Bangsamoro youth boosts community education and engagement on COVID-19 

Lanao del Sur, 25 May 2020 – The Coalition of Moro Youth Movement (CMYM) conducted a community education and engagement campaign to fight misinformation on COVID-19 in the Bangsamoro Region.

With support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, the CMYM conducted its information dissemination efforts in Lanao del Sur and other areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through social media to curb the spread of fake news and misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Capitalizing on their significant social media following, the CMYM shared materials providing updated information and responses to frequently asked questions about COVID-19. These were translated into Maranao, the local language in Lanao del Sur, in order to adapt to the local communities in the province.

In areas where internet connection is limited, the CMYM distributed flyers to ensure that people are updated with correct information and also partnered with local radios to further disseminate information in remote areas. The youth coalition also partnered with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members, faith-based leaders and local government units in their COVID-19 prevention and response efforts.

“I commend and support this initiative as it would minimize the impact of the pandemic to our community. It is not unknown to us that this false information sometimes ends up being more harmful than the pandemic itself,” said MP Marjanie S. Mimbantas Macasalong, Member of Bangsamoro Transition Authority and Executive Director of Bangsamoro Youth Commission.

Alongside the BARMM government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the region, the CMYM also distributed over 700 sets of hygiene kits among frontline workers in 54 barangays in Lanao del Sur province. Among the recipients were members of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPAT) and Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT). The hygiene kits distribution was also supported by the Bangsamoro Youth Commission and the Office of MP Marjanie Macasalong.

The CMYM is a consortium of Moro youth groups advocating for peace and inclusive development.