Day 095: It Tells Us Something...

As of now, lamentations will suffice what’s been said and done on the bicameral Sangguniang Kabataan Polls discussion resolution. However, let’s have a run-down and try sifting positivity.

Terms.

Hold-over, postponement, and reformation are the three words the participative circle of Sangguniang Kabataan has been hearing these past few weeks.

It is important to contextualize the terms posed above before we move along: a ‘hold-over’ will practically mean that the current Sangguniang Kabataan officials will still be serving until reformation is carried out, of course, with the years to be defined by our legislators; ‘postponement’ is the arrangement of the Sangguniang Kabataan Elections much later than scheduled; and ‘reform’ is the realignment and specification of new or enhanced set of Sanggguniang Kabataan governance guidelines, along with its composition, qualifications, powers, functions, and duties, among others.

Versions.

The lower house approved a 3-year postponement without bestowing power to the incumbent Sangguniang Kabataan to hold power. Thus, a ‘vacuum’ of youth participation is imminent. The Senate’s version is postponing the polls to 2014, while the present officials are allowed for a ‘hold-over’. After reviews and discussion, the bicameral panel produced what can be most congruent to the anticipated Sangguniang Kabataan reform.

“Whether Congress approves the SK Reform bill or not, elections will still be held anytime between 28 October 2014 and 23 February 2015 thereby giving Congress a natural deadline for the passage of a law that would massively address the iniquities and structural limitations of the SK as an institution. Failure to approve an SK Reform Law would have put this postponement to naught.” (NYC; Full article available here.)

Arguments.

The decision made last Tuesday 24 September that there will be no hold over AND the positions will be vacant until reformation ensues raised brows with regards to major provisions of law. These will be just citations with minute annotations. These can be personal points of interpretation and guidance is highly solicited.

Article II, Sec. 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states,

“The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.”

The ‘vacuum’ stripped away the constitutional rights of the Filipino youth, since their involvement in public and civic affairs made through the Sangguniang Kabataan. It is unacceptable to think otherwise because the Sangguniang Kabataan is the youth arm of the government in the barangay that provides constitutionally specified growth and enhancement opportunities. NGOs and POs may have had their share in the grassroots but since we are emanating this discussion from the constitution, the direct response would be “It’s the Sangguniang Kabataan!”

As member of the Sangguniang Kabataan, arguments of inefficacy, corruption, or irrelevance, which many proves to be true, cannot be discredited. That said, there is still a violation of our constitutional rights. We uphold reform but we cannot uphold non-representation of the youth sector in the barangay.

Lastly, this point will come from the bible of local governance and creation, the Local Government Code of 1991, otherwise known as RA 7160.

“Sec. 423. Creation and Election. - (a) There shall be in every barangay a sangguniang kabataan to be composed of a chairman, seven (7) members, a secretary, and a treasurer.”

The word shall in this statement direct a future action and its completion is not a request but a strong assertion and intention of doing what it demands. Since there will be no holdover, and not even an election, we violated the founding principles of local governance.

The argument here is the unlawful decision of keeping the positions vacant. And it should not have happened. Now, what else can be transgressed? The constitution was held no use, RA 7160 bland. What can possibly stop these legislators totally removing youth participation and representation in the government?

Even these are brought out it will not change their decision but perhaps ignite something for us young Filipinos.

This the way we are shaken, reminded, with the voices calling us to stop addiction, end sloth and unproductivity, and wake up from slumber! There is no intention of breeding activists but a generation that will rise up proving the purpose of our kind, the purpose of nation building and progress.

What now?

The 10 per cent SK fund will not longer be at the disposal of the SK, youth representative in the barangay, but on the hands of the Sangguniang Barangay. So the committee on Youth & Sports Affairs, dutifully stated by law to be given to the SK Chairperson, will be assigned to an SB member and it’s up for him or her to appropriate. Gladly, the divisions, e.g., 10 per cent Livelihood, 10 per cent Capability Building, will be maintained. What we can’t be sure is the details of the said appropriations.

To promote accountability to where it’s needed the most, it can be suggested that a resolution be passed that in the years,until the Sangguniang Kabataan polls and reform is completed, the committee chairman must allow youth from the barangay form part his ‘external’ committee membership. Through this, the youth will still be an active participant of what concerns them.

The subsidiary members will also have their qualifications as well, which are to be set and evaluated by the Sangguniang Barangay Council members. After completing the phase, the SB members will make the final approval of memberships.

There might be no financial assistance for the members of the aforementioned committee, unless they are employed as part of the government employees in the barangay with supplementary functions. This will at least ease the threatening situation of total exclusion of youth participation from local governance. There might be a better suggestion than this and it is greatly invited.

Any more words?

The sunset is closing our term of office. We still have some important activities coming.

Day 108: 2013 SK Election Postponed

In every proposition is an opposition. Many would like a postponement of the Barangay Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election and the same expanse of people affirms the contrast.

