CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City— The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) organized and conducted the second Muslim Youth’s Educational Tour in Malaysia from 20 to 24 November 2017, which was participated in by 50 Muslim youths from Mindanao.
They were accompanied by ten representatives from Sulu Local Government and Department of Education, and ten AFP support personnel.
“These Muslim youths with ages 14 to 25 years old are mostly from Maguindanao Province, they arrived in Malaysia by a Philippine Air Force C-130 plane and were welcomed by the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.” Marine Colonel Edgard A. Arevalo, Public Affairs Office Chief AFP disclosed.
The four-day Educational Tour had a series of interactions with their Malaysian peers from various cultural and religious backgrounds.
“We hope that through this activity, these youth leaders and those that accompany them will become advocates of peace and good governance when they return to their communities.
“We also look forward to them developing respect and appreciation of cultural diversity and how such differences can be an exponent rather than a retardation of progress,” continued Colonel Arevalo.
Brigadier General Earl D. Baliao, Assistant Division Commander of the 6th Infantry Division led the delegation. They were given a welcome dinner on November 20 hosted by Ambassador Charles C. Jose. The delegates also performed a Muslim-inspired dance number during the dinner.
The delegates also visited different Malaysian Government offices such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Department of Islamic Development, organizations and schools such as the Global Movement of Moderates and the International Islamic University of Malaysia. On the last day of the educational tour around Kuala Lumpur.
On its second year, the Muslim Filipino Youth Leaders’ Educational Tour is a project of the Civil-Military Operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia.
“These youth can rely on your Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide a peaceful community and develop competent leaders of the future, and we trust these youth to become leaders that are much better than us today” Colonel Arevalo said. (AFP-PAO-PR)
