Rural Filipino Youth Participation in Local Governance: A Systematic Review of Barriers

This systematic review examined the personal, social, and institutional barriers that limit rural Filipino youth participation in local governance, their forms of civic engagement, their perceptions of local government, and gaps in the evidence base. Guided by PRISMA 2020 and thematic synthesis, records were identified through Google Scholar and supplementary database, platform, and repository searches. Studies were screened using predefined eligibility criteria, including an operational definition of rural settings, and appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Seventeen studies met the criteria as core rural or provincial evidence, while one national-scope study was used for context. Institutional and political barriers were the most frequently reported theme, including inaccessible governance spaces, patronage politics, weak civic education, and elite capture of youth councils. Personal and social barriers were also identified. Youth remained civically active through community organizing, volunteerism, social media advocacy, and civil society engagement, often outside formal government channels. Negative perceptions of local government were linked to exclusion, limited transparency, and tokenistic consultation. However, institutional and political findings were supported by a comparatively weaker evidence base than personal and social findings. Strengthening rural youth participation requires improved SK structures, sustained civic education, inclusive engagement, and genuine opportunities for youth influence, alongside stronger primary research to address methodological and geographic gaps, particularly through longitudinal, gender-responsive, and locally grounded studies across regions.