YOUTH RIGHTS BRIEF

GENERATION PEACE YOU

YOUTH NETWORK
Prepared by Arlyssa Bianca Pabotoy
December 2021

INTRODUCTION
We are now living through a time where young people’s roles in society cannot be ignored.
While the age range for youth remains varied from one organization to the next, the age of
youth encompasses those from 15 extending up to individuals at 35 years old. From the
numbers alone, the youth cannot be discounted with data from 2019 showing that people aged
15 to 24 are about 1.2 billion, making up 16% of the world’s total population 1. In 2016, an
estimated 408 million youth, aged 15
15–29,
29, resided in settings affected by armed conflict or
organized violence.

With this in the context, the adoption of UNSCR 2250 - the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS)
Agenda by the UN Security Council in 2015 is a critical step recognizing young people’s
important and positive role in both the maintenance and promotion of international
internat peace and
security.

In his 2018 UNSCR 2250 progress study on the YPS Agenda United Nations Secretary General
Antonio Guterres emphasized: “For peace and security policy and programming to be effective,
it is essential to understand how the experien
experiences
ces of young people vary over time in response to
changing social, political and cultural landscapes.” 2

Within the Philippines, young people have consistently engaged in governance and democracy
through both formal and informal channels. Historically, nat
national
ional heroes such as Jose Rizal and
3
Andres Bonifacio were only 26 and 29 years old , respectively, at the peak of their participation
in the Philippine revolution (Velasco, 1997). As documented by the Official Gazette of the
Philippines, in the 70s, students
ts and other young Filipinos were in the opposition, leading the
fight for human rights and democracy, challenging the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. 4

1 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2019). International Youth Day. Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp-
https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/wp
content/uploads/sites/21/2019/08/WYP2019_10-Key-Messages_GZ_8AUG19.pdf
Messages_GZ_8AUG19.pdf
2 Guterres, A., Identical letters dated 2 March 2018 from the Secretary
Secretary-General
General addressed to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the
Security Council, United Nations, 2018, pages 3-4.
3 Velasco, R. (1997). Filipino Heroes. Retrieved from: https://dfa.gov.ph/images/AMabini/
https://dfa.gov.ph/images/AMabini/C__Managepoint_sessions_Diane_Rar848.pdf
C__Managepoint_sessions_Diane_Rar848.pdf
4 Official Gazette of the Philippines (n.d.). The Fall of the Dictatorship. Retrieved from: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/the--fall-of-the-dictatorship/

Generation Peace Youth Network

c/o the National Secretariat – GZO Peace Institute
G/F Hoffner Building, Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108
Telefax +63.02.84266064
generationpeacenetwork@gmail.com
By the numbers, young Filipinos comprise a significant weight in the
Philippine population. A 2017 st
study
udy by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
(PSA projected the
Philippine population to grow to a total of 109,947,900 with a youth percentage of 28.69. The
PSA divides the youth population into three segments: child youth (ages 15
15-17),
17), core youth (18-
(18
5
24), and adult youth (25-30)
30) (National Youth Commission, 2017) . The core youth of ages 18-24
18
years old comprise the biggest segment amongst all three with a projection of 14,190,804 in
population, a 0.28% growth rate, for the year 2022.

YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Formalizing the agenda for young people in the Philippines today, there are several youth
policies and government-initiated
initiated programs established and in effect.

The Philippine Youth Development Plan

Fostered by the National Youth Commission, the Philippine Youth Development Plan (PYDP)
(2017-2022)
2022) is a companion document to the Philippine Development Plan emphasizing the
participation and role of youth in society
society-building.
building. It also informs government development
partners such as civil society, non
non-government
government organization, international and national donors,
the religious, and private sector on social, economic and ethical opportunities of the gains of
the full engagement of young people in their respective programs and projects.

