OBYA conducting prov’l youth summits

OBYA Executive Director Salic Sharief, Jr. (GILMHAR A. LAO / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY --- The Office on the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (OBYA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has conducted series of youth summits in the component provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Sulu.

OBYA Executive Director Salic Sharief, Jr. said they have staged these events so the youth sector could have a venue to air out their issues and concerns. Tawi-tawi is set to hold its own summit.

“Last November, we have profiled our youth organizations, youth volunteers, out-of- school youths, special youth groups such as drug dependents and those arrested and have surrendered to authorities arrested, persons with disabilities, as well as extremists,”  authorities,” said Sharief.

He said the profiling of these youth groups is necessary for the matching of  programs most appropriate to their needs and concerns.

Sharief said their office is also conducting series of focus group discussions (FGDs) to deeply interact with the “emerging leaders of this generation.”

“We have conducted at last three to four rounds of FGD in the communities so that during the provincial summit, the issues are already clarified and easily consolidated. We invite the youths from other provinces as we go from one province to another. That way, they interact and better understand each other through communication,” said Sharief.

Sharief shared a few sentiments of the youths in some rounds of the summit, quoting them as saying: “They won’t listen to us, they only use us, and the concerned agencies don’t actually help us.”

“The purpose of this summit is to have a venue to consolidate their concerns, identify their strengths and challenges, and suggest programs they think would suit them,” he added.

Sharief said the OBYA plans to conduct a “regional youth summit” this December in close coordination with the Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA)-ARMM.

“Our intention is not to do a standalone program but to recognize the need to coordinate with other concerned agencies. Te RLA has already started this endeavour in the past.
We are more than happy that they are willing to facilitate the upcoming regional youth summit,” he said.

Sharief added that the regional summit would provide them the track in formulating a “Bangsamoro youth development and peace building plan” for the years 2017-2022.

“This would serve as our guide to the different programs we are going to implement in the coming years. We certainly want a clear direction and rest assured we are going to highlight progressive programs for the youths. There must be sense of ownership for them during the formulation of the plan,” he said. (GILMHAR A. LAO / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)