DAVAO CITY – Youth leaders across different grassroots communities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are in favor of amending the Charter's economic provisions.
In a statement released to the media, several Moro youth participants of the consultative session on Charter change organized by Democracy Watch in Cagayan de Oro City believe that changing the economic provisions of the Constitution could benefit the people.
“We're OK with foreign investors because (of its) benefits to the people...because we are opening employment. The more we generate employment, we stop combat and (end) poverty,” said Abdul Abedin III, a student of the Mindanao State University.
Abesin believes that opening the economy to foreign investments could create employment as well as strengthen the tourism industry.
He said that the progress of Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates was due to opening up of their economies to foreign investments.
“As BARMM, we have been open to foreign investors especially in increasing Halal awareness and (developing) the Halal industry. We see this as a potential just like what happened in Malaysia and Singapore,” Abedin said.
Abedin said the United Arab Emirates started from scratch, adding that the nation did not settle with what was available in the Arab community.
While the majority of the participants support proposals to change the economic provisions of the Constitution, they wanted assurances that national security protection is strengthened and guaranteed.
For business student Jehvah Rosh Ha-shanah Cajilla, she hopes that the country should be globally competitive.
However, it could not be achieved without amending the Constitution, Cajilla said.
"Change is good although high risk but high reward naman if ma-implement natin nang maayos (if we implement properly)...if there will be restrictions from the lawmakers na mas ma-implement siya nang maayos (that it will be implemented properly). If ever there will be such risk, ma-manage natin (we can manage) in the Philippines,” she said.
She expressed support for proposals to amend provisions in the Constitution on public utilities, education, and advertisement.