LAOAG CITY — The National Youth Commission (NYC) has expressed concern over attempts to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14.
“Let us not tamper with the youth’s right to vote for their leaders. The SK elections must push through,” the NYC said Wednesday.
“While we respect our legislators on their desire to effect changes, they are sending the wrong signals to the youth, whom we want to nurture as partners in community development, by dampening their high spirits if the SK elections will again be postponed,” NYC Assistant Secretary James Caesar Ventura said.
Ventura expressed concern over several House of Representatives Bills (HB) seeking to postpone the synchronized Barangay and SK polls filed by Representatives Edgar Mary Sarmiento (HB 7217), Johnny Pimentel (HB 7072), Jose Panganiban Jr. (HB 7128), and Reynaldo Umali (HB 7167).
“While this move may be favorable to the incumbent barangay officials, it does not augur well for the youth who will be deprived of a platform for leadership and governance, as well as opportunities to serve and to ensure youth participation in legislative processes,” he added.
The Sangguniang Kabataan is considered one of the best practices for youth development and is inherent only in the Philippines.
“It makes us sad that other countries are awed by the Filipino youth’s participation in local governance through the SK, yet here in our country, it seems that this significant role of the youth is not given that much importance,” he said.
Ventura, who hails from Solsona, Ilocos Norte, was a pioneer of the Sirib Kabataan Association in the province prior to his designation at NYC.
Meanwhile, some members of the Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office (INYDO) in Laoag City shared Ventura’s sentiments, citing the voice of the youth needs to be heard and one way of doing so is by participating in the SK elections.
Since last year, Weenter Ventura of the INYDO said they had been encouraging more youths to actively participate in the province’s development programs and to prepare themselves for the polls. (PNA)
