- The abolition of Sangguniang Kabataan is a proposal that was made by the senate because the council could not

get the youth involved in community development. Some of the privileges of an official in this council were entitlement to receive honoraria, travel allowances and any other related compensation. They were also treated as persons of authority in the community.

"SK needs reform, not abolition"

By Danny B. Dangcalan (The Philippine Star) | Updated September 18, 2013 - 12:00am

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines The solution is reform, not abolition, of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), declared Thea Mae Dino, president of the SK-Negros Occidental federation, when asked of her view on the pressing call to abolish the SK. "The SK is flawed, we don't deny that," Dino said, but "we are asking help to reform the system and not totally abolish it." The youth comprised the majority of the population and their voices need to be heard, Dino said. "There will be no youth representation if the SK is abolished," she said. Over the past days, both the Senate and the House of Representatives have voted for the postponement of the SK elections in Oct. 28 to another date to give time for the institution of reforms in the system. Dino said she was in favor of the postponement of the SK elections to give the incumbent SK officials a "holdover position" that would give them more experience in public service and more opportunities to grow. The current SK representation is from ages 15 to 17 but there is a proposal in Congress to raise the age to 18 to 21.

Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

Dino said youth empowerment, through seminars and participation in activities and advocacies, were among her accomplishments as president of SK Federation in Negros Occidental. "There's also the National Youth Commission that helps guide the youth leaders," she added. While she admitted that there are youth leaders who were not efficient in their tasks, she said there were others who were really engaged in public service. Meanwhile, Rep. Leo Rafael Cueva (2nd district, Negros Occidental) said "SK should be a full-time job," as he pointed out that youth leaders have limited time to serve their constituents. "Let's face it, they are students. They go to school. They have limited time. School should still be their priority," he said. "I've been a local official (mayor of Sagay City) for so long; we try to maximize our youth. Unfortunately, we don't see them (SK) making a difference," he lamented. (FREEMAN)

Rushed SK election postponement is de facto SK abolition youth solon

18 SEPTEMBER 2013 2,606 VIEWS ONE COMMENT

As the House of Representatives approves on second reading House Bill 2849 which seeks to postpone the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan elections next month until the last Monday of October 2016, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon expressed extreme reservations over the rushed bill, saying that the SK postponement does not address the fundamental issues hounding the SK as an institution. Mere postponement of the SK elections does not address the issue of SK being transformed into a breeding ground for corruption. Instead, if House Bill 2849 passes into law, the end effect would be de facto abolition of the youths elected representation in the local government, Ridon said. The youth solon explained that HB 2849 does not contain a hold-over provision, which means that there would be virtually no youth representative in the Sangguniang Barangay, Sangguniang Bayan, and the provincial council for the next three years if the SK election this October would be postponed. It was the Commission on Elections that first raised the idea of not allowing incumbent SK officials to have a hold-over capacity once the upcoming SK election is postponed. This is problematic as it creates a vacuum in the law and translates to an undue deprivation of elected youth representation at the local level, Ridon said. Comelec earlier suggested that instead of extending the terms of incumbent SK officials in the event that the SK elections will indeed be postponed till 2016, the most junior member of the Sangguniang Barangay would serve as the interim youth representative until the 2016 elections. Now let us be clear: Kabataan Partylist does not support the inclusion of a hold-over provision in HB 2849 as having such provision would mean extending the terms of the current batch of SK officials. Rather, we are fully opposed to the idea of postponing the SK elections as it would in effect deprive the youth of rightful representation in local government units, Ridon cleared. Palace behind rushed SK election postponement The rushed manner in which this bill is being forced into our throats is telling the ruling party in both houses of Congress has marching orders from Malacanang to pass this bill at the soonest. Dont be surprised if it passes on third and final reading either this week or the next, Ridon said. All this rush to pass the SK election postponement bill has an underlying implication the Aquino administration is behind this move as it is determined to take control of the recalcitrant youth sector, which plays a pivotal role in the upcoming 2016 presidential elections, he said. Ridon explained that the SK election postponement opens youth leaders to central government manipulation and politicking by 2016, as the current administration can now tap funds for SK projects for their own partisan electioneering and manipulate the powerless SK to build up support for the upcoming presidential elections. The Aquino government can dangle the issue of SK abolition to aspiring SK candidates like a carrot-and-stick. Its like saying to aspiring SK candidates that if they wont cooperate and pledge allegiance to the ruling party come 2016 presidential elections, the very SK institution would be