Key players and the SK.

Inefficacy. Irrelevance. Corruption.

The gist of postponing the SK Elections. However, what remains the burden of the pro-reform groups and the legislators are: First, the assurance that a year will satisfy all consultations, synthesis and legal promulgations needed for an effective, relevant and productive Sangguniang Kabataan (Perhaps this would not be the name after reformation, but let’s use it for the meantime); And second, how would the higher government reconcile the policy to the newly registered SK voters.

COMELEC and the SK Elections.

Before the postponement is the aggressive stance of the Commission on Election (COMELEC) of SK's abolition, which is funny. It’s not for the COMELEC to say!

It should be crystal to the populace that the commission is tasked “to make sure we have fair, honest, clean and orderly elections. It is beyond their jurisdiction nor competency to say whether an institution should be abolished or reform.)”, Undersecretary Leon Flores III, Chairman of the National Youth Commission. Read full article here.

Besides, Republic Act No. 9340, otherwise known as “AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9164, RESETTING THE BARANGAY AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”, states that a synchronized Barangay and the SK Elections is to be held every three years in last Monday of October. Let's keep it that way, until further notices.

The SK Election Postponed!

Granted the SK Election is postponed, there are ways the newly registered SK, specifically the prospective SK Officials, can take part on the SK Governance.

Every five years, the barangay conducts Barangay Development Investment Plan (BDIP) where the present SK Chairpersons can invite the intending SK Officials to incorporate their plans and aspirations for the barangay. We also have the Barangay Annual Investment Plan (BAIP), where a more specific one-year goal setting is discussed and laid-out.

The involvement of the potential SK Chairpersons/ Officials will be very healthy for the barangay as we spend that waiting period for the next youth council election.

BUT it should be noted that whether or not there is postponement in the SK Elections, the youth in the barangay must be involved in the planning, in one way or another. Some input collection venues would be during the General Assembly, purok meetings, or a special meeting called by the present SK Officials, to name just a few.

Any more words?

Well, I must bring out that I’m against the generalization of having Sangguniang Kabataan as breeding ground for corruption, and not the fact that some barangay verifies the comment. These are two different things.

Also, there's no need to be bombastic on concepts that one is not comfortable with, such as the postponement, that's why in the latter section instead of being reactive tried to be proactive in rendering ideas of what can be done given the SK Election is postponed.

We, in behalf of the council, will be glad to have a new set of SK Officials this year. However, with the brewing postponement we can just hope that decisions will turn out right, for the better. What the present Sangguniang Kabataan officials best do as of the moment is to spend this year as their last, with maintained “best”, until valid pronouncements from the houses are delivered.

We would like to hear from you! Comment below.

Day 211: SK Governance v.3.1

We have good outputs for the essay about the power and privileges of the Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman. I just can't miss to share it. We have a pick of a Cebuano-written essay. The Cebuano version and the translated version will be available in this post.

These young people surely is in the process of gaining concepts and insights about barangay leadership and governance. Through this program we would rather develop these than the greatly celebrated and imposed "color-coding" -you know what that means!

Outputs.

We would share outputs of the participants in this blog having the author’s permission sought, of course. The essays we will place here does not necessarily mean the best but may be the most relevant. Also, the composition of the essay will be as raw as it is.

LEADERSHIP IS "INFLUENCE"? Tell us what you think!

Their output for this lecture is an essay with the theme of "Power & Privileges" of the SK Chairman.

Below is the output of Kent A. Manzo.

Power and Privileges.

Ang pagka-SK Chairman dili gyud lalim ang mga responsibilidad. Daghang  mga butang ang dapat i-konsidera sa pagdawat ani nga trabaho. Dili lang sa maayong paghuna-huna og pagpatigayon sa mga kalihukan alang sa mga kabatan-unan, mga programa nga makaayo sa kahimtang sa grupo, pagpalambo sa mga butang nga mahitungod sa mga constituents kun dili sa imu pung kaugalingon nga kinahanglan nga ikaw mahisama sa ginatawag nga “complete package” sa pagka-SK Chairman na kinahanglan nimung manaa arun sa matarung ug hapsay nga pagdumala. Gibutaran ka sa mga kabataan-unan kay ilang Makita ang imung kapasidad sa maong butang.

Ingon pa ni Spiderman, “Great power comes great responsibility”. Sa pagka-SK Chairman, dakojud mga gahum ang manaa nimu kay ikaw man ang labaw sa tanang youth sa barangay ug naa gyud sa imu ang desisyon; kung kini ba makaayo o mkadaot sa sistema sa mga kabataan . Naa na gyud sa iya kun iya kining yaga-yagaan o iyang tarungon. Maong nahinahanglan gyud ug maayong lider kay ang tanan niyang mga desisyon masinati gyud ni sa tanan, kung maging aktibo ba o nahimung patay ang aktibidad sa mga batan-on.

