Rama wants body to lead youth

CEBU, Philippines - With no Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this year and with incumbent officials having no holdover capacity, Mayor Michael Rama wants the Cebu City Youth Development Commission (CCYDC) to take the lead in taking care of programs for the youth sector.

“I would like the Cebu City Youth Development Commission to play a very active, strong, functional role nga dili mawagtang, malayo ang mga batan-on,” Rama said.

“Daghan kaayong mga program nga challenging kaayo nga dapat ang CCYDC has to sit down and do some focus group discussion leading perhaps to an amendment of the ordinance, which is long overdue because the last amendment, if I’m not mistaken, was when I became chairman of CCYDC in 1995 which I expanded the function of the commission strongly involving youth activities,” the mayor added.

The mayor is set to meet with the commission to discuss the matter.

Rama, admits, however, that he does not know how government will go about the budget intended for the SK now that the youth sector is not officially represented in the City Council through the city’s SK federation chairman.

Rama said he wants to revive the youth congress, which gathers the city’s youth sector to discuss issues that concern them.

“We can have the congress district-based or per cluster. Then the commission will oversee. We can tap PAGCOR funds for these activities. It has to be a shielded and filtered activity to engage the youth,” Rama said.

The mayor also wants the commission to revive competitions that stir the intellect like quiz bowls and drama and literally contests, which he reportedly started during his time.

Rama described the postponement of the SK polls as a “blessing in disguise” because it means that youth leaders will not have to keep up with the pressure in a barangay elections, which involves spending for campaign paraphernalia.

This way, he said, the youth will be free from the shackles of corruption.

“Dili man na muingon nga mawagtangan og representation ang batan-on. Manindot na nuon kay dili na maapilan og politika. Dili na mutipon sa barangay officials. Kay lahi ang storyang dinagko ug batan-on. Pero kelangan CCYDC mo-create og atmosphere nga motherly or fatherly considering the commission to be composed of adults and youth representatives (It does not mean that the youth will lose representation. This is even better because they will not have to deal with politics by dealing with barangay officials. Discussions among the youth must be separate from discussions among the old. Still, CCYDC must create a motherly or fatherly atmosphere in implementing programs, considering that the commission is composed of both adults and youth representatives),” Rama said.  (FREEMAN)