dissolved with finality by their allies in both houses of Congress. Its abuse of power in its most sinister form, Ridon explained. Analyzing the situation further, the rushed postponement of the SK elections would further endanger the welfare of the youth and would expose youth leaders to further manipulation at the barangay level, as the funds and powers delegated by law to the SK will now be fully controlled by local government officials themselves. Under such situation, programs and projects for the youth would then be decided without the youths genuine voice a monumental loss for the youth sector all over the country, Ridon said. During the House Suffrage Committee hearing of HB 2849 last week, Ridon cast the lone opposing vote. The Senate version of the said bill has already been passed earlier this week. The youth denounces this wholesale deprivation of representation at the local level. Once again, the Aquino administration has sacrificed the rights and welfare of the youth for the sake of consolidation building and politicking, Ridon said. Worsening state of the youth under Aquino The youth solon further lambasted the Aquino administration for launching an all-out attack against the youth on all fronts. Apart from the spiraling education and jobs crisis that the Aquino administration further worsened, the current administration is now robbing the Filipino youth their right to participate in governance. Clearly, Aquino and his cohorts have nothing to offer to the Filipino youth but further helplessness and destitution, Ridon said. With the Aquino regime taking back the little democratic space that we have, the youth has no other recourse but to fight back. Now, we have more reasons to go out to the streets to reclaim the rights that Aquino and his cohorts took away from us, Ridon ended.###
Sangguniang Kabataan ("youth council" in English), commonly known as SK, is a youth council in each barangay in the Philippines. The council represents teenagers from 15 to 17 years old who have resided in their barangay for at least six months and registered to vote. It is the local youth legislature in the village and therefore leads the local youth program and projects of the government. The Sangguniang Kabataan is an off-shoot of the KB or the Kabataang Barangay (Village Youth) which was abolished when the Local Government Code of 1991 was enacted. The SK Chairman leads the Sangguniang Kabataan council. The Kagawads, or councilors, approve resolutions and appropriates the money allotted to the council. The Chairman automatically sits in the barangay council as ex officio member. He or she is automatically chairman of the Committee on Youth and Sports, one of the standing committees in the village council. Every Sangguniang Kabataan is federated into municipal and city federations, then city and municipal federations are federated into a provincial federation. A barangay's SK Chairman represents the barangay in the municipal or city federation. The presidents of the city and municipal federation are, in turn, members of the provincial or metropolitan federations, which elect their own president as well. The presidents of highly urbanized and independent component cities (Metropolitan Federation) and the provincial federations compose the membership in the national federation. They elect the national

federation president who automatically sits in the National Youth Commission as ex officio member of the commission. Since 1992, there have been three simultaneous nationwide SK elections held in the Philippines which each term lasting from three to five years due to amendment of the regular 3-year term of the council. MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino signed on Thursday the bill postponing the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections set on Oct. 28 to pave way for the reforms that the youth council needs. Republic Act 10632 amended RA 9340 and reset the youth council elections anytime between Oct. 28, 2014 and Feb. 23, 2015. It also does not allow current SK officials to retain their positions in a holdover capacity. The term of youth officials will end on Nov. 30, 2013. RA 9340 amended RA 9164 that synchronized barangay and SK elections. There have been calls to reform or abolish the SK as some lawmakers and various sectors said the youth council was becoming a school for corruption. There are pending bills in Congress either for the reform or the abolition of the SK. Advocates of the abolition said the government would save at least P1.1 billion in election expenses by doing away with the youth councils, which was created under the Local Government Code of 1991 as a means of providing young people with representation in government.
Its origins can be traced back to former president Ferdinand Marcoss Kabataang Barangay (KB) founded in 1975 to afford the youth a voice through local governance. A seven-member barangay-based council made up of 15-17 year old members who do not even have the legal capacity to enter into contracts on account of age, its role is suspect and seemingly irrelevant in the face of a glaring lack of significant achievements since its inception in 1992. The SK is supposed to be the youth legislative body of every community. Its mandate is to initiate policies, programs and projects for the development of the youth. But has the SK actually managed to do this in the last 20 years? If the needs of the youth must be represented in Congress, let the party list system address this. There is no need to form legislative councils for the youth at the barangay level. I must question the wisdom of empowering 15-17 year old leaders in the legislative arena. Do they actually have the emotional maturity as well as the experiential ability to formulate policies, promulgate resolutions and implement programs designed to enhance the social, political, economic, cultural, spiritual and physical development of the youth? I argue on the basis that 15-17 year old kids are still under parental supervision. How can they be tasked to promulgate resolutions or to liquidate budgets of huge amounts? If many 40-year olds are not yet blessed with financial or emotional wisdom, I very much doubt if 15-17 year old kids are up to these tasks. While I do not doubt the intellectual capacities as well as creative abilities of teen-agers, I seriously doubt that they possess the wisdom to dispense of these tasks effectively, efficiently and with integrity. If we must tap the youth in nation-building, we should do so through the academe. The basic duty of 15-17 year old kids is to pursue excellence in their academic endeavors. Their leadership abilities can be nurtured and honed through school organizations.