Participation is the key concept of the Philippine Development Plan. Youth participation in the
PYDP is action-oriented,
oriented, and measured in attendance, engagement and involvement in the
conceptualization and implementation of pro pro-youth
youth policies, programs and projects. This
participation
cipation signifies activity and builds upon attitude, awareness, intent and knowledge which
translate to practice. The nine centers of participation include health, education, economic
empowerment, social inclusion and equity, peacebuilding and security, ggovernance,
overnance, active
citizenship, environment, and global mobility (National Youth Commission, 2017). 6

Bangsamoro Youth
Adhering to the PYDP, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
also has its own Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC), whic
whichh aims to craft its agenda to be able
to respond to appropriately to the peculiar history and social context of the youth belonging to
three major ethnicities – Moro, non
non-Moro
Moro Indigenous People, and settler community.

The BYC is responsible for the drafti

drafting
ng of the Bangsamoro Youth Transition Priority Agenda
(BYTPA). According to the Bangsamoro Information Office (2020), the BYTPA 2020-2022
2020 is the
Bangsamoro Government’s youth development agenda “that addresses the peculiar social
context, considerations andd conditions as well as the pertinent needs and challenges
confronting the Bangsamoro Youth.”7 In the third quarter of 2019, the BYC started formulating
the Bangsamoro Youth Transition Priority Agenda in collaboration with leaders of youth

5 National Youth Commission (2017). Philippine Youth 2017-2022. Retrieved from: https://nyc.gov.ph/pydp/
uth Development Plan 2017
6 National Youth Commission (2017). Philippine Youth Development Plan 2017
2017-2022. Retrieved from: https://nyc.gov.ph/pydp/
7 Bangsamoro Information Office (2020). Bangsamoro adopts the Youth Priority Agenda. Retrieved from: https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest
news/bangsamoro-adopts-youth-priority-agenda/
networks and organizations
anizations from three major ethnicities in five
BARMM provinces: Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi
Tawi-Tawi.

A specific Bangsamoro Youth Development Plan has also been drafted to address key issues of
young people in the region. This plan has identified four priority agendas which include:
strengthening technical capacity for policy formulation, coordination, promotion, monitoring
and evaluation; collection of baseline data on selected areas for youth participation and
development; gathering andnd consolidation of monitoring and evaluation data on five priority
areas for youth participation and development; and the formulation of a comprehensive
medium-term
term Bangsamoro Youth Development plan covering the years 2023-2028
2023 (Ramos-
8
Jimenez, 2021).

Thee full description of the social context and conditions of BARMM’s multi
multi-ethnic
ethnic youth, ages
15-40
40 (BYC’s age range for the youth) remains a challenge. This is due to inadequate
disaggregated baseline data, and information on current youth youth-related
related interventions
intervent in the
region (Ramos-Jimenez,
Jimenez, 2021). The BYC continues to rely on data from the Philippine Statistical
Authority on BARMM population estimates and its youth population by age, category, sex, and
education. This will provide a comprehensive social sit
situation
uation and analysis on youth from both
BARMM mainland and island provinces, cities, and municipalities.

National Legislation and Government Programs

On a legal lens, youth participation is enabled through existing policies and government
programs specifically
ically tailored for young people to engage and take leadership roles in the
formal government system. This participation found structural support in Section 13 of the
9
1987 Philippine constitution which explicitly stated its recognition of youth in nation-building.
nation

The national policies and programs for the Filipino youth include:
Republic Act 10742 or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015 which aims to
establish adequate, effective, responsive and enabling mechanisms and support systems
that ensure
ure the meaningful participation of the youth in local governance and nation-
nation
building. Through RA 10742, the establishment of a Katipunan ng Kabataan was made
possible.

The Katipunan ng Kabataan serves as the highest policy policy-making

making body to decide on
matterss affecting the youth in the barangay. It is the responsible body for the election of
the Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson and members. The Katipunan ng Kabataan is
composed of all residing citizens of a barangay from ages 15 15-30
30 years old, must be
residing in their barangay for at least 6 months, and are duly registered in the list of the
Commission on Elections.

