Office the President of the Philippines

NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION

Message

Increasing investment in young people is the key. This includes promoting quality
education that prepares them for future opportunities. Diversity of training is needed. Young
people are hungry for better options. “They are rejecting the status quo and demanding a
better future. Many of them are claiming their right to a decent living, and they are willing
to take risks to do so.
With the Sangguniang Kabataan Operations Manual, the SK officials shall be
properly guided in the practical and receptive performance with regard to their roles and
responsibilities to make them better individuals and leaders of the future.
There is also a critical need to involve young people in decisions that will affect
them. We cannot talk about sustainable development without the active involvement of
youth. When we give young people decent jobs, political weight, negotiating muscle, and
real influence in our world, they will create a better future.
It is our hope that this manual apprises our future SK officials in their future endeavours
with the 5 Cs of Leadership: Capable, Committed, Connected, Communicative, and Caring.
Leadership is not about personality; it’s about behaviour—an observable set of skills
and abilities. May this manual be the guide for our youth to reach the pinnacle of leading
others and be an inspiration to make a difference.

MELANIO R. SANTELLA, Jr., MPA

Chief, Regional Youth Development Division