ILOILO CITY — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) here has directed barangays in Iloilo City to utilize their 2018 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) funds or they face non-approval of their annual development and youth investment plan (ADYIP).
Lawyer Ferdinand Panes, director of DILG in Iloilo City, on Wednesday said that they have been directed by their central office to monitor the 2017 utilization of SK fund.
“Unfortunately, it’s so saddening that almost all if not all of those who submitted have underutilized SK fund,” he said.
There are those whose utilization is only 9 percent. The highest is more or less 80 percent. In average, 30 to 40 percent of the 10 percent SK share is being utilized.
The monitoring probably would serve as basis whether or not to make adjustments on the SK share, which is currently 10 percent of the barangay’s annual budget, he said.
With the low utilization, Panes reminded treasurers and secretary to “see to it that the annual development and youth investment plan is utilized for the whole year of 2018”.
The DILG city director was informed that barangays found difficulty in utilizing the SK funds due to “stringent rule”.
However, he said that “the guidelines for utilization is very clear”. In fact, they have been provided with a suggested menu of activities and programs.
Some barangays used the SK fund for their infrastructure projects, which is being discouraged.
“You deprive your youth of the services intended for them,” he told the barangays.
The last SK election was held in 2010. With the lack of new set of SK officials, the DILG and the Commission on Elections initiated the Task Force on Youth Development composed of selected youths in barangays. The task force works under the Committee on Women and Family.
The task force approves the programs for the SK. Their unutilized fund is deposited in the SK trust fund.
Panes said hopefully, they won’t have problem with the use of SK funds this year because they will have a new set of officers after the SK polls on May 14. (Perla Lena/PNA)
