Bangsamoro Youth Affairs to pursue sector development

 

Executive Director Salic Sharief, Jr of CDO-BYA

COTABATO CITY - The Coordinating and Development Office on the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (CDO-BYA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is bound to strengthen the implementation of its mandate in coordination with other line-agencies pertaining to youth affairs programs, issues, and concerns.

Salic Sharief, Jr., executive directorof CDO-BYA, said that based on Article 15, Section 7 of Republic Act 9054, the autonomous regional government is mandated to create the Office on Youth Affairs.

“This was created in recognition of the vital role of youth in the task of regional development towards nation building. It is mandated to develop, promote, and protect the physical, economic, political, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the youth in the autonomous region for regional development and nation building,” said Sharief.

Moreover, Sharief said the issues and concerns of the youth sector have to be centralized within their office before it is properly endorsed into different government line-agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry and the Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW).

“There must be coordination between and among line-agencies in the ARMM when it comes to catering with the various youth concerns. The ulterior objective of this office is to simply showcase relevant programs to empower the youth and out-of-school youth (OSY) and it includes monetary assistance so they could start with their very own livelihood activity,” said Sharief.

Sharief added that their office also gives awards to the youths with exemplary contributions in the society.

“This way, our young ones would be inspired as we help them land a better career for their own future.Technology nowadays is more than a set of skills or a tool for learning. On the Internet alone, youths can communicate, learn, and come together to tackle interesting issues that might catch their attention,” he said.

He said their vision is to build a just, peaceful, and humane society where it upholds the rights and enhances the capacity of the youth to live life at fullest according to the well-set morals and traditions.

“The Bangsamoro Youth is a product of our continuing quest for freedom and a just society. Challenges will always be there to test the strength of capacity to introduce transformative change and good governance to improve the lives of the Bangsamoro people,” said Sharief.

As part of their priority program, The Bangsamoro Young Leaders Program – Leadership Communities (or BYLP-LeadCom) was launched last September 11 at the Regional Education Learning Center of the Department of  Education-ARMM.

The BYLP-LeadCom is the initiative of a consortium composed of the Ayala Foundation, Inc., the Eisenhower Fellows Association of the Philippines, and the Office of the Regional Governor. The program has evolved from last year’s Basilan Young Leaders Program (BYLP).

At least 35 young Bangsamoro fellows were officially introduced as their 12-month leadership journey officially begins.

The launching was attended by the president of the AFI, RuelMaranan, the executive director of EFAP, Ariel Hernandez, Eisenhower Fellow ’99 Danilo Songco, and ARMM Governor Mujiv S. Hataman.

Earlier, the CDO-BYA also concluded last month a two-day job interview of applicants coming from the mainland provinces of the ARMM.

“We have opened doors to new applicants who are willing to serve the youth sector of the Bangsamoro. Coincidentally, a significant number of job-seekers applying for the vacant posts fall within the youth age bracket (15-30 years old),” said Sharief.

Accordingly, the panel of interviewers consisted of Executive Director Abdulhamid Alawi, Jr. of the Administrative Management Services and Manal Sugadol of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary.

Furthermore, the mission of the CDO-BYA are as follows: to enhance and promote the active involvement of the youths in the context of regional development and national-building; to promote and protect the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the youth; to inculcate into the minds and hearts of the youth the importance of brotherhood and camaraderie and inter-faith solidarity and its contribution towards the making of a great nation that enjoys the blessing of unity in diversity; and to promote and maintain the image and role of the youth as vital members of the society playing significant participation and support to all activities geared toward regional development and nation-building.

Meanwhile, with regards to the powers and functions, the office shall: provide institutional and effective youth plans and programs in the ARMM to ensure active participation in the government; develop viable measures, institutionalizing youth-related program and activities between the ORG and the youth sector in the area of autonomy; institute plans and recommend programs policies for executive issuance and in aid of regional legislation; conduct trainings and research concerning youth development in the ARMM; strengthen communication linkages with the ORG, LGUs, and other offices in the region; establish and maintain conduits with government and non-government organization, local, national and international, to keep the youth abreast with the development, projects and programs, including events and issues concerning them; promote and sustain information drive on youth programs and activities within and outside the area of autonomy; promote unity and cooperation among the youth; and perform such other functions as may be authorized by the regional governor. (ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)