BARMM trains SK officials, youth sector thru ‘ESKEY’

Bangsamoro Youth Commission Chairperson Marjanie Mimbantas Macasalong (in green polo shirt) during the capacity building training of Sangguniang Kabataan and youth organizations on July 16 to 18, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Bangsamoro Information Office) 

COTABATO CITY – Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials, youth development officers, and council members across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have undergone a serie“performing and functioning institutions”.

The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) and the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) conducted the mandatory trainings through a collaborative initiative dubbed as ESKEY or “Engaging the SK, Empowering the Youth”. 

Trainings covered the topics of Republic Act 10742 or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015, decentralization and local governance, meetings and resolutions, budgeting and planning, and Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Marjanie Mimbantas Macasalong, BYC chairperson, said trainings are directed towards equipping the youth leaders for better governance in the Bangsamoro region.

“We have been doing this activity in order to instill a strong foundation for the proceeding generation,” he said.

Around 120 Local Youth Development Officers (LYDOs) and members of Local Youth Development Councils (LYDC) from 12 towns in Lanao del Sur have undergone the said trainings on July 16 to July 18.

Nasserudin Dunding, BYC commissioner for Maguindanao and special geographic areas, said trainings are being conducted in order to support the implementation and realization of their mandates to uplift the lives, perspectives, and empowerment of the youth sector in their communities.

“The Bangsamoro Government remains committed to support the empowerment and development of the youth sector. We envision that these trainings will capacitate you in order to deliver your mandate in your respective communities,” he said.

In the province of Maguindanao, 527 SK officials underwent the trainings in April and May. About 150 LYDOs and members of LYDC from 15 towns in Maguindanao underwent similar trainings in June.

On July 12, similar mandatory trainings were conducted in Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi for their first batch, while schedule for Basilan and Sulu participants will be on August.

ESKEY is a partnership program between the MILG and BYC that aims to ensure that the youth leaders in Bangsamoro region are engaged, connected, informed, and capacitated. The partnership started in August 2020. (BANGSAMORO INFORMATION OFFICE / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)