Editorial

SK politics --- service

The Sangguniang Kabataan is kept alive, despite past moves for its abolition, following election of a new breed of officials last May 14. Obviously, the SK represents the youth sector, addressing its needs and concerns. The SK then have to make their presence felt in the barangay councils or their posts become merely decores or “sit-in.”

       

Each SK in the barangay level has to draft its program of action and sees to it that the development blueprint is pursued given the resources and innovative measures to get it done. Surely, the SK is not alone in its task as these bodies are not deplete of counselors and support agencies at their service. Take note, the SK does not merely function to sponsor sports festival but to pursue more serious endeavors for youth development.

       

Look around, we see idle youths who could easily be preyed on acts of juvenile delinquencies such as drug use and abuse or petty crimes induced by unfavorable social environment. Idleness has to be transformed into useful activities. The SK, for one, can resort to referrals by which the potentials of non-school attendees can be harnessed into productivities to make these guys busy and abled manpower. Later, perhaps, through youth development interventions, these guys could be inspired to go formal schooling or skills training.

       

The SK organization has to keep watch or be wary on interest groups that tap the sector for opportunism or adventurism but rather tickle their senses on the real backgrounds of issues and crisis situation and as to what they can contribute to solve social problems. In this way, we help the youths build up their maturity and responding to responsibilities. The youths of today can already act maturely given favorable environmental exposures. A 16 or 18-year old normal guy is already expected to act as an adult or “shame” on him/her to still act childly.

       

There is politics within the SK because the officials are elected by the sector. And this early, they are exposed to the institution of polity as members lobby for deliverance and exercising duties and responsibilities for the sector they serve. Where there is leadership, planning, coordination, and decision-making, there exists politics… in the same manner that there is also politics in the family as members respond to each other in supra-ordination and subordination relationship.

       

Political exposure and other institutional behaviors could start with youth training and leadership. Let the SK be truly functional as it is intended to be. Let us help the SK to be a mature institution and let this body be responsive to the sector it serves. You, the SK officials, carry the burden of your sector after responding to an election --- TO SERVE.

       

In barangay council sessions, we dare the SK chair to speak up in behalf of the sector and even the larger community as he/she is also serves the constituency being an official of the council; indeed a dual role for the sector and the larger barangay