COTABATO CITY (October 9, 2023) – Employees of the Bangsamoro youth Commission (BYC) reviewed the contents of the draft Bangsamoro Youth Code during a validation writeshop on October 6-7, 2023, in Cotabato City.
The writeshop aims to gather feedbacks and suggestions on areas that may need clarification, improvement, and revisions to enhance its overall quality.
BYC Chairperson Marjanie Mimbantas Macasalong said the youth code, or the Bangsamoro Youth Welfare and Development Code, aims to safeguard and strengthen youth development in the Bangsamoro region.
“It will establish a comprehensive framework to protect youth rights, promote sustainable development, and create mechanisms for participation in government,” Macsalong added.
The validation writeshop follows a series of focus group in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in September, where diverse groups of young individuals were involved to gather their perspectives, insights, and opinions about the youth code.
BYC, being the primary youth policy-making agency of BARMM, leads the drafting of the comprehensive Bangsamoro youth code. It is expected to be submitted to the Government of the Day in November this year after another round of validation writeshops.
The youth code will encompass provisions that address the contextualized challenges and aspirations of the Bangsamoro youth in areas such as education, employment, health, civic engagement, culture, and identity, among others. The draft will serve as a landmark legislation, providing a legal framework for the protection, promotion, and empowerment of the youth in BARMM. (BYC PR Unit/SAMN).
