Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Editorials: Assessing the work of the SK
EVERY time a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) — or more appropriately the Katipunan ng Kabataan (Youth Federation) — is held, calls are also made for either its abolition or for a change in the age qualification of its members.
That could mean that the public only remembers the SK in snatches.
But the calls serve a purpose, which is to trigger an assessment of the quality of service the SK has delivered since the first nationwide SK election was held in 1992.
Complaints against the SK can be roughly categorized into two: failure to deliver its mandated task and some of its officials’ puppetry to politicians.
Failings
The first complaint is the basis of calls for the raising of the age limit for SK members from 18 years old to 21 years old, the idea being that the older the members are, the more mature they become as leaders.
The problem is that there is no comprehensive study on the work of the SK nationwide since its first officials took their posts as ex-officio members of the various government legislative bodies.
Still, there is a widespread perception that the SK has failed, which could mean that accusations of lack of competence and other faults may have basis.
Traditional politics
What should be the bigger downer for the organization, though, is the sight of its officials becoming adjuncts of the political machineries of traditional politicians.
Elections of SK federation officers in towns, cities and provinces have so deteriorated these have become like polls for Association of Barangay Councils officials.
Worse, political dynasties have taken over the SKs; they push their younger members to take over the youth organization’s leadership, usually using manipulation.
Thus, instead of being training grounds for idealistic and competent leaders, the SKs have become virtual academies for traditional politicians, with their attendant defects as public officials.
Assessment
This does not mean nothing positive has come out of the SK because there are also instances when its work made a difference among the youth.
It’s not that sponsoring sports activities, for example, is totally useless.
But after the SK’s more than a decade of existence, perhaps it is time to conduct a comprehensive study on its work with the end in view of assessing its relevance and the direction it is following.
