MANILA – Around 1,000 chapter presidents of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federations across the country will take part in a national convention aimed at highlighting the youth's role in nation-building, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday.
The convention themed "Mga Bagong BIDA sa Bagong Pilipinas", which runs from Dec. 7 to 10 in Baguio City, was organized by the National Youth Commission (NYC) and will train SK leaders to become effective participants in local and national development, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said in a news release.
“Malaki ang hamon na hinaharap ng ating mga SK leaders. Inaasahan natin na sila ang magiging bida ng bagong henerasyon ng kabataan para maging kaagapay ng pamahalaan sa pagtahak sa Bagong Pilipinas. Magkatuwang ang DILG at ang NYC para ihanda ang SK at siguruhing matutupad nila ang kanilang tungkulin (The challenge facing our SK leaders is big. We hope that they will be the protagonists of the new generation of youth to be the government's companion in the journey of the country. The DILG and the NYC will work together to prepare the SK and make sure they can fulfill their role),” Abalos said.
He said among matters to be tackled in the convention is the National Youth Assessment Study, the role of the NYC and the Philippine Youth Development Plan 2013-2028, as well as the Philippine National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security.
It would also equip newly-elected SK federation presidents with comprehensive knowledge of their roles in youth development and in addressing societal concerns.
There will also be team building activities with the cadets of the Philippine Military Academy, Philippine National Police Academy, AFP Officer Candidate School and the Reserve Officers Training Course.
During the activity, SK provincial, highly urbanized city and independent component city chapter federation presidents will also elect their national representative and island representatives.
The elected SK national representative will sit as an ex-officio member of the NYC, while the island representatives will serve as representatives of the NYC Advisory Council.
Outstanding LGUs' legislation feted
Meanwhile, Abalos lauded the efforts of the 15 top-performing city and municipal local legislative councils for enacting responsive measures that created a huge impact in their respective areas.
“Congratulations and may you continue to be beacons of inspiration for local governance. Your commitment to legislative excellence has not only set a standard for others to follow but has also significantly contributed to the advancement of our communities,” Abalos said in his message during the 2023 Local Legislative Awards (LLA) held in Pasay City on Tuesday.
This year’s national winners are Quezon City for the highly urbanized cities (HUCs); City of Santiago in Isabela for independent component cities (ICC); and City of Bogo in Cebu for component cities (CC).
Other winners are the municipality of San Mariano, Isabela for first to third class municipalities; and Agoncillo, Batangas for fourth to sixth class municipalities.
The first and second runners-up are Mandaue City and Bacolod City for HUCs; cities of Ormoc in Leyte and Cotabato in Maguindanao for ICCs; and San Fernando City in Pampanga and Batangas City for CCs, respectively.
Also declared as first and second runners-up are the municipalities of Tigbauan in Iloilo and Floridablanca in Pampanga for 1st to 3rd class municipalities; and Hungduan in Ifugao and New Lucena in Iloilo for 4th to 6th class municipalities, respectively.
They each received a plaque of recognition and a cash prize of PHP100,000 for the national winners, PHP75,000 for the first runners-up, and PHP50,000 for the second runners-up, from the Philippine Councilors League.
The councils were assessed based on their responsiveness to the legislative agenda, availability of legislative documents, effectiveness, efficiency, legislative citations and awards, and capacity development for legislators and staff.
Among this year’s best local legislative practices are Quezon City’s free bus ride and anti-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by the cities of Manila and Mandaluyong. (PNA)
