Marking the first Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) forum on Sept. 26, the International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov), people's organizations, members of the academe, student councils, and youth networks shared success stories on efforts to empower the sector and continue the political momentum for the mid-term and national elections.

The forum held in Cubao, Quezon City aimed to build on previous meetings and consortiums on promoting SK electoral reform.

At least 17 partners attended the event, including Ateneo de Manila University-Political Science Department, Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP), Galing Pook Foundation (GP), Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN), Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN), Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and the Pacific (ANSA-EAP), Kaya Natin Youth, Every Woman, Peoples Alternative Study Center for Research and Education in Social Development (PASCRES), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP NCPAG), the Philippine Misereor Partnership Incorporated (PMPI), Young Public Servants, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Public Policy Center, and SPARK Philippines.

The objective was to enable a process where civil society organizations can support youth groups and communities on SK participation and find opportunities for collaboration.

One of SK's biggest challenges is its dependence on the barangay, which limits its capacity to utilize a budget and organize meaningful projects outside of sports events. Some groups also noted that many SK leaders feel unprepared for organizational and financial management tasks, which are crucial in fulfilling their duties as youth representatives in local governance.

To address these, the groups highlighted the following initiatives during the forum:

1. Ateneo's Political Science Department shared the findings from their SK Project last June 2023 that looked into the participation of young people, including re-electionists and potential members of political dynasties. The project covered Regions 6 to 8, from Leyte, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Ormoc, Cebu, Bohol, Bacolod, and Iloilo.

 

2. With its network of 230 organizations, PMPI hosted an electoral education campaign-dubbed the "Power of Purple" campaign-starting with voter registration basics and an assessment of national candidates. The organization hopes to continue engaging young people on environmental and rights-of-nature issues.

 

3. SNPP, a nationwide organization with 163,000 members, is developing its youth cluster on political education and empowering SK aspirants.

 

4. GP Foundation shared its efforts during the pandemic to mentor LGUs and SK members in Northern Samar, in partnership with UNICEF. It has over 100 members from former SKs and CSOs.

 

5. PYDN, drawing from the network of the award-giving body GP Foundation, focused on creating a network and recognition programs. They launched ASPIRE Academy on social media to rebrand SK and make the position more aspirational, further empowering leaders to run for higher positions after their term ends. PYDN also reached out to the National Youth Commission to help rebrand the image of SK and participate in the Youth Organization Registration program.

 

6. CYAN launched the Model SK program in 2018, equipping SK officials with knowledge of rights-based governance and skills in financial and organizational management. In partnership with FES, they built an online learning platform for elected and aspiring officials who cannot attend physical training sessions.

 

7. ANSA-EAP collaborated with SNPP to organize the children of 4Ps recipients and hone their socio-economic skills. Volunteer groups Kaya Natin Youth and PASCRES also implemented similar capacity-building programs focused on youth for humanity and social change. Meanwhile, EveryWoman stressed the importance of the gender and feminist lens in leadership and election modules for the youth, especially women's role in community development.