COTABATO CITY (PIA) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Bangsamoro government have organized a voter education forum to educate the youth on the salient provisions of the Bangsamoro Election Code (BEC) and encourage youth participation in the May 2025 elections.
The forum was implemented by the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) – Maguindanao, in partnership with the Democracy and Development for Meaningful Progress, Inc. (IDDMP), and with support from the Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF) of the Bangsamoro Parliament.
More than 3,000 youth leaders from different areas in the region participated in the recent activity, which was held at the Cotabato State University in this city.
According to the BYC, the one-day event was part of a series of campus tours aimed at educating and engaging the youth in the electoral process of the Bangsamoro region.
In his message, BYC Commissioner Nasserudin Dunding emphasized the significance of preparing young voters for the upcoming parliamentary election in the region, the first of its kind in the country. He highlighted that youth participation is essential for shaping the region’s future.
“Our engagement and participation are vital not only for our own future but for the future of our communities as a whole, including the gains of the Bangsamoro Peace Process, na inalayan ng dugo, pawis at buhay ng ating mga mahal na Mujahideen (with the blood, sweat, and lives of our beloved Mujahideen),” Dunding said.
The decisions made during elections significantly impact Bangsamoro people’s education, job opportunities, health services, and other aspects of their lives, with the youth playing a significant role.
“It is vital to understand the Bangsamoro Electoral Code as it provides the framework that ensures the voices of the people are heard,” he added.
The forum also included discussion of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the BEC, common election offenses, and the Islamic perspective on elections, and conducted a demonstration using an automated counting machine.
The BYC plans to conduct similar forums in other universities across the region to inform more youth on the importance of their active participation during elections. (With reports from BYC-BARMM)
