By Frances Gutierrez and Dada Grifon
“Hilaw pa lang kami, sinusunog na nila kami.”
Dismayed by the ‘rotten’ local political system, Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson of Barangay San Jose, Rodriguez Rizal, Rose Ann Gonzales forwarded her disposition on the defects of the baranganic governance.
Some solons have branded the SK as a breeding ground for traditional politicians and corruption, an idea Gonzales thwarted for she believed that the SK constitution itself has become distorted because they are hindered by larger bureaucratic scale.
Dismayed by the ‘rotten’ local political system, Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson of Barangay San Jose, Rodriguez Rizal, Rose Ann Gonzales forwarded her disposition on the defects of the baranganic governance.
Some solons have branded the SK as a breeding ground for traditional politicians and corruption, an idea Gonzales thwarted for she believed that the SK constitution itself has become distorted because they are hindered by larger bureaucratic scale.
Recently, the issue on the abolition of SK became an on- going clash between legislators. The youth council allegedly became a wider venue for corruption in localities.
During the 15th Congress, over a dozen bills on abolishing or reforming the SK were filed.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is reportedly planning to formally ask the 16th Congress to approve a measure abolishing the SK.
The Senate and the House of Representatives ratified last September 24, the bicameral conference committee report for the measure amending Republic Act 9340, which effectively postpones the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled on Oct. 28.
The allegations that the SK has become dysfunctional for the past decades triggered the delay of chance for those aspiring to become youth leaders.
The legislators with the COMELEC dedicated a year to assess the consequences that might happen to an SK-less barangay unit.
Belmonte said in an interview with another media source, instead of SK, the government should make a mandatory representation of the youth in various local councils where they can push their agenda without the need to allot them huge amounts of money.
According to Belmonte, the budget appropriation for SK in the present setup exposes the youth to traditional politics that in turn might affect their idealism.
Although it is mandated in the SK constitution that 10-percent of the barangay budget must be allocated to the SK projects, the youth council is still not guaranteed an absolute access of the fund, Gonzales defended.
“Hindi namin hawak ang pera. Kung may proposed projects kami, dumadaan pa ito sa mahabang proseso bago iaprubahan, at kailangan pa ng maraming pirma,” Gonzales explained, referring to the expense procedures.
During the 15th Congress, over a dozen bills on abolishing or reforming the SK were filed.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is reportedly planning to formally ask the 16th Congress to approve a measure abolishing the SK.
The Senate and the House of Representatives ratified last September 24, the bicameral conference committee report for the measure amending Republic Act 9340, which effectively postpones the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled on Oct. 28.
The allegations that the SK has become dysfunctional for the past decades triggered the delay of chance for those aspiring to become youth leaders.
The legislators with the COMELEC dedicated a year to assess the consequences that might happen to an SK-less barangay unit.
Belmonte said in an interview with another media source, instead of SK, the government should make a mandatory representation of the youth in various local councils where they can push their agenda without the need to allot them huge amounts of money.
According to Belmonte, the budget appropriation for SK in the present setup exposes the youth to traditional politics that in turn might affect their idealism.
Although it is mandated in the SK constitution that 10-percent of the barangay budget must be allocated to the SK projects, the youth council is still not guaranteed an absolute access of the fund, Gonzales defended.
“Hindi namin hawak ang pera. Kung may proposed projects kami, dumadaan pa ito sa mahabang proseso bago iaprubahan, at kailangan pa ng maraming pirma,” Gonzales explained, referring to the expense procedures.
For their Php 60 Million local fund in 2013, Php 6 Million was supposedly assigned for their proposed programs and projects. Apparently, only less than a million was spent by the youth council.
“For an instance, we have this proposed program and an available fund for it but when our barangay captain disapproves it, for whatever reasons he has, well there’s nothing we can do,” said the 19-year-old Gonzales.
“We do not need SK abolition, we need youth empowerment. Kapag tinanggal ng gobyerno ang SK parang tinanggalan rin nila ng boses ang kabataan.” Gonzales urged.
Meanwhile, Sen. JV Ejercito addressed the media regarding his plan to propose a bill, dubbed as the “Sangguniang Kabataan Empowerment Act of 2013.”
Instead of scrapping the SK, he seeks to amend the system and correct the flaws in the council to make it more responsive to the present times.
“Shutting it down completely takes away the voice of the youth and robs them their privilege to perform community service,” he said.
Gonzales’ three-year term as a youth leader started last December 1, 2013 and will end in November 30 this year.
At an opportunist position, she was able to succeed projects such as scholarship programs, leadership trainings, sports festivals, and concert events. She said there’s so much more that they can do, if only the higher leaders would cooperate with them.
The SK, consisting of teenagers from 15 to 17 years old, initiates the programs and policies objecting to foster youth development in their respective political territories.
“For an instance, we have this proposed program and an available fund for it but when our barangay captain disapproves it, for whatever reasons he has, well there’s nothing we can do,” said the 19-year-old Gonzales.
“We do not need SK abolition, we need youth empowerment. Kapag tinanggal ng gobyerno ang SK parang tinanggalan rin nila ng boses ang kabataan.” Gonzales urged.
Meanwhile, Sen. JV Ejercito addressed the media regarding his plan to propose a bill, dubbed as the “Sangguniang Kabataan Empowerment Act of 2013.”
Instead of scrapping the SK, he seeks to amend the system and correct the flaws in the council to make it more responsive to the present times.
“Shutting it down completely takes away the voice of the youth and robs them their privilege to perform community service,” he said.
Gonzales’ three-year term as a youth leader started last December 1, 2013 and will end in November 30 this year.
At an opportunist position, she was able to succeed projects such as scholarship programs, leadership trainings, sports festivals, and concert events. She said there’s so much more that they can do, if only the higher leaders would cooperate with them.
The SK, consisting of teenagers from 15 to 17 years old, initiates the programs and policies objecting to foster youth development in their respective political territories.
