THE Davao City Youth Council announced that the term of the junior officials has been extended to one year, highlighting the potential for them to draft legislation benefiting the youth.
Emmanuel Crismas, acting division head of the council, said the junior officials will serve from August 4, 2025, to August 4, 2026. He explained that the extension aims to give them the opportunity to craft an ordinance addressing youth concerns.
“Makita nila unsa pa ang pwede nila buhaton as junior officials, muapil pod sa atoang competition, and naa pod tay daghan nga capacity building (They will see what else they can do as junior officials, join our competition, and we also have many capacity-building activities),” he said during the ISpeak media forum, on August 7, 20025, at CHO Building.
He added that during their one-year term, the junior officials are required to report to their designated offices every first Monday of the month. To ensure they remain in good mental and physical health, they will also undergo monthly psychosocial sessions and debriefings.
At present, the city has 74 junior officials. Of that number, eight are junior councilors for each of the three districts; one junior mayor, one junior vice mayor, one junior SK federation president, 36 junior department heads, and 11 junior tribal leaders of the ethnolinguistic tribes of Davao City.
Crimas expressed that after their one-year service, the city would be awarding the “Most Outstanding Davao City Junior Youth Official.” The extended service of the junior officials would give the council ample time to determine the most successful activities and programs they initiated they initiated.
Considering that some of the junior officials are still studying, Crismas said that they had discussions with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on how the junior officials function when school starts.
He said that they also connected with the student-junior officials’ parents and guardians on their schedule, adding that if they have important matters at school, they should prioritize them before their service.
The screening process for the junior officials was rigorous, requiring applicants to write an essay outlining their platforms and reasons for applying, followed by an interview conducted by personnel from the Davao City Youth Council. To qualify, candidates must be between 13 and 17 years old and be bona fide residents of Davao City.
To recall, the Junior Officials of Davao City was launched in 2023, and in 2024, a total of 78 junior officials took their oath of office. RGP