8 Ramos-Jimenez, L. (2021). More time needed to implement BARMM’s youth transition priority agenda. Retrieved from:
https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/09/opinion/columnists/more
https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/09/opinion/columnists/more-time-needed-to-implement-barmms-youth-transition-priority-agenda/871580
agenda/871580
9 Official Gazette of the Philippines (1987). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved from:

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-1987
1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic
republic-of-the-philippines-
article-ii/#:~:text=The%20State%20recognizes%20the%20vital,Section%2014.
ii/#:~:text=The%20State%20recognizes%20the%20vital,Section%2014.
 The Sangguniang ng Kabataan (SK), in consultation and with
concurrence of the Katipunan ng Kabataan, are responsible for the formulation of a 3-
3
year rolling plan known as the Comprehensive Barangay Youth Development Plan,
aligned with the Philippine Youth Development Plan (PYDP) and other Local Youth
Development Plans across all levels of local government – municipal, city, and
provincial. This serves as the basis in the preparation of the Annual Barangay Youth
Investment Program.

Priority program areas in the Comprehensive Barangay Youth Development Plan and
Annual Barangay Investment include: access to quality education, environmental
protection and climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and resilience, youth
employmentt and livelihood, health and anti
anti-drug
drug abuse, gender sensitivity, sports
development and capacity building emphasizing leadership.

To ensure the wide and multi

multi-sectoral
sectoral youth participation in local governance, the Local
Youth Development Council (LYDC) was established in every province, city, and
municipality. It is composed of representatives of youth and youth
youth-serving
serving organizations
at the provincial, city, and municipality level. The LYDC’s role is to assist the planning
and execution of projects and p programs
rograms of the Sangguniang Kabataan, and the
Pederasyon in all levels. It is funded by their respective Sangguniang Bayan, Panlungsod,
and Panlalawigan.

Capacitating Young Filipino Leaders

Information awareness and capacity building efforts run side side-by-side
side with these youth policies
and programs. Sangguniang Kabataan officials or any member of the LYDC are required to
undergo a mandatory program before they assume office. In their incumbency, elected youth
officials must attend continuing training progra
programs.
ms. These training include components on
Philippine cultural history, political systems, ethics, and ideologies, among others, and capacity
building on program and project development, financial management, and accountability and
transparency.

For the yearr 2020, the National Youth Commission has formulated and approved 20 policies
aimed at addressing major youth concerns, 11 of which are COVID
COVID-related
related policy focused access
to health care and work adjustments amidst the pandemic. A rapid assessment research on the
youth amid the pandemic, and other social media campaigns to promote health protocols were
also organized by the NYC.

Another response to the adjustment and disruption brought about by the COVID-19
COVID pandemic
are the SK Ako! E-Sessions.
Sessions. This is an online training platform designed to train and educate
youth leaders of the SK to create sustainable solutions in the context of a pandemic or a
disaster; and to expand their knowledge and on frameworks such as the Sustainable
Development Goals, SK Reform Law, and the PYDP. This program was implemented once a
month from April to August 2021 covering 33-4 regions per month. The fee to join the sessions is
1,500 pesos per head, chargeable against the SK Funds. Project
implementation is monitored by the Nation
National
al Youth Commission and the Office of the
Undersecretary of Barangay Affairs.

National Government Agencies

National government agencies such as the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also have a number of
programs that address the needs and issues of young Filipinos.

Under the DILG, youth programs focus on antianti-drug

drug abuse, local governance, and youth-specific
youth
policies at the local level. On anti
anti-drug
drug abuse, the DILG spearheads the Kabataan Kontra Droga
at Terrorismo (KKDAT) utilizing online virtual conferences for organizing, mentoring,
mentori training
and actively involving youth and student leaders in supporting the advocacy against illegal
drugs and terrorism. A total of 6,054 KKDAT Online sessions have been conducted nationwide,
as of November 2020. On local governance, the Seal of Good Local Governance, an
institutionalized, recognition-based
based award program to Local Government Units exhibiting
excellent performance, has three assessment criteria which include youth development.

