Kids were only too happy to learn more about personal grooming while having fun; Teen Week PH’s kickoff was attended by more than 300 hundred students from different schools, who flocked to see some of their idols. Unilever invited a number of key youth leaders and teen influencers (called teenfluencers) such as Elmo Magalona, James and Phil Younghusband, Tricia Gosingtian, Laureen Uy, and a number of Pinoy Big Brother Teen former housemates. Needless to say, it was a riotous night — all in the name of some good ol’ grooming. The best part? Not a single math test was in sight.
We caught up with some of Teen Week PH’s teenfluencers and asked them a few things about being a teen — from what they wish they knew to what they will never forget.
YOUNG STAR: What’s one thing you wish you knew when you were a teen?
“I should’ve believed in myself more. Growing up, I lost my dad. And there was a part where I didn’t know where to get advice. Good thing my big brother was there to help me grow and be free.” — Actor and Rexona ambassador Elmo Magalona
What do you want teens to learn from you through Teen Week?
“Me and my brother (Phil), we wanna promote football and give teenagers more opportunities and show that there’s a fun side of football.” — Clear endorser and football player James Younghusband
What was the best part of being a teenager?
“Siguro yung high school. Sobrang YOLO lang. May mga pagsubok sa school, pero doon nabubuo yung barkada. Doon niyo na-try yung mga first time. Sobrang saya, daming tawanan. Yun yung mga hindi ko malilimutan.” — PBB Teen Housemate and Teen Week teenfluencer Fourth Pagota
