Local government asked to continue SK aid

CEBU, Philippines —  The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Cebu City is asking the new administration of Mayor Edgardo Labella to continue the giving of financial assistance to members of the SK council in all 80 barangays.

Jessica Resch, SK-F President and ex-officio member of the City Council, said the previous administration is charging the giving of the assistance against the city’s aid to the barangays this year.

All 560 SK councilors, 80 secretaries, and 80 treasurers receive P2,000 each per month from the city government during the previous administration.

“SK Councilors, SK Secretaries, SK Treasurers are not entitled to receive any monetary allowances from their barangays,” read a portion of the resolution of Resch.

Last Tuesday, the City Council approved the resolution of Resch.

However, Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said the new set of members of the City Council should be given copy of the guidelines set by the previous administration in giving the assistance to SK officials.

Garcia, chairman of the council’s committee on budget and finance, raised his query about the granting of the financial assistance if it is across the board.

“Is this dependent on the submission of report, accomplishment report or whatever? Is it performance-based?” Garcia said.

Resch said she will just submit the guidelines on the granting of the financial assistance to the City Council.

With this, Garcia said the city might refine the guidelines in giving of the assistance to the SK officials which is similar to giving assistance to other barangay workers.

“Maybe we can refine this because like our loaders, they have really accomplishment report to follow and perhaps with the granting of financial assistance to our employees in the barangay,” he said.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, for his part, asked if there’s an existing ordinance that supports the granting of the assistance.

Resch said she has yet to draft an ordinance to institutionalize the giving of the assistance to the SK officials.

In her resolution, she said Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reform Act of 2015 does not prohibit the LGUs to grant financial assistance to the SK officials. — GAN (FREEMAN)