COTABATO CITY (August 27, 2024)—The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) has awarded the second tranche of seed grants totaling three million pesos to beneficiaries of its Youth Reintegration Program (YRP), a project funded by the Special Development Fund (SDF).
The awarding ceremony took place on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, in Cotabato City during the International Youth Day (IYD) celebration organized by the BYC, where Chairperson Marjanie Mimbantas Macasalong delivered the 5th State of the Bangsamoro Youth Address (SOBYA).
The seed grants were distributed to 10 cooperatives managed by former young combatants and children of former Mujahideen fighters. Each cooperative received ₱300,000 in addition to the ₱600,000 initially granted in December 2023.
These 10 youth-led cooperatives, which were formed as part of the reintegration program, are now actively operating in their respective communities and are expected to enhance their socio-economic opportunities.
In total, the beneficiaries received ₱13.6 million in grants, broken down into cooperative capital, sole proprietorship business capital, and training kits and allowances.
Chairperson Macasalong stated that the initiative seeks to address challenges faced by conflict-affected youth, support their successful reintegration, and empower them to become productive members of society.
In late 2023, the beneficiaries received technical and vocational skills training, followed by cooperative governance and management training in early 2024 provided by the Technical Education and Skills Development of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE-TESD), and Cooperative and Social Enterprise Authority (CSEA), respectively.
As a policy-making and coordinating agency for youth affairs, the BYC intends to derive relevant policy actions and developmental agendas from the outcomes of this project. These outcomes will serve as foundational elements that the Commission will advocate for across its coordinating bodies. (BYC PR Unit/KAA)
Also read: BYC awards ₱13.6M seed grant to 200 former young combatants, sons and daughters of Mujahideen
