By Bong Pedalino

Maasin City (5 November) -- Amidst calls for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) abolition and insinuations that they are ineffective, a ray of inspiration came from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG): 10% of funds from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) has been intended to be used for the SK projects in the barangay.

This was revealed by Resty Capricho, the para-legal officer at the DILG provincial office.

In a recent, special radio broadcast at radio station DYDM here a few days before the synchronized barangay and SK elections last week, Capricho said the SK fund can be availed by the youth for development initiatives in their respective barangays subject to guidelines as stated in the Local Government Code.

But Capricho admitted that in some barangays young people did participate in the just-concluded exercise yet they lacked the required number to have a quorum.

Normally, the SK in a barangay consists of one SK Chairman and seven kagawads or Council members, in which case they can deliberate and discuss issues and concerns regarding the youth in their area, and in a collective resolution may set aside funds allocated from their 10% barangay IRA share.

Some barangays, however, had only three kagawads in the running, while still others have 4 SK Chair candidates, no kagawads, Capricho said.

He added that under such situations the DILG will come in and will the one to conduct special youth elections.

On observations that the SK has been dictated on what to do by the barangay officials, Capricho emphasized that the SK, as duly constituted, was a collective body, and so they can used their own funds subject to regulations.

And while SK Kagawads have no honorarium, they are entitled to free tuition when they study in government colleges and state universities, Capricho stressed.