A call for SK abolition

            “Youth is the hope of our fatherland.” This is one of the remarkable thoughts quoted by our own National hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal addressed to our youths.

             October 28, 2013 will be the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election. It is another time for us to decide who we want to lead us in achieving progress in our smallest political unit or we may also say the smallest unit of Philippines local government, our barangays. In fact, the registration period for the first time voters for this incoming Barangay election had started last July 22, 2013 and ended last July 31, 2013.

             The quotation above by Dr. Jose Rizal more implies to our SK election voters, our youths aging 15 years old to 17 years old. It is more likely addresses to the candidates for SK Chairman who choose and who want to lead his fellow youths in their respective barangay. Being an SK Chairman would serve as a youth’s partial experience as a leader of a government, and to the voters, it would serves as a challenge to their capacity of choosing the right person to lead them. It is their first step or maybe we could say that it is their first time to be engaged in decision making for choosing the right government leaders.

             During campaign periods especially a few days before the day of election, we cannot deny the fact that there is always an invalid actions taken by both opposing parties. One of those actions is the so called “vote buying.” It usually happens with the intervention of SK candidate’s parents and elders. I believe that an appropriate SK election could be done without any intervention of elders or parents. They should let their child how to handle such things as decision making and on how to gain votes from his fellow youths without giving them money in return. Parents should believe that their child could manage those things because when their child will be already on position, they will be able to know independently and adjust themselves to the tasks they supposed to do.

             Another thing I have observed is that it may lead to one of the political problems of our country nowadays, the political dynasty. As we observed, most of the SK candidates were also the children of politicians. Whoever wins as the SK Chairman has the great number of possibility to run for higher position in the barangay after his term. But it may also depend on his performance. This is also a one way to awaken and to introduce the youths to the world of corruption. At their early age, they might be able to know the concepts of corruption and how it can benefit them.

             But having SK election would benefit the youth of the barangay especially for the candidates. It may give them such experience of leadership, it also helps them in financial matters like scholarships and also their salary was a big help. They would also serve as a way of his fellow youths to receive some benefits from the local government through his implemented project and activities in his barangay. It would also provide them some political training.

             In fact, during the 15th Congress, over a dozens of bills abolishing and reorganizing SK Election were filed and were still remain docked in the House Committee on revision of laws, youth and on local government. Some lawmakers were calling for the passage of these bills abolishing SK election before the election period. Senator JV Ejercito suggested that instead of abolishing SK, it would be better to reform the system to make it more responsive to the present times.

             It takes more time, patience,more efforts and willingness to serve and to lead to be a good leader of today’s youth generation. At their young ages, they might carry the burden that may affect their social life and the time on some other things would be limited because they have to prioritize their career. They also have to manage their time correctly. But that was the role of the youth in our society; we were expecting them to be part on changing the system in order to achieve progress. Their participation on growth and development of one’s country is very important. And for some time, we also have to minimize the things we observed as invalid in our society. I do agree in abolishing SK for it would a big help to stop corruption in the youth organization. I believe that even without it, there will always still venues for the youth to participate in policy making.