THE Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) has awarded P1 million in research grants to five young researchers under its Ideation Impact Challenge (IIC) 2026, supporting policy studies that aim to address key issues affecting youth in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
“This investment reflects our firm belief that Bangsamoro youth are not only beneficiaries of development but active co-creators of knowledge and solutions,” BYC Chairperson Nasserudin Dunding said in a statement.
Dunding said the selected proposals were chosen for their potential to generate practical, evidence-based solutions to community concerns.
Dunding said that each grantee received P200,000 to fund research projects focused on education, youth development, governance, and digital engagement, with outputs expected to inform policies in Barmm.
The grant was released to the grantees in a ceremony last week in Cotabato City.
Dunding said the five funded studies include research on pathways and prospects of out-of-school youth in Cotabato City; the impact of clan feuds or rido on education in Lanao del Sur; and, the academic and social experiences of students with physical impairments.
He said that also supported are a participatory action research project developing culturally grounded and gender-responsive school counseling programs for youth in Lanao del Sur, and a study promoting responsible and ethical digital behavior among senior high school students in Cotabato City.
The IIC is the commission’s flagship grant-based research program aimed at strengthening evidence-based policymaking while supporting youth-led and youth-focused, gender-responsive studies in the region.
It aims to generate practical policy recommendations, encourage interdisciplinary research, and build the capacity of young scholars and institutions.
Dunding said the findings from the studies are expected to contribute to regional policy frameworks such as the Bangsamoro Youth Development Plan (BYDP) 2025–2030. (SunStar Zamboanga)