Teen pregnancy, early marriage, and vices topped a survey on youth issues conducted by youth organizations.
Respondents aged 16 to 25 years answered the survey conducted last year in regions 9, 10, 11, and 12 as well as in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao as a regional youth consultation and creative advocacy development.
KFPI founder Rosalin Aliya Agbon said the survey asked 1,233 respondents what are the major issues faced by the youth today.
Male respondents were asked what they perceive are the issues for both male and female teens. The same question was asked of female respondents.
Teen pregnancy topped with 54 percent, followed by early marriage as the major issues faced by female teenagers.
One hundred percent of the replies pointed to vices, like drinking, smoking, and drug addiction as major issues faced by the male youth.
The survey is part of Moving Mindanao, Youth Movement for Change a project of Kids for Peace Foundation Inc. (KFPI) and Young Advocates for Peace with support from the Canadian International Development Agency.
The detailed results of the survey were to be revealed last March 12 at the new Tagum City Hall in Tagum, Davao del Norte.
Surprisingly, the results of the survey show how personal issues weigh more than solving the armed conflict in Mindanao despite most of the respondents coming from war-affected areas of this island region.
The 23-year old Agbon explained that among the reasons behind this aspect are: (1) the youth today find personal issues more immediate and graver than the armed conflict; and (2) most of the youth today perceive that the armed conflict in Mindanao cannot be solved.
“The respondents grew up with the armed conflict as part of their everyday life. It’s always in the news on TV, in print, while some of them actually live in conflict areas themselves. I personally heard their opinion that the peace conflict can no longer be solved in 2008, that was during one of the conferences we held. We interpret the results of the survey that the youth today perceive that there is a deeper problem in society other than the peace conflict. These are the problems that the youth personally face everyday as he or she deals with people, most especially with fellow youth,” said Agbon, who grew up in Cotabato City.
Blueprinting Mindanao 2030, the youth version of the government’s Mindanao 2020, was also supposed to be revealed last March 12.
The Mindanao Peace and Development Framework Plan initiated by the Mindanao Development Authority asked the questions “How would the people of Mindanao like to see this island group in 20 years” and “what are the most critical things that must be done to get there?”
Mindanao 2030 is the youth’s reaction to why they were not asked these questions.
In order to find out what the opinions of the youth are, Moving Mindanao conducted the first island-wide youth consultation on August 28-29 in 2010 attended by 30 participants; the Moving Mindanao Youth Camp on October 8-12 which presented the cycle of armed conflicts in Mindanao which was joined by 65 participants; surveys and community consultations covering 1,233 young men and women; and numerous dialogues with agencies.
The event on March 12 highlighted ‘To Mindanao and Mindanawons of 2030’ – a letter-writing activity participated in by the youth. The letters will be placed in a time capsule and will be opened in 2030.
Three books (Koyu Keken, Ang Babaeng Naging Kalabaw, and Ang Unang Mosque sa Pilipinas) published by the KFPI will also be launched. [Jade C. Zaldivar]
