COTABATO CITY (December 18, 2024)—Twenty-five youth volunteers are now ready for deployment as they completed a three-day training given by the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) on December 15-17 in Cotabato City, marking the inception of its Bangsamoro Youth Volunteers Program (BYVP).
The training, dubbed BYVP: PeaceVoltz or Peace Volunteers, aimed to prepare the volunteers for their official deployment by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to community development and governance in the Bangsamoro region.
Throughout the training, participants engaged in a series of workshops and discussions on leadership and workplace readiness, effective communication, conflict sensitivity and peace promotion, principles of volunteerism, action planning, among others.
Resource speakers from the BYC, BARMM ministries, and development partners provided insights and hands-on activities designed to empower the volunteers as agents of change.
The sessions highlighted a panel talk on scaling up one’s advocacy that featured officials from the Ministry of Social Services and Development, the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government, and the BYC, where they inspired the participants with their personal and professional advocacy experiences.
The participants are selected community partners from eight towns of SPMS Box in Maguindanao del Sur who are already formed in youth organizations through BYC’s ‘Youth Empowerment in the SPMS Box.’ This year’s VYBP forms part of the said project.
In her message, BYC Commissioner Pratima Sabal-Samsaraji emphasized the crucial role of the youth in building a peaceful and progressive Bangsamoro. “Through this program, we hope to harness the energy and commitment of the youth to drive meaningful change in their communities,” he said.
The training also provided the volunteers with a deeper understanding of the Bangsamoro identity, history, and aspirations, ensuring that their work aligns with the cultural and societal needs of the region.
It also aligns with the observance of the National Volunteers Month in the Philippines pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 55, series of 1998.
Following the training, the youth volunteers will be deployed to various Bangsamoro Government agencies in January 2025 for four-week work immersion, where they will apply their skills, gain practical experience in government and public service, and receive further mentorship.
With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), BYVP forms part of BYC’s broader mission to empower the youth as proactive contributors to the region’s development.
In 2020, the BYC partnered with the UNDP to lay the groundwork for the Bangsamoro Youth Volunteers Program (BYVP) and other youth-focused initiatives. In the succeeding years, a technical working group was established, leading to the development of the program’s operations manual.
With its continued commitment to empowering young leaders, the BYC aims to expand the BYVP in the coming years, reaching more communities and encouraging more youth to take an active role in peace and nation-building. (BYC PR Unit/KAA)
