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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DILG chief wants SK abolished amid absences, low participation of members

DILG chief wants SK abolished amid absences, low participation of members

Published Sep 8, 2025 03:38 pm

At A Glance

  • Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla has floated the idea of abolishing the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) due to growing absences of its members in official meetings as well as their low level of participation.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla has floated the idea of abolishing the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) due to growing absences of its members in official meetings as well as their low level of participation.
As President Marcos just signed into law the postponement of polls for barangay and SK officials next year, Remulla hinted at the possible total scrapping of SK, especially as Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno cited that SK leaders were now becoming more financially "beholden" to their barangay captains.
What's happening on the ground, according to Remulla, is that only 60 percent of elected youth officials actually attend meetings a year after their election. This figure further plunges in the succeeding years, reaching up to only 30 percent.
"Those absences lead the barangay captain to impose his will on the council," Remulla said, as he explained to Diokno why youth leaders ended up yielding to their barangay captains.
The reason why SK officials are more tardy, says Remulla, is "because the SK, as it is currently formed, has increased the age from 15 to 25 years old".
"And that age range, most of them either go to work, go to college or get married during their incumbency," he said during the House Committee on Appropriations' hearing on DILG's budget next year.
"So because of the defect of that law, the barangay captains take over most of the functions of the SK, and they're just made to sign," he added.
Although the DILG discovery the low level of participation from elected youth leaders from its own accounting, Remulla says the agency couldn't do anything about it unless there is an allegation from the barangay captain, which they can act on.
But even they are "scared" to to that, Remulla said.
"That's why the realpolitik of the situation, for me... should be changed, that the youth councils would be better if it were constituted by the captain themselves, and having a non-performance [be] replaced immediately. [But] the SK does not have a mechanism for replacement," he told Diokno.
Remulla said that if he were to make a "personal" recommendation, he "would rather that the SK be abolished because of the trend that it continuously goes down in participation".
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