TACLOBAN CITY- Now that the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) will push through next year only proves that the youth plays an indispensable role in the society. Thus said Tacloban City Councilor and former SK city federation president Edward Frederick Chua, reacting the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct the youth polls on February 15, 2015. The Comelec had just finished the listing for prospective voters of the SK elections.
Meantime, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos during his recent visit in Maasin City said that the age requirement for one to be considered as SK could reach up to 30 years old. The elections of the SK scheduled last year was cancelled due to opposition of some sectors questioning the relevant of the youth organization on top of the billions of pesos needed to conduct said polls. “Not just for any reason SK has been a good training ground for future leaders which is exactly was it meant to be,” Chua, who served as SK city federation president from 2010 up to 2013. Councilors Edwin Chua and Eden Pineda, an ex-officio member of the city council being the city president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen, are relatives of the young Chua. Chua admitted that while there is no sitting SK representative at the council, they could still transact their regular work and business as a whole. Meantime, in Maasin City, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on local government, said that his committee is studying the possibility of extending the age requirements for the SK.
According to the senator, based on their proposal, eligible to be considered as SK are those age from 15 up to 30 years age. Increasing the age bracket qualified as SK would mean stability of the youth organization.
The senator also said that based on international standard, 30 years old is still considered as a youth age. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
