Wanted: An effectively functional SK

Some way, way back when one had been involved in both legal and administrative roles with an LGU, the youth sector then was accorded unusual importance, particularly in the heyday of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos.

It was not, perhaps, in answer to Jose Rizal's clarion call to nurture the youth as the future of the fatherland. It was more of FM's, and Imelda's, early tutelage in future leadership roles of children Imee and Bongbong. Thus, the local government units then were mandated to organize the youth nationwide to participate in civic matters, with both presidential children as models.

In hindsight now, the early foresight of the dictatorial couple has borne fruit as proved by Imee and Bongbong now holding high positions in government, despite the dubious legacy of FM.

Much later, with the advent of the Local Government Code of 1991 (R.A. 7160) the then Kabataang Barangay (KB) has formally morphosed into the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), with defined powers and functions. The SK is the counterpart of the Sangguaniang Barangay (SB) or the barangay government specifically focused on the community youth between the ages of 15 and 21. Section 429(b) of R.A. 7160 capsulizes the SK's main reason for its being: "Initiate programs designed to enhance the social, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, moral, spiritual, and physical development of the members".

Indeed, how altruistic and high-sounding is the intent of the law! But, the question is: Coming down to brass tacks on the ground, how many of the thousands of barrios nationwide have SKs that are truly functional and effective in performance? Perhaps, among the enumerated functions in Section 429(supra), only a smattering of "physical development" could be singled out, by holding and funding barangay inter-youth basketball or volleyball games during fiestas.

It's thus not surprising that the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 7 wants the SK reevaluated on account of "negative feedback" of its performance and effectiveness as a legally-mandated adjunct of the barangay government.

As the RDC opines, the "ample budget allocated to the SK was not matched by substantial accomplishments which might be the reason for the perceived little impact wrought by the SK of the youth". Such dysfunctional result has been noted, notwithstanding its IRA shares in multi-millions throughout, enhanced by its automatic funding from 10% of the general fund of the barangay pursuant to Section 329 of the Code.

An added privilege to the SK chairman is an automatic ex-oficio membership in the barangay council (SB), including the honoraria and other perks, plus the ego-inflating and narcissistic honorific address of "honorable". And, when an SK chairman gets lucky to head the municipality's "Federasyon ng mga SK", he sits as ex-oficio member of the municipal council.

One even wonders if the regular once a month meeting of the SK has been religiously observed on the average nationwide. In fact, in the countryside, no keen importance has been accorded the election of the SK. And, like their elders of the SB whose tenures have been extended and extended, with indefinite reelection, the SK is practically a community non-entity.

A few may react in umbrage to this piece; nonetheless, it has to be said that not even a niggardly 20% of barangays nationwide have truly functional and effectively performing SKs.

It's easy to validate this pessimistic assessment, that is, in your own respective barangays in your city or municipality, as the case may be, make a cursory study and/or observation into the workings - or non-workings - of your own SK. In a scale of 1 to 10, only number 2 is most likely, if at all, to support the existence of actively performing SKs.

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