Final registration for SK set by Comelec

SUPPLEMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Jhunie B. Wahayna

The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) or Youth Council is the governing body in every chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan (Youth Federation).

Each barangay in the Philippines is mandated by law to have its own chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan in which the members elect their officers called as the Sangguniang Kabataan. The Sangguniang Kabataan is an off-shoot of the Kabataang Barangay (KB) (Village Youth) which was abolished when the Local Government Code of 1991 was enacted.

The Sangguniang Kabataan is the youth legislature in every local village or community. It also initiates policies, programs and projects for the development of youth in their respective political territories. The chairman of the SK acts as the chief executive of the Sanggunian (council) while the Kagawad (councilor) as the legislative council. The Kagawads approve resolutions of the Sanggunian and appropriates the money allotted to the council, a share in the revenue of the barangay.

The chairman automatically sits in the Sangguniang Barangay (Village Council) as ex-officio member. He automatically gets chairmanship of the Committee on Youth and Sports, one of the standing committees in the village council. Every Sangguniang Kabataan is then federated into municipal and city federations, then city and municipal federations are federated into a provincial federation.

The barangay SK chairman represents the barangay in the municipal or city federation. The presidents of the city and municipal federation presidents becomes member of the provincial federation and the provincial federation president. The presidents of highly urbanized and independent component cities composed the membership in the national federation and elect the national federation president who automatically sits in the National Youth Commission as ex-officio member of the commission.

The Commission on Elections in an en banc resolution has set the dates for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) voters’ registration to August 6, 2010 until August 15, 2010.

According to Comelec Resolution No. 9004, promulgated July 12, 2010, stressed on the value of having an “assembly of youth” in every barangay called the “Katipunan ng Kabataan,” its primary objective according to Article 202.

Rule XXVII of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the Local Government Code of 1991, is to enhance the social, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, moral, moral, spiritual and physical development of the youth of the country.

Any Filipino citizen who are at least 5 but below 18 years of age and are residents of the Barangay where they intend to vote for at least six months, may register as member of the Katipunan ng Kabataan.

The applications for registration as members of the Katipunan ng Kabataan shall be filed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (including weekends), at the Office of the Election Officer of the city or in the municipality where the applicant resides.

Applicants must present any of the following documents when registering, to wit: A) certificate of live birth, B) baptismal certificate, C) school records or any other document that will establish his or her identity and other qualifications.

The community tax certificates (cedulas) and/or a certification from the barangay will not be honored by the Comelec in the said registration. All qualified youths are encouraged to register and to participate in the nation building of our country. I believed that young children are the future in the development of a progressive nation.