Editorial

SK’s dark side

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 22:29:00 10/25/2010

Filed Under: Elections, Barangay Elections, Benigno Aquino III, Youth, Government, Schools

AN ARTICLE, “SK youth’s loss of innocence,’’ (Inquirer, 10/24/10) should set legislators to thinking about
amending the law providing for the election of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) members. The article,
written by Hon Sophia Balod and Cielo Marjorie Gono, both honor graduates of the UP College of Mass
Communication, showed some defects in the SK setup.

Among them:

The SK is supposed to teach the youth how to become responsible leaders and citizens. Actually, in
many cases, the organization serves just as a venue for frivolous programs and projects.

It wastes a lot of money. Almost P5 billion from the internal revenue allotment of more than 42,000
barangays is allotted annually for the SK. If something concrete and good for the country has been
accomplished with this huge sum of money, we have not seen it.

It has taught many SK members the ways of corruption of adult politics. It reminds us of what the late
Mayor Arsenio Lacson once said of a young politician, “So young, and yet already so corrupt.”
Corollary to this, President Aquino wants the SK abolished. Balod and Gono said the President believes,
“as numerous critics do, that the SK has led the youth to the dark side of politics.’’

In a sidebar (an accompanying article), Balod and Gono, citing an instance of corruption, said that in one
case, 12 percent of the P120,000 cost of a street lights project of a youth council was pocketed by
“Santino’’ (not his real name). This is the youth official who, if he is later elected mayor, congressman or
senator, will demand millions in “commissions’’ from a contractor.

In a study conducted by the UP Center for Integrative Studies in 2009, some SK respondents said they
were exposed to or directly involved in questionable practices of corruption.

Most SKs have no direction, no meaningful programs. Reports collected by the Sangguniang Kabataan
National Federation showed that programs undertaken by the youth councils mostly included parties,
beauty contests, dances and singing competitions. With wise adult advice and guidance, they could have
accomplished things that would have benefited their communities more.

SK councils are not required to submit financial liquidation. How is all their money being spent? Is most
of it going down the drain?

To be sure, not everything is negative about the Sangguniang Kabataan. For instance, Balod and Gono
cite the example of Vice Governor Hemerlito Dolor of Oriental Mindoro, who started his political career
in the SK. Dolor, not a member of any political clan, served at 16 as the provincial SK president.

Dolor drafted the 1997 SK Constitution and by-laws and worked for the purchase of the first computers
in several public schools in Mindoro. He also worked for the adoption of a resolution prohibiting local
and foreign miners from extracting nickel from the town of Naujan.

Balod and Gono said that “Dolor’s political experience is one proof that SK could be a very good venue
for community service and development.’’
The study conducted by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies showed that youth
participation in local governance promotes the holistic development of the youth. It also teaches them
the value of time management, responsibility, teamwork and sense of nationalism.

Some SKs have not been entirely useless organizations engaged only in frivolous activities like parties
and beauty contests. Some have passed no-smoking ordinances, curfew on minors, bans on chemical
waste dumping and set up sports facilities for the youth.

Abolition of the Sangguniang Kabataan may be too drastic a proposal. A thorough legislative study
should be made to correct the defects in the organization and implementation, give the movement a
sense of patriotic direction and get it involved in the task of nation-building.

The Sangguniang Kabataan could be reorganized and re-purposed so that it could better serve the youth
and the nation. The youth are generally idealistic people who would like to see real change to happen in
their country. A reorganized, re-purposed SK movement could be a big help in President Aquino’s
program to reform the socio-political system of the country.