BARMM, UNFPA ink deal to teach comprehensive gender, development to Moro youth

The Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) on Tuesday inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to integrate comprehensive gender and development education into the region's curriculum.

Under the MOU, the Comprehensive Gender and Health Education for Youth (CGHEY) will be mainstreamed in basic education, alternative learning, Indigenous Peoples Education, special education, and the Madaris system in the Bangsamoro.

"On behalf of MBHTE, I affirm our full commitment to this collaboration with UNFPA," said Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal.

"This MOU serves as a framework for our shared mission, which is guided by the wisdom of Dr. José Rizal: that the youth are the hope of our nation. Therefore, we pledge to invest in their holistic development, ensuring their health and well-being as we cultivate the next generation of leaders,” he said.

The UNFPA, for its part, reaffirmed its dedication to supporting the Bangsamoro youth.

In 2021, the Philippines and Indonesia launched a CGHEY module that aimed to educate Muslim adolescents on critical information in the areas of anatomy and physiology, gender and development, health and nutrition, social relationships, as well as human relations and spiritual responsibilities, in the context of Islamic values and principles. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News