Cotabato City (August 13, 2020) – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has adopted a priority agenda for 2020-2022 that would guide the regional government in “developing the youth in the region.”
The Bangsamoro Youth Transition Priority Agenda (BYTPA) 2020-2022 is the Bangsamoro Government’s youth development agenda “that addresses the peculiar social context, considerations and conditions as well as the pertinent needs and challenges confronting the Bangsamoro Youth.”
BYTPA 2020-2022 was drafted by the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) along with other regional line agencies and development partners.
BYC Chairperson Marjanie Macasalong said during his State of Bangsamoro Youth Address (SBYA) on Wednesday, August 12, that the BYTPA adheres to the vision, mission and framework of the National Youth Commission’s Medium Term Philippine Youth Development Plan.
BYTPA focuses on five agenda centers including Health, Governance, Peacebuilding and Security, Education, and Active Citizenship.
The official launching of BYC was also held on Wednesday’s event.
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim signed on April 14, 2020 the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 10 that officially created and established the BYC in the Bangsamoro Government.
Macasalong added that the BYC is mandated to be the primary policy-making and coordinating body of the Bangsamoro Government in all matters affecting youth.
Macasalong also highlighted BYC’s accomplishments that include a series of consultation with youth on peace and security, youth formations, and the ‘Lingkod Kabataan Bangsamoro’, a humanitarian relief operation that distributes relief goods to Bangsamoro youth across the region, among others.
Different ministries and other development partners also delivered messages of support for the establishment of BYC and the BYTPA 2020-2022.
Minister Mohagher Iqbal of the Basic, Higher and Technical Education said Bangsamoro’s development can be credited to the wisdom of its elders, and the strong ideals of its youth.
During Wednesday’s event, Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) and Macasalong also inked a Memorandum of Agreement on MILG’s Engaging the Sangguniang Kabataan, Empowering the Youth (ESKEY) Program. ESKEY aims to provide a platform for the SK and other stakeholders where they can engage the regional and local governments in developing the youth sector.
The event forms part of the BARMM celebration of the International Youth Day 2020.
International Youth Day is an international day dedicated by the United Nations to raise awareness on the cultural and legal issues surrounding the youth. This year’s celebration bears the theme “Youth Engagement for Global Action.”
Andrew Morris, Chairperson of the United Nation Youth Technical Working Group in Mindanao, highlighted the importance of youth participation in decision-making.
“The spirit of the theme for this year is youth engagement. Without the full involvement of young people, a lot of our decision-making may not be the best decision,” Morris said.
On the same day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), together with Y-PEER Pilipinas launched an online dialogue of the youth and selected officials of the government to discuss the problems and solutions of young people on health, education, livelihood, human rights, and peace issues. (Bureau of Public Information)
