The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) launched the 1st Mindanao Youth Convergence (MYC) on Wednesday, aimed at empowering young leaders on disaster preparedness and resilience.
Around 200 youth leaders from various organizations attended the two-day forum, designed to equip them with knowledge, skills, and training for disaster resilience and serve as a potential volunteer base for the planned Mindanao Disaster Resiliency Resource Center (MDRRC).
“The important thing here is the recognition of the youth’s ability. We will not allow them to be disregarded because soon, they will lead the nation-building,” MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said during a press briefing.
Magno highlighted the youth’s critical role in disaster resilience and its link to sustainable development for Mindanao’s growth, emphasizing their contribution to implementing policies such as the Mindanao Agenda, the Philippine Youth Development Plan (PYDP) 2023-2028, and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas vision.
“With Mindanao becoming more prone to disasters in recent years, MinDA is gearing up to establish the MDRRC. Your participation and commitment are crucial in shaping this center as a hub of knowledge, preparedness, and resilience,” Magno added.
The event’s opening featured the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) to institutionalize the MYC as a platform for youth networking and participatory decision-making.
“Our efforts today, both the young and the young at heart, will shape the future of Mindanao. But as they always say, it’s always better to start them young,” Magno said.
OCD Deputy Administrator for Strategic and Special Concerns, Assistant Secretary Hernando Caraig Jr. underscored their commitment to building youth capacity through regional training programs in partnership with MinDA.
“With the current partnership, we will schedule a capacity-building program specifically for the youth by region. We are also active in conducting all kinds of training, and rest assured that we will help and support the initiative of MinDA,” Caraig said.
BSP secretary-general Kim Robert de Leon pledged to enhance existing training programs through their local councils and collaboration with the OCD.
“We will coordinate with the OCD to ensure we can create integrated modules and training for our young people. Through MinDA’s facilitation, we can have a multiplier effect to reach more youth across Mindanao,” de Leon said. (PNA)