Creation of youth body gets Council nod

CEBU, Philippines - The City Council has approved the proposal of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Cebu City Federation President John Philip Po II for the creation of a Barangay Youth Development Council.

The youth council, Po said, will essentially replace the SK after November 30, 2013 because the SK, unless the Supreme Court issues a restraining order, would no longer be functional by then. The term of current officials would also end by this time.

Malacañang earlier approved the postponement of the SK elections with no holdover capacity for incumbent officials.

Yesterday, Po moved to create the youth council and called on Cebu Representatives Raul del Mar and Rodrigo Abellanosa to push for reforms for the SK and not abolition.

In his privilege speech yesterday, Po said creating a youth development council in the barangays is an appropriate action so that the youth will be continuously represented in government.

“Majority of the population today belongs to the youth sector. It is then appropriate that it should have representation, participation and involvement in local governance,” Po said.

“To our dismay the President (Benigno Aquino) has already signed into law the bill of postponing the SK elections to October. This will leave the position of SK officials vacant for the time being and leaving the youth unrepresented and uninvolved,” he continued.

President Aquino signed on October 3 the bill postponing the SK elections to pave way for reforms that it needs.

Republic Act 10632 amended RA 9340 and has reset the youth council elections anytime between Oct. 28, 2014 and Feb. 23, 2015. It does not allow current SK officials to retain their positions in a holdover capacity.

“Most of the SK officials, their morality went down as if they (lawmakers) are looking down on us and we are not worth the consideration of the government,” Po said.

There have been calls to reform or abolish the SK as some lawmakers and various sectors, saying it has become a school for corruption. There are pending bills in Congress either for the reform or the abolition of the SK.

Po is hoping that Congress will deliberate on the issue properly.

“I hope they (congress) do not generalize the doing of the SK but they will look into consideration that other SKs have actually done their part in helping the youth get involved in nation building and representing them in meetings and sessions,” Po pointed out.

Po, however, admitted that there are flaws that are in need of reform but said, “it’s not the structure that needs to be changed, maybe the value system.”

Vice Mayor Edgar Labella himself believes that the SK needs to be retained.

“The obligation of the state is to promote and protect the welfare of the youth. Hinaot unta there will no total abolition of SK because you are the leaders of tomorrow, you are the future and the future belongs to you,” Labella said during the opening of the children’s month. – (FREEMAN)