Young Filipinos are covered by a number of programs that eensure

nsure the ability of young people to
engage in society through access to education, livelihood, and social services, among others.
Under the DSWD, there are three programs with young people as beneficiaries:

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a human capital development program
launched in 2008 that invests in the health and education of Filipinos from 0-180 years old
through the provision of cash grants. It is a support offered for young people to escape the
intergenerational transfer of po
poverty.
verty. The 4Ps program is composed of a Regular Conditional
Cash Transfer (CCT) and Modified CCT which includes households affected by natural hazards,
homeless street families & IPs in graphically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

The Residential and Non-Residential

Residential Care Program is a 24-hour
hour group living on a temporary
basis to poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families in crisis whose needs
cannot be met by their families and relatives. While this program covers a wide range of
sectors, youth who are eligible for this program are children in need of special protection, and
children and youth in conflict with the law and suspended cases.

The Sustainable Livelihood Program is a capacity-building

building program aimed at the provision of
viable interventions and support to improve socio
socio-economic
economic conditions by acquiring necessary
assets to engage in and maintain thriving livelihoods. Assistance under this program includes
the enhancement of skills through tech
tech-vocational and life skills training, among others. The
program also offers two tracks: Micro Micro-Enterprise
Enterprise Development (MD) involved in the
development of businesses or enterprises; and Employment Facilitation (EF) to seeking and
securing gainful employment opportunities with four modalities: Se Seed
ed Capital Fund, Cash-for-
Cash
Building-Livelihood-Assets
Assets Fund, Skills Training Fund, Employment Assistance Fund. Recipients
of the Sustainable Livelihood Program are the identified poor,
vulnerable and marginalized households.
A CLOSER LOOK ON YOUTH RIGHTS IN PRACTICE
In the Philippine Youth Development Plan (PYDP), guiding statements for its 9 centers of
participation are listed with their respective priority areas (National Youth Commission, 2017,
page 11).10 These nine centers include health, education, econo economic
mic empowerment, social
inclusion and equity, peacebuilding and security, governance, active citizenship, environment,
and global mobility.

While the PYDP covers the year 2017 to the incoming year of 2022, it was unable to account for
a global pandemic to occur within that time frame. The disruption brought about by COVID-19
COVID
encompasses both education and economy, especially for young Filipinos.Filipino Employment
prospects for Filipino youth remain low due to the freeze in hiring and choice of experienced
workers for fewer jobs. Joblessness is most pronounced among the youth aged 15-24, 15 who
comprise about 35% of the unemployed population. Data from Oc October
tober 2020 shows highly
urbanized areas that had to comply with strict community quarantine recorded the highest
unemployment rate: National Capital Region at 12.4%, Ilocos at 11.5% and CALABARZON at 11%
(World Bank, 2020).11

Unemployment rate of youth wor

workers
kers rose to a reported record breaking 31.6% in April 2020, a
steep jump from the unemployment rate of 12.9 % in 2019. The Philippine Statistics Authority
has also classified more young people as NEET or “Not in Education, Employment, or Training,”
which also mean that they are unable to contribute to the Philippines’ overall employment or
increased human capital through education or training (Halabisaz, 2020). 12

Thus, from the year 2020 to today

today, priority efforts of these 9 centers of participation in the
th
PYDP have adjusted to the immediate response and efforts to address COVID
COVID-19.
19.

Right to Education
Accessible, relevant, and quality education, both formal and non
non-formal,
formal, are the guiding
principles of the PYDP’s agenda on education. The agenda statement on education includes
learning and training of young Filipinos that not only prepare graduates to be globally
competitive, that are prepared to join the workforce and handle emergence of new
technologies, but also a youth who are responsive to national ne needs.
eds. (National Youth
Commission, 2017, page 11)

As of August 2020, data from the Department of Education shows that 23 million students are
enrolled in public and private schools, a significant drop from the 27.7 million enrollees in 2019.
For disadvantageded youth, immediate learning disruptions and learning inequality have also
been experienced.

