Bam Aquino: SK reform a priority

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – “We will work together.”

This much was promised by Senator Bam Aquino to more than 200 young leaders in his message concluding the 10^th National Youth Parliament in Manila on Sunday, May 18.

Currently the youngest senator of the 16^th Congress, Aquino urged the youth parliamentarians to work together towards achieving the results they wanted to see after this year’s parliament.

“Wala pong mangyayari sa Pilipinas kung di magtutulungan ang iba’t ibang sektor. It’s only when different sectors come together when reforms actually get done,” he said. (Nothing will happen in the Philippines unless different sectors help one another.)

The senator went through all eight policy resolutions passed by the youth parliament, and discussed how the National Youth Commission as well as legislators and other government agencies may be able to help turn the resolutions into actual programs.

Reforms and resolutions

The senator identified two resolutions which he considered as personal “gifts” from the parliamentarians. These were the resolutions pushing for reforms in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), and on promoting youth entrepreneurship.

Aquino, who handles the senate committee on the youth, took time to explain how the SK reform issue has been handled by the Upper Chamber.

“The Senate and the Congress decided to postpone the SK elections. Ano yung nagyari? During that postponement – and that was actually the first law passed by the 16th Congress – there was a general understanding na kailangan i-reporma ang ating SK,” he said. (What happened? During that postponement – and that was actually the first law passed by the 16^th Congress – there was a general understanding that the SK needed reforms)

He added that a “significant” block among legislators wanted the abolition of the existing system of local youth councils but pro-reform lawmakers eventually won the debate.

Two major reforms that he proposed were raising the age of those eligible to be voted into SK positions, and replacing the current federated set-up of the local youth councils and adopting a “Local Youth Development Council” framework.

“Ngayon po 15 to 17, unfortunately I think that age range has created a number of problems: mahirap pumirma ng kontrata, tumanggap at gumamit ng pondo, etc.,” he said. (Currently, those aged 15 to 17 can be elected. Unfortunately, I think that age range has created a number of problems: it’s difficult to sign contracts, receive and use funds, etc.)

Call for SK reform

Instead of the SK Federation set-up, Aquino proposed the Local Youth Development Council framework, which will empower other youth organizations and turn them into partners of elected local youth councils.

“What this means is that young people’s needs will not be the sole responsibility of the SK, but of your organizations as well,” Aquino said in Filipino.

He reminded the parliamentarians, however, that these reforms needed strong support from the public, especially the youth.

“To tell you the truth, no law will pass without public support. I don’t see young people supporting the SK Reform Bill,” he added.

Aquino also warned the youth leaders that October 2014 was fast approaching, and this served as their “deadline” for realizing the reforms before the postponement of the local youth council elections expires.

He added that if young Filipinos don’t unite to push the SK reform movement forward, the next generation of young people will have a hard time governing “because the system is not set up for their success, but instead for their failure.”

Youth entrepreneurship

Another policy resolution that Aquino singled out was the one formulated by the parliament’s Committee on Youth Employment, which proposed to support entrepreneurship opportunities for young Filipinos.

“We will ask the Department of Education to include financial literacy and entrepreneurship (in our) basic education curriculum and in tertiary education,” he said.

Most microfinance loans are available only to women, putting young male would-be entrepreneurs at a disadvantage. To address this, Aquino suggested setting up a fund to support loans for young micro-entrepreneurs. He said youth entrepreneurship was a viable alternative for the youth, especially as young Filipinos compose a large part of the country’s unemployed.

“If we fill the unemployment gap, we will see the country really moving forward, with the youth being the main driver, not those being left behind,” he said.

The National Youth Parliament is convened annually by the National Youth Commission and serves as a clearinghouse for policy resolutions to be acted upon by relevant government agencies. – Rappler.com 

Toby Roca is a Journalism student in the University of the Philippines-Diliman and a Rappler intern.