Dingdong Dantes

Matinee idol and youth advocate Dingdong Dantes announced last Thursday that he will lead a big gathering of youth on Sunday at the Quezon City Risen Garden near Quezon City Hall.

He said at the press conference for the newly formed Advocates of Youth and Students for Noynoy Aquino (AYOS NA) held at the Romulo Cafe that “Pinoy Gen Next, the biggest block of Filipino youth voters, supports Noynoy Aquino – the symbol of hope and change for our country.”

Gen Next (or Generation Next) refers to Filipinos born from the late 1970s to the late l990s. Political spin doctors have targeted this huge demographic and voters group in an attempt to duplicate the success of the youth-powered Obama presidential campaign in the US last year.

Dingdong, along with Bagong Henerasyon founder and AYOS NA National Convenor for Luzon Bernadette Herrera-Dy, Mujiv Hataman of Anak Mindanao, Laguna youth leader Ruth Acero and other provincial youth leaders declared that they will lead more than 5,000 young leaders and achievers in the first public gathering of the AYOS Na on Sunday in QC.

Dingdong told Manila Bulletin he is supporting Noynoy Aquino because “I believe I’m inclined to do so, aside from the fact that I was invited by the Aquino family to help endorse Noynoy, I believe that the Filipino youth deserves nothing less than a good and faithful leadership through Kuya Noynoy.

I believe that he is the symbol of hope and change in our country. Through his clean intentions of having good governance, it makes us young ones energetic and inspired in our desire to excel, more now than ever for our future.”

As to Sunday’s activity, Dingdong said “we will not only celebrate the success stories and best practices of Pinoy Gen Next leaders and achievers but, foremost of all, we will make out common pledge to organize and mobilize at least 500,000 youth volunteers for Kuya Noynoy in the 2010 polls.”

Earlier, Dingdong and rumored girlfriend Marian Rivera participated in the Senator’s first star-studded infomercial.

AYOS NA secretary general Elmer Argano also announced that Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad, a young legislator herself and the apple of the eye of Sen. Noynoy Aquino, will deliver her own message of support for AYOS NA in Sunday’s event which will be followed by a mini-concert. Performers include Bandaoke, Michelle O Bombshell, Geoff Taylor, Francheska Farr, Aljur Abrenica, Kris Bernal and singers from the Bagong Himig of Bagong Henerasyon CD album like Jessa Mae Gabon, OJ Mariano, Josh Santana and other young artists and bands.

After this opening salvo, AYOS NA will also have sorties in Davao and Butuan on Dec. 5 and in Laguna on Dec. 14. Likewise, the new youth movement will hold “Night With the Stars” on Dec. 22.