Abolishing the Sangguniang Kabataan is not the answer
Calls to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) have resurfaced after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla floated the possibility of scrapping the youth council. Remulla cited declining participation and absenteeism among SK officials. But is abolishing the SK really the answer?
Much of the criticism directed at the SK focuses on poor performance. Some youth councils are inactive; others struggle to implement programs or manage funds effectively. While these observations are real, we cannot overlook the structural conditions in which SK officials operate.
SK leaders frequently face delayed issuance of guidelines, unclear operational procedures, and inconsistent support from national agencies. Sometimes, training programs meant to build their capacity arrive late.
In several cases, only SK chairs receive formal training, leaving many youth officials carry out their duties without sufficient preparation. Questions were also raised about whether training funds were used for their intended purpose.
Unsatisfactory performance should not be attributed solely to SK officials, especially when weak support systems make effective governance more difficult from the start.
Abolishing the SK risks losing a pathway for young Filipinos outside political dynasties to enter public service.
Under the SK Reform Act of 2015, an SK official “must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal, or barangay official in the locality where he or she seeks to be elected.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the National Youth Commission must ensure that SK officials receive timely and accessible training so they can manage programs and public funds effectively. The SK Reform Act already mandates capacity-building for youth officials, but implementation must be consistent across cities and municipalities.
The Commission on Audit must also provide clearer guidance as many SK officials handle public funds for the first time, but navigate complex accounting rules with little support. Clearer advisories, simpler procedures, and regular orientations would help youth leaders comply with financial rules while focusing on programs that serve their communities.
Local governments should also ensure that SK funds are transferred regularly and transparently as required by law.
Local youth development offices should guide SK leaders as they design programs, navigate procedures, and engage their communities.
The SK exists so that young people can represent their communities, advocate for their peers, and shape the policies that affect their lives. But youth leadership cannot succeed without youth participation.
If the SK is to become stronger, it will require more young Filipinos to step forward. To vote, to run for office, to organize and mobilize their communities and demand accountability from those who lead.
The answer is not to abolish the SK but to strengthen it.
Ancelmo Miguel Catalla,
University of the Philippines
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