Unicef: BARMM children still ‘left behind’
DAVAO CITY—Despite the “significant gains” in improving the plight of children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), “too many children are still being left behind” by development, a United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) official said.
“BARMM still lags behind in most social sector indicators,” said Kyungsun Kim, Unicef Representative to the Philippines.
Kim spoke during the 5th Bangsamoro International Development Partners Forum (BIDPF) held here last week, which gathered 200 officials and representatives of major international, national and regional institutions working in BARMM.
She described the dire situation facing children in the Bangsamoro region. For one, one in three children is unable to attend school due to persistent barriers in poorer and more remote communities.
In addition, more than one in three children remain chronically malnourished, undermining brain development, school readiness and lifelong productivity.
Lasting effects
Only one in two children is fully immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases, exposing them to potentially fatal outbreaks.
About four in 10 children live in poverty, and many more experience multidimensional deprivation.
“These challenges are intensified by factors such as where they live, gender, disability, ethnicity and household income level,” Kim explained.
She added that the effects of these deprivations “are lasting.”
“A child out of school at the age of 8 is less likely to read by ten, advance to secondary school, or secure stable work. A child who is stunted is more likely to struggle in class and less likely as an adult to earn an income that can contribute to revenues and help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty,” Kim pointed out.
Kim stressed the need to address these gaps to ensure that children in BARMM grow up with the same services and opportunities as those in the rest of the country, which, she said, will require stronger and sustained collective efforts.
Sustained investments
On the brighter side, she noted that school enrollment in the Bangsamoro region has risen by 17% since 2023, child poverty has declined from over 60% in 2019 to around 40% at present, and chronic malnutrition has fallen from 45% in 2015 to 34% in 2023.
Kim urged sustained investments for the development of children in the Bangsamoro region.
“When children are healthy, well-nourished, protected and are learning and happy, communities grow more resilient, societies become stronger, and peace becomes durable,” she said.
“As the BARMM government is young, investing in children offers the BARMM government one of the highest return pathways to stability, economic growth and inclusive lasting peace,” Kim added.