10 National Youth Commission (2017). Philippine Youth Development Plan 2017 2017-2022. Retrieved from: https://nyc.gov.ph/pydp/
11 World Bank (2020). Building a Resilient Recovery: Philippines Economic Update. Retrieved from:
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/34899/Philippines
bitstream/handle/10986/34899/Philippines-Economic-Update-Building-a-Resilient-Recovery.pdf
Recovery.pdf
12 Halabisaz, F. (2020). [ANALYSIS] In times of crises, the youth is left behind. Retrieved from: https://www.rappler.com/voices/ispeak/analysis-in-times-crises-
https://www.rappler.com/voices/ispeak/analysis
youth-left-behind/
According to Halabisaz (2020), the challenge for students from more disadvantaged households
is the difficulty to continue their education due to the financial b
burden
urden brought about by the
costs of online distance learning. An internet subscription is a high cost for many Filipino
households, with the fact that average internet speed is among the slowest compared to
neighboring counterparts.

For decades, the Department

rtment of Education has operated the Alternative Learning System (ALS)
to offer second-chance
chance learning for out
out-of-school
school youth and adults. The program consists of the
Basic Literacy Program (BLP) which aims to eradicate illiteracy and the accreditation and
equivalency (A&E) programs, which targets people who are basically independent learners but
did not complete the formal elementary or JHS levels. Learners who pass the A&E exams are
awarded official certificates equivalent to formal school diplomas.

In the BARMM, Out-Of-School

School Youth and Adults (OSYA) have accumulated over the generations
with data showing only 1 out of every 10 students who began primary education completed
junior high school on time. Among the 1616-30 years-old
old population, close to 45% are from
BARMM, double the national average. In 2018, 840,000 enrolled in ALS nationwide, with 25,000
enrolled in BARMM.13

Existing Efforts for Education

While access to quality education remains a challenge for most young people in the country,
the opening off schools and facilities in provinces open up bigger chances to continue pursuing
an education beyond basic schooling. In the Cordillera Administrative Region, three colleges
have been granted an Autonomous Status by the Private Higher Education Institution,
Institutio namely:
Saint Louis University, University of Baguio, and University of the Cordilleras.

In Agusan del Sur, supporting the education programs in the province is the Maintenance and
Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) which allows for financial assistance to support special
curricular programs, activities under school improvement plans, minor facility repairs, among
others.

In the BARMM, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also serves
as an important partner in offering Tech
Technical
nical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses
in the BARMM. As reported by the Bangsamoro Information Office, as of the first quarter of
2021, beneficiaries of TVET courses include 3,453 scholars from disadvantaged sectors
completing skills, entrepreneurship,
preneurship, values transformation training, and a National Competency
Assessment. Other TESDA scholarship programs such as Private Education Student Financial
Assistance (PESFA), Skills Training for Employment Program (STEP), Training for Work

13World Bank (2019). Unlocking the Potential of the Bangsamoro People through the Alternative Learning System. Retrieved from:
https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Full
content/uploads/2020/07/Full-Report_Unlocking-the-Potential-of-Bangsamoro-People-through-ALS.pdf
Scholarship Program (TWSP), and Universal Access to Quality Tertiary
Education Act (UAQTEA) remain to support the Bangsamoro. 14
Right to Work
Encapsulated under the agenda of economic empowerment and social inclusion and equity, the
PYDP strives for young Filipinos to be empowered employees and entrepreneurs, protected
from work-related
related vulnerabilities such as child labor, discrimination, undue contractualization,
underemployment,
ployment, among others. It also strives for equal and equitable opportunities for
young people regardless of gender, religion, political beliefs, etc. (National Youth Commission,
2017, page 11)

In 2018, the Regional Statistical Service Office of the BARMM indicated that some 711,800 of
youth in the region
on belong to families with per capita income below the region’s poverty
threshold to meet each individual’s food and nonnon-food
food needs. More than half of the youth in
the region belong to poor families, with the highest poverty incidence at 58.9% in the same
year.

