COTABATO CITY (August 17, 2023) – The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) has started drafting the Bangsamoro Youth Welfare and Development Code (BYWDC) through a series of focus group discussion.
The first leg of FGDs started on Monday, August 14, and ended on Wednesday, August 16, in Cotabato City, that involved BYC officials, key personnel, and youth organizations from Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and Special Geographic Areas of North Cotabato.
The activity aims to gather valuable insights, perspectives, and ideas to draft a youth code that will promote, protect, and empower the Bangsamoro youth.
The BYWDC is a landmark legislation that will provide a comprehensive framework to safeguard youth’s rights, ensure their holistic development, and enable their meaningful participation in decision-making processes within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
BYC Chairperson Marjanie Mimbantas Macasalong said it is essential to establish a legal framework especially tailored to address the unique needs and concerns of the Bangsamoro youth who constitute a significant protion of the region’s population.
“The BARMM Government seeks to empower the youth by providing them with legal framework that recognizes and protect their rights, ensures access to quality education and employment opportunities, enhances their physical and mental well-being, fosters their cultural and religious identities, and promotes their active participation in governance and community development,” Chairperson Marjanie said.
BYC was created and established through the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 10 in 2020. Being the primary policy-making agency of the Bangsamoro Government on all matters affecting the youth, BYC leads the drafting of the youth code, to create an environment that empowers young people, fosters their growth and well-being, and ensures active involvement in shaping the future of the region.
A series of FGD across the Bangsamoro region will be held to collect several stakeholders’ concerns and perspectives on BARMM youth code.
The draft youth code is expected to be finished in November 2023. (PR Unit/SAMN)
