(UPDATED) The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Office IV-A is all set for the conduct of mandatory training program for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials who will win in the May 14 elections.
Regional Director Manuel Q. Gotis said the DILG IV-A is well prepared for the conduct of the training for around 32,000 SK officials in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) which will run from May 16 to 26, 2018 in clustered training centers.
No elected SK officials may assume their posts unless they undergo the one-day mandatory training program pursuant to Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reform Act of 2015.
The DILG IV-A top official said their agency has tapped its partner local resource institutions such as state universities and colleges in the Calabarzon region to manage and facilitate the training program. He added that a management team was also created in its provincial offices to assist the third-party service providers in the overall conduct of the training.
Below is the list of higher education institutions tapped by the DILG IV-A.
The training, according to Gotis, will cover modules on decentralization and local governance and SK history and salient features. It will also include capacity development on conducting meetings and crafting resolutions as well as plan programs and budget that will help them in developing their Comprehensive Barangay Youth Development Plans. A module on the code of conduct and ethical standards will be also part of the training sessions.
“The training is expected to equip our youth leaders with the necessary knowledge and skills which will help them perform their mandated powers and functions as prime movers of the youth,” the Regional Director said.
Non-attendance to the training without valid reason shall be considered as sufficient ground to disqualify SK officials or subject them to disciplinary actions as per Section 27 of the SK Reform Act. A training fee of P2,000.00 chargeable against the 10 percent SK funds is required from each participant to cover the training expenses.
Gotis added that all winning SK officials must report at their respective DILG City or Municipal offices on May 15 for the schedule and venue of the mandatory training.
Vote for Matino, Mahusay, at Maaasahan
Meanwhile, Gotis encouraged the youth to vote for leaders who can effect meaningful change and development in their communities.
He said that the youth should not only exercise their right to suffrage on May 14 but should also choose leaders who are “Matino, Mahusay, at Maaasahan” (decent, excellent, and reliable) which are important to carry out continuous development of the youth sector.
The 2018 elections will be the first in eight years for SK after several laws were passed to postpone the village and youth polls. It will be also the first SK elections after the passage of RA 10742 or the SK Reform Act in 2015. —R4A
