Cheyenne Suarez

'Nakakagalit!' Gen Z'er chides Robin Padilla for calling today's youth 'weak'

Article (news)

gENZER

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<div> </div><div> </div>A spokesperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines fired back at Sen. Robin Padilla for branding <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/11/padilla-calls-today-s-youth-weak-warns-of-effects-of-social-media-1745">today’s youth as weak</a>, and that depression was unheard of during his time.“Nakakagalit talaga ‘yung binanggit ni Sen. Robin Padilla kasi parang minamaliit niya ang mga kabataan…ang tinuturing kasi sa usapin ng depression ay para bang kahinaan ng mga kabataan imbes na dapat hindi ito bine-bear ‘yung brunt o bigat ng usapin ng depression,” Brell Lacerna, national convenor of Kabataan Tayo ang Pag-Asa, told DZMM.Lacerna said that instead of weakness, many youths are actually strong because they are facing lack of free education and inaccessible healthcare at a young age.The youth’s knowledge about depression and mental health should not be seen as weakness, he said, but a way of resolving the problem. “Hindi dapat gawing taboo ang depression,” he said. In his speech, Padilla said children during the 80s and 90s &quot;were not prone to weakness&quot; and would spend their time playing in the streets or camping.“Ang mga bata po ngayon, sad to say, huwag kayong magagalit sakin, nako maraming batang magagalit siguro pero pasensya na kayo, you are weak. Hindi kayo katulad nung panahon namin na hindi kami iyakin. Natuto kami, natuto kami sa kalsada, natuto kami na huwag umupo, umiyak,” Padilla said.“Nung panahon namin hindi uso yung salitang depression. Hindi ko nga alam yun eh, kung ano yung depression. Ngayon batang maliit, sasabihin I&#x27;m depressed. Magulo eh. Kaya sana po pag-usapan po natin ito,” he added.The lawmaker mentioned that some senators like himself are inclined to regulate or ban social media, with his bill pushing for an age limit of 16.

A spokesperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines fired back at Sen. Robin Padilla for branding today’s youth as weak, and that depression was unheard of during his time.

A spokesperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines fired back at Sen. Robin Padilla for branding today’s youth as weak, and that depression was unheard of during his time.