Busa ang gobyerno nakahatag gyud ug pribilihiyo sa mga SK Chairman kay ilang masb-tan ang dako ug bug-at nga responsibilidad nga iyang ginagunitan. Maong nahimu nilang tagaan gyud ug binulan nga sweldo, mga binipisyong mahitungod sa maayong panglawas, insurance, libre nga pag-iskwela sa mga state university, pagbaton ug privilege sa serbisyong sibil ug uban pa ang SK Chairman. Kung buut nuna-hunaon, dako gyud kini nga gihatag sa panggamhanan silbing balos pud sa walay puas nga serbisyo sa maong lider. Ako, isip ng mudaganay, lami gyud sa paminaw nga gihatagan gyud ug importansya sa gobyerno ang Sk kay kaning mga pribilihiyo ang unang ang-ang sa ilang pagtqabang sa tibuok grupo sa mga kabatan-unan.

Translated.

Mr. Manzo

Being an SK Chairman is not that pleasant-of-a-job. One needs to consider many things before accepting this kind of responsibility. Such does not only mean planning and implementing activities for the youth, providing programs that will positively affect the group, and developing areas that concerns his constituents but also you as an SK Chairman has a responsibility to himself. You should live by the name of a "Completely Packaged" chairman, that is, you should possess qualities for an upright and orderly governance. Besides, you were voted by the youth, as they perceived capacitated for the responsibility.

As in the movie Spiderman, "Great power comes great responsibility". You are really someone who has a great power when you are placed higher over every youth in the barangay; you are to make the decisions for them, whether to better or harm the condition of the youth. That SK Chairman has such authority at his disposal to stultify or improve. That is why the youth in the barangay needs a good leader because all his decisions can greatly affect, well, all, either to cause activity or stagnation on youth participation.

That made the government bestow considerable privileges to SK Chairpersons for they understood the weight of responsibility they carry. Such responsibility was equated with monthly honorarium, health benefits and insurances, free matriculation on state universities, civil service credits, and many others. Having these load of benefits, we can see that it is quite excessive. But surely, the government made it this way in return to incessant performance of a chairman's functions. I, as a candidate for the position, find it reasonable for the government to have given importance to the SK through such privileges—their fist step to also help, the youth.

Any more words?

I would still invite you to tune in for barangay leadership and governance updates. Thank you!

Day 216: SK Governance v.3.0

We invited Barangay Kagawad Ricardo Marcillana to lecture about the functions and duties of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman during the second session of SK Governance program. One consideration of having him as speaker about this topic is his SK Chairmanship in the past. He was once an SK Chairman, and really has had his notable impacts on SK legislation and execution.

The lecture can be reviewed in the audio file below.

Outputs.

We would share outputs of the participants in this blog having the author’s permission sought, of course. The essays we will place here does not necessarily mean the best but may be the most relevant. Also, the composition of the essay will be as raw as it is.

Their output for this lecture is an essay with the theme of "Powers & Privileges", which should relate to the topic.

Below is the output of Metuschella P. Lasdoce.

Powers and Privileges.

 I thought once you were the SK Chairperson you will only earned P 17,000.00 a month, and nothing more. But, from what the speaker says…I’m wrong because they have more than that, means they don’t just earned their salary a month but they can also avail lots of privileges that can be offered. The privileges of the SK Chairperson is also the same to the barangay Kagawads, I was so amazed! It only means that what can the barangay kagawads have, could be equally the same with the SK Chairperson. Except with the title and the salary they earned. But if we think they’re lucky…. They’re not! Because of the big responsibilities they are facing.

Miss Lasdoce.

The privileges the SK Chairperson can get are the following: Clothing allowance for their everyday used, it will be their uniform as well. Travel allowance for their trip every time they will attend or join a training seminar or a meeting. I’m not against to it because it can help a lot to our SK leaders for their more knowledge and experience. It can boost their confidence and it can make them responsible leaders. And they will also have a year-end bonus.

It’s also good to know that every time you earned you’re salary you also, earned something from your insurance like PhilHealth once you’re hit by a truck or get an accident while your walking in the sideway. The deduction from your salary, for your insurance is a big help to you, can you imagine a 17 year old SK leader already have a PhilHealth, GSIS, SSS or any other institute can be a big help to you. It’s so amazing! Because not all the professionals, government employee or small time businessman have this kind of medical insurances or privileges. The SK Chairperson is already equipped and secured for whatever may happened. And aside from that, the SK Chairperson or SK kagawad can also avail a free Scholarship, no tuition fees to make our headache.

Power? The SK Chairpeson also have the power or influence once your making decision or making an ordinance. They have the voice in the baranggay council to be heard. Running for the SK Chairwoman I know would not be easy as I or anyone imagined. But this is my dream not because of the salary I can earned but because I want thus and I want to have the voice to be heard for the youth and I want this because I WANT TO SERVE.