City youth office, two SK councils bag national awards

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City’s Youth Development Office (CCYDO), as well as two Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Councils took home awards from two awarding bodies in a ceremony in Boracay Island, Aklan Province last August 12,2024.

CCYDO was recognized as an outstanding Local Youth Development Office (LYDO) awardee of the Positive Youth Development Awards (PYDA).

PYDA is organized by the Positive Youth Development Network and the National Youth Commission to honor and celebrate the outstanding contributions of Local Youth Development Offices and youth-led organizations across the country, the city’s PIO reported.

Paolo Martin Saberon, CCYDC head said that the award is a testament of their office’s commitment to empower the city’s youth.

“From advocating for important policies like the Local Youth Development Office and the Students’ Rights and Welfare Ordinance to implementing programs that promote leadership and community engagement, our commitment to youth development is unwavering,” Saberon said.

CCYDC is also instrumental in the creation of impactful programs aimed towards youth development, such as their Spread Gugma campaign for HIV Awareness; Amuma (Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health); Pasko sa Kabatan-onan every Christmas; Youth Food Fair; Higher Level Education or Training Readiness Orientation (HERO) for Education and Scholarship Fair; Sugbugkus; and the YouthFest Sugbo, among others.

A key aspect of CCYDC’s work is to actively engage with various youth organizations and stakeholders in the planning and budgeting process, such as helping them draft their Local Youth Development and Annual Investment Plans.

“By involving these stakeholders, we ensure they play a vital role in shaping our programs, even during the detailed budgeting stages,” Saberon said.

Further, the SK councils of barangays Tisa and Lorega-San Miguel also reigned supreme in the finale of the 5th PSKA.

Barangays Tisa and Lorega San Miguel were among 10 SK councils that were awarded as most outstanding in the entire country, besting over 500 other SK councils in the entire country.

Tisa’s SK Council also received a separate award for its Youth Task Force initiative.

Tisa SK chairperson Riziel Saladaga said her barangay’s accomplishment was due to her council’s use of digital platforms to keep her constituents abreast of their activities.

James Bernard Cabido, Lorega San Miguel’s SK chairperson, for his part, said his administration’s goal of being more accountable and transparent to their constituency was one factor behind their accomplishment. — (FREEMAN)