Army capacitates young cultural minority professionals in Caraga

From the Philippine Information Agency (Dec 21): Army capacitates young cultural minority professionals in Caraga

Butuan City -- In its aim to enhance the potential of the young cultural minority professionals to become an agent of peace and development in the communities, the 4th Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion, Philippine Army capacitated the youth sector thru the conduct of ‘Young Cultural Minority Professionals’ Forum from December 21-22, 2016 at 4CMO Conference Room, this city.

According to 4CMO Battalion commanding officer LTC Rey Pasco, this the first in Caraga region to conduct such forum involving the youth sectors, who are mostly officers of the Caraga Mindanao Cultural Development, Inc. (CMCDI), an Indigenous Peoples (IP) youth organization which was organized by the 4CMO as IP Youth Leaders and Communicators in the region, student leaders from Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) in Butuan City and Muslim young professionals identified by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).

“The youths as future leaders of our society are considered critical and decisive factor in the government's fight against insurgency and violent extremism, for they will soon shape the course of our society, thus, there is a great need to properly address and educate the youth sector so as to deny the Communist Party of the Philippines – New Peoples Army – National Democratic Front (CNN) and violent extremists a source for their recruitment and to discredit the enemy's propaganda against the government,” highlighted Col. Pasco.

Col. Pasco added that lecturers of said forum are coming from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), NCMF, Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and 401st and 402nd Brigades of Philippine Army.

 “We invited speakers from the aforementioned agencies to discuss relevant topics, issues and concerns that affect the youth sector. We wanted to equip the participants with the right knowledge and capacitate them through a workshop to come up with an action plan for their respective community. Right after the workshop, they will present and explain their outputs to develop small group interaction and break barriers in expectation and pre-conceptions,” Col. Pasco underlined.

It was also learned that said activity will be replicated and conducted at the provincial and municipal level by the CMO companies in coordination with the brigades in the area of responsibility.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2041482298330/army-capacitates-young-cultural-minority-professionals-in-caraga