In the BARMM, mobility restrictions have led to work stoppages, reduced working hours or
unemployment affected work and businesses resulting in income decline. In the region, those
hardest hit are in the informal sector, many of whom are women. (UNDP, 2021)15

Existing Efforts on Employment

In 2019, the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs and the Catholic Relief Services piloted the
implementation of the program, YouthDRIVE or the Youth Driving Innovative Social Enterprises
for Community Transformation in tthehe province of Maguindanao. It engages both out-of-school
out
and in-school
school youth to generate business ideas, improve entrepreneurial skills, and formally
establish their own social enterprise. YouthDRIVE follows an ideation to incubation approach
through the facilitation and mentorship of partners such as the Mindanao State University –
Iligan Institute of Technology, among others.16

Also in the BARMM, people are able to access the Technology for Economic Development
(Tech4ED) Center inside the Ministry of Lab
Labor
or and Employment at the Bangsamoro Government
Center. A project under the Department of Information and Communications Technology, these
centers are delivery channels for relevant ICT
ICT-enabled
enabled services and content for socio-economic
socio
development of unserved and underserved communities in the country. More Tech4ED Centers
are set to be established in BARMM provinces with available connections and resources. 17 From
the Ministry of Social Services and the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC), a micro-enterprise
micro

14 Bangsamoro Information Office (2021). Opportunities improve for 3,453 scholars of MBHTE’s technical
technical-vocational courses.. Retrieved from:
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/opportunities
news/opportunities-improve-for-3453-scholars-of-mbhtes-technical-vocational-courses/
15 UNDP (2020). The socioeconomic impact assessment of COVID 19 on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Retrieved from:
COVID-19
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/socioeconomic-impact
impact-assessment-covid-19-bangsamoro-autonomous-region-muslim
16 Bangsamoro Information Office (2019). Maguindanao youth groups showcase innovative business ideas. Retrieved from:

https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/maguindanao
news/maguindanao-youth-groups-showcase-innovative-business-ideas/
17 Bangsamoro Information Office (2021). Tech4Ed Center to help job seekers and vocational learners in BARMM. Retrieved from:

https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/tech4ed--center-to-help-job-seekers-and-vocational-learners-in-barmm/
seed
d fund worth PHP 15,000 will be distributed to more than 1,000
youth across the BARMM who sustained the adverse effects of the pandemic. 18

On humanitarian assistance, the Bangsamoro Youth Commission’s “Lingkod Kabataang

Bangsamoro'' is rolling out its seco
second
nd wave with its initial run serving about 200 youth
organizations across five provinces: Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Tawi
For wave two of the program, Lingkod Kabataang Bangsamoro aims to help the Bangsamoro
youth hurdle socio-economic
onomic setbacks by providing food packs. BYC’s humanitarian assistance
is set to reach 2,500 youth with a total of 1.8 million pesos allotted for the program. 19

At national level, across the country, the Facilitation Youth School

School-to-Work
Work Transition Program
is an effort to support government reforms improving the employability of young Filipinos
through labor market programs and the provision of easier access to on -the-job training
schemes. Asian Development Bank Bank, through a $400 million policy-based
based loan,
loan supported the
Philippine government’s efforts in addressing out school and unemployed young Filipinos.20
out-of-school

Right to Health
On the agenda on health, the PYDP puts priority on the nutrition, reproductive health, and
psychosocial concerns of youth that are multi-sensitive, multi-sectoral,
sectoral, and inclusive through
programs, projects, and services. Data collected by GenPeace shows that there have been
programs designed to address these priorities across different regions. (National Youth
Commission, 2017, page 11)

In the CARAGA Region, Northern Mindanao, the Commission on Population and Development
(POPCOM) supported the full implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education by the
Department of Education (DepEd)
(DepEd).. POPCOM’s regional director noted a spike in teen pregnancy
in the region. DepEd CARAGA conducted an online training in March 2021 to enhance the
capacity and sharpen the skills of teachers integrating the subject into the curriculum. Target
recipients of CSE are K-12
12 basic education classes w
were students
udents ages are appropriate for sexual
21
and reproductive knowledge.

