CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is hoping that the newly-elected Sangguniang Kabataan leaders be spared from traditional politics and set the bar higher with purely youth power instilled.
Rama, though currently in Australia for a long-overdue vacation with his family, said over the city’s Sugboanon Channel that he is monitoring the city.
Now that the Barangay and SK Elections 2023 are over, the mayor looks forward to a convergence of the youth, bringing them together and playing a more active role in the city’s Singapore-like vision.
“Youth power!…Dili ni nato sila e-apil sa sobrang pulitika, divisiveness in the election, let’s do away with this. Get into the bottom and have a consensus,” Rama said while saying that he is also happy that the outgoing SK Federation president Jessica Resch has also shown unity with him, regardless of “political color.”
Rama said that under Resch’s term, he had been very supportive of their programs and never asked which political party they belong to and hoped to further improve the SK’s involvement.
“It’s about time, we set the bar higher,” added Rama.
“Youth power, let the youth power come to play…Improve the standard, level up…let’s enhance..face lifting so that Singapore-like, iba ang Cebu City, iba ang tatak,” Rama said.
The mayor also called on the minority bloc including city councilors Nestor Archival and Mary Ann Delos Santos to help mold the youth leaders, provide an opportunity for them and a program that the youth truly deserved, them being the future of this country.
Rama also looks into finishing the Youth Center in Cebu for the youth leaders to have their own place to convene and their own safe space to discuss their programs.