Implementing a grant from the UK Government’s Development Office, UNICEF’s COVID-19 COVID
initiatives in the BARMM include capacity strengthening on risk communication using messages
translatedd in local languages, access to essential nutrition and vaccination, and emergency relief
Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, and Basilan.22
support to island provinces – Tawi

18 Bangsamoro Information Office (2021). MSSD, BYC to distribute P15K micro

micro-enterprises seed fund to 1,000 youth. Retrieved from:
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/mssd-byc
byc-to-distribute-p15k-micro-enterprises-seed-fund-to-1000-youth/
19 Bangsamoro Information Office (2021). BYC humanitarian assistance to reach 2,500 youth. Retrieved from: https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/byc-
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest
humanitarian-assistance-to-reach-2500-youth/
20 Asian Development Bank (2019). Facilitating Youth School
School-to-Work Transition Program. Retrieved from: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project
documents/49117/49117-003-rrp-en.pdf
21 Commission on Population and Development (n.d.). POPCOM supports DepEd in Comprehensive Sexuality Education full implementation. Retrieved from:

https://caraga.popcom.gov.ph/popcom-supports-deped
deped-in-comprehensive-sexuality-education-full-implementation/
22 UNICEF Philippines (2020). UK Government grant to benefit 3M Bangsamoros. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/uk-
https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press
government-grant-benefit-3m-bangsamoros
In the fight against the spread of the COVID COVID-19 virus and
misinformation on the pandemic, the Coalition of Moro Youth Movement (CMYM), supported
by the UNDP and Australian Embassy in the Philippines, conducted a community education and
engagement campaign in the Bangsamoro Region. Along with a social media campaign, CMYM
also distributed over 700 sets of hyg iene kits to frontline workers in Lanao del Sur province.23
hygiene

Right to Participation
Under the centers of governance, and active citizenship, the PYDP puts priority in youth
participation through involvement in government programs, projects, and activities, and
national and local political affairs. Engagement that is active, meaningful, sustainable, among
others, are also the guiding goals for the agenda on citizenship, with the goal to improve the
plight of the youth. (National Youth Commission, 2017, page 11)

In 2019, more than 100 youth leaders from the BARMM created a five five-point
point youth peace and
security agenda to ensure youth interests are reflected in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority,
as well as the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security ((YPS).
YPS). Avenues to discuss key
concerns and submit recommendations to promote the youth agenda in relation to the
transition of the Bangsamoro had also been organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser
on the Peace Process in a YPS consultation.24

In
n terms of international support, the BARMM is well supported by foreign governments and
the UN System on projects and programs directed towards youth participation.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), through its Legislative Advisory Group in the
Philippines (FLAG-PH)
PH) initiative in BARMM, puts value in post post-conflict
conflict inclusion of youth
through food security by parliamentary efforts to enact legislation responding to the need for
more active participation of the Bangsamoro youth in agriculture. TThis his is complemented
through strengthening youth participation in both the development and implementation of
Food Security, Nutrition and Agriculture legislations, capacity building and strategic
communication efforts.25

Through an agreement by the BYC and UNDP, Bangsamoro youth are expect to receive more
programs on participation in peace, volunteerism, and leadership -- development and
implementation of Bangsamoro Youth Volunteers Program (BYVP), formulation of Regional
Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Sec Security (RAP-YPS),
YPS), and implementation of Youth Social
26
Innovation and Leadership Initiatives.

23 UNDP Philippines (2020). Bangsamoro Youth boosts community education and engagement on COVID COVID-19. Retrieved from:
https://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/202
https://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/202-/bangsamoro-youth-boosts-community-education
education-and-engagement-on-
co.html
24 Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (2019). BARMM youth ensured of key participation in Bangsamoro governance. Retrieved from:

https://peace.gov.ph/2019/06/barmm-youth-ensured-of of-key-participation-in-bangsamoro-governance/
25 FAO Philippines (2021). FAO’s support to promote youth engagement in family farming in advancing agriculture and enhancing food security in the
t
Bangsamoro region in the Philippines. Retrieved from: https://www.fao.org/partnerships/news-archive/news-article/en/c/1393260/
26 Bangsamoro Information Office (2020). More programs for youth empowerment and development in BARM BARMM. Retrieved from:
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/more-programs
programs-for-youth-empowerment-and-development-in-barmm/
The government of Norway and UNDP are also in partnership allowing
for the development and implementation of a regional plan on youth, peace and security by the
C, with the involvement of indigenous leaders in resolving horizontal violence.27
BYC,

Right to Protection and Security

For peacebuilding and security, the PYDP’s efforts are directed in the participation of youth
people in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, public order and safety efforts, as well as
safeguarding national integrity and sovereignty. Participation in peace and security matters is
also supported by the center on active citizenship with an agenda to foster engagement in civil
society, social mobilization,
lization, and values formation. (National Youth Commission, 2017, page 11)

In line with efforts to increase knowledge on COVID

COVID-19,
19, the Norwegian Government, UN
Women, and the Bangsamoro Youth Commission are taking efforts to mainstream gender,
increasing the knowledge and gender perspectives of youth organizations in programming and
planning in the context of the BARMM during in times of a pandemic. Participants in this
orientation drafted an action plan for COVID
COVID-19
19 mitigation including elements that respond
resp
with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Similar orientations for youth organizations in
Lanao del Sur and three other island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi were held in
February and March 2021.28

Youth from five BARMM provinces, including from special geographic areas and communities
outside the BARMM, participated in “iMPOSing Peace”, a three
three-day
day activity where participants
engaged in conflict analysis, discussions of peacebuilding efforts in Sulu and Basilan provinces,
youth, peace and security,
ecurity, BARMM transition extension, conflict monitoring and reporting,
mobile journalism, and project proposal creation.29

CONCLUSION
It is important to maximize spaces and policies that enable youth participation. In conflict and
post-conflict contexts, exclusion and marginalization of youth is often a common practice. As
cited by Ragandang (2021)30, when young people lobby for inclusion, they are less likely to be
heard. The perception of young people as transgressors and perpetrators of violence rather
than
han activists for peace are among the reasons for this continued exclusion.

In the Philippines, many efforts both national and international are already directed towards
youth participation but there remains a gap in ensuring this participation goes beyond
beyon tokenism
to actual meaningful and serious participation – through spaces for youth in decision making,
policy creation, and policy implementation. Continued quality support, both capacity and
financial, is needed for the Philippine Youth Development Plan to achieve the goals it has set

27 UN Philippines (2020). UNDP, Norway partner to strengthen peacebuilding in Bangsamoro Region. Retrieved from: https://philippines.un.org/en/100978-undp-
https://philippines.un.org/en/100978
norway-partner-strengthen-peacebuilding-bangsamoro
bangsamoro-region
28 Bangsamoro Information Office (2020). BYC, BWC, partners mainstream gender education to youth. Retrieved from: https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-
https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest
news/byc-bwc-partners-mainstream-gender-education
education-to-youth/
29 Bangsamoro Information Office (2020). MPOS grants ₱10k fund to five youth-led peace-advocating projects. Retrieved from:

https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/mpos-grants
grants-%e2%82%b110k-fund-to-five-youth-led-peace-advocating-projects/
30 Ragandang, P. (2021). The value of post-conflict
conflict inclusion of youth. Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/value-post
post-conflict-inclusion-youth
out in 2017, and more especially in a time where youth
unemployment and access to quality education are challenged by a pandemic, and history is
continually rewritten through misinformation on social media.

Engaging more youth in the discussions of critical thinking, leadership, human rights, and
proactive participation enables the preparation of a generation of young Filipinos who are
grounded in moral values that values truth, justice, and democracy.