In 2007, the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies produced a report outlining the weak performance of the SK in the last ten years. In 2010, these findings were supported by the thesis of two UP Mass Communication students who found supervision of the SK as well as accountability for its funds, weak. The thesis further alleged that bribery and overpricing between 10-12 percent was prevalent throughout the organization with the full knowledge of adult politicians. The SK, after two decades, has sadly failed to become the envisioned training ground for future leaders of the nation. Instead, it has become, in the words of Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice, a school of corruption. Further, it has effectively served to be the entry point for children of politicians who wish to perpetuate their political dynasties. Postponing the SK elections is the right move. But will reforms do any good? Why reform an organization that has become ineffective and irrelevant? Lets abolish the SK altogether.

Time to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan

INTROSPECTIVE By Tony Katigbak (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 10, 2013 - 12:00am
21 365 googleplus7 4

#2 -In theory, the Sangguniang Kabataan serves a very noble purpose. It was created to serve as a
training ground for the countrys future leaders. It was a place where those who wanted to learn about politics might enter to enrich their skills and learn what it would take to become a future leader of the nation. Over the years though, as what often happens with a once-noble purpose, the Sangguniang Kabataan has been twisted and turned into something that is no longer in unison with its original purpose. It has become as open to graft and corruption as the government itself, and instead of fostering future good leaders, it only seems to teach the youth about the corruption that exists in the government at a very early age. I think that in the last couple of years the purity and purpose of the SK has been something that not everyone believed in anymore. However, it remained important for the youth to feel they have a voice so that they remained interested in their government and how the country was being run. Over the weekend, Caloocan Rep. Edgardo Erice proposed an amendment that would, in effect, abolish the SK, something he had originally proposed while he was in his first term in office. I read about this news over the weekend and I could not help but agree with his line of thinking. It just seems ridiculous to keep an institution around that is no longer serving its purpose. Unless drastic changes are made to return the so-called innocence of the SK, there really is no need to keep it around. Other than just churning out younger corrupt future politicians, the SK has also been known to be the training ground for political dynasties, a place where politician families can put their kids to learn about politics until they are of age and can take over the family business. This seems rather unfair to those who truly want to run for the SK because of a genuine interest in politics and serving the people. They stand no chance running against candidates who are backed by their political families. Its just another place for politicians to gain a stronger foothold. As mentioned by Erice, who himself had been a part of the Sangguniang Kabataan when he was younger, when he was in it there was absolutely no budget allotted for the youth group. The group was pure volunteerism and those who joined did it out of a sincere desire to learn and they worked on programs that directly benefitted them. It was very different from the current way the group is set up.

Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

They are now a logical first choice target for local politicians seeking a higher position. Because of this SK leaders are truly exposed to the ugly side of politics at a very young age and instead of inspiration are being disillusioned and even jaded by the system instead of striving to find ways to improve it and better it. Of course, the idea of abolishing the SK is also having its fair share of opposition. There are those who claim that the importance of the group is still the same and that is giving the youth a voice in the government and teaching them about politics at a young age thereby helping them understand how the government works. With this mission I wholeheartedly agree, however, that is not what is happening now. The Caloocan Representative went on to say that he understood the importance of having a youth voice and suggested instead the organization of a Barangay Youth Council headed by the youngest elected Sangguniang Barangay member with four chairmen appointed. They will tackle topics directly related to the youth including education, sports, environment, and culture and the arts. I can see the merits of his suggestions and I think it would be a good first step in cleansing youth politics and keeping them focused on what really matters building a better nation for themselves and their generation. As is, there are both pros and cons to abolishing the SK, but in the end we have to ask ourselves which is the path that will lead to more future growth and development. While the concept of the Sangguniang Kabataan is noble, it is not being executed properly. It cant be denied that it is a training ground for political dynasties and more and more political names are being put in the SK than possible future leaders who may not come from as prestigious a legacy but who are more than capable of serving. Plus, there is a substantial allocation of funds to the SK. If these are not being run correctly, the funds will surely not also be used the best possible way. At the same time though, should the group be abolished, how would the funding be used in a way that it will still serve its intended purpose? That is a serious question that needs to be addressed as well. In an ideal world, the best way to approach this problem is to institute reforms and safeguards. I think the Barangay Youth Council is a good idea in the right direction. The government can also earmark the SK funds for youth related projects in their districts such as school renovations, park and sports center buildings, and arts and culture programs for the youth. I think, in general, that is what these funds are for, but due to the nature of politics sometimes earmarking is not the same as actual budget implementation. Another idea given by the Representative of Quezon City is to continue on the SK but with zero budget. Give the youth their organization to learn about politics and make their suggestions within their barangays but dont include money or budget in the process. He claimed that the SKs corruption comes from its leaders access to public funds. A budget-less SK might be the antidote for such corruption. Its a very radical reform, but something that may also work. Without budget, the SK would return to the purity it formerly had because the young leaders elders politicians, barangay leaders, and etc would not be tempted to interfere. Personally, I am not entirely sure about which road is the best one to take at this point, but I do agree that changes need to be made. This is no longer something we can just ignore. The longer it goes on, the harder it will be to fix. Whether this is something that can be address before the elections in October is something only time will tell. Although for the amendment to just come in now is cutting it quite close though I must admit.
SENATORS will not support calls to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan, but will push for systematic reforms on how the barangay-based youth council will operate. Sen. Paolo Benigno Bam Aquino IV made this statement yesterday after reporters sought his views on the issue after the bicameral conference committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives last week approved the measure postponing the holding of the SK elections this year. Aquino, former chairman of the National Youth Commission, is a member of the Senate panel in the bicameral conference.

It is the right time to have SK reforms so that for the next batch there will be an organized and better system, he said. The senator said the legislature is collating proposals on how to recast the SK, which was criticized for being used as a vehicle to introduce young politicians to corruption. We have a year to reconcile (the proposals) and craft a law with a better system which will apply to the next batch of SK officials, he said. The bicameral committee measure also provides that the next SK elections shall be conducted between Oct. 28 2014 and Feb. 23, 2015. /Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

MANILA, PhilippinesSmarting from the unruly hordes of would-be registrants who descended on election offices on Wednesday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Thursday called for the abolition of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) systems. Brillantes also said the Election Registration Board (ERB) would go over the list of new registrants to weed out those who had illegally registered on July 22-31. He noted that a day before Wednesdays deadline, the Comelec had already recorded 1.2 million new registrants, or 50 percent more than the 800,000 it had expected would sign up to vote in the barangay and SK elections on Oct. 28. Maybe a good way to stop this from happening again is to abolish the SK and also the barangay. We have been advocating for that for a long time, Brillantes said in an interview. He urged President Aquino to at least certify pending bills in Congress calling for the postponement of the SK elections in October. Lets see whether the barangay will be able to run without the SK. If it can run without the SK, lets abolish the youth councils, he said. SK officials are 15- to 25-year-olds who have been accused of following in their elders graft -ridden political ways. Hakot system Brillantes noted that SK candidates also resorted to the hakot system of herding supporters to local Comelec offi ces to register. We are teaching them to resort to hakot even at their young age, he said. Brillantes said the unruly scenes outside Comelec offices on Wednesday was unprecedented and abnormal. What happened and the high number of people were abnormal . That cannot be ordinary. Did you see the large number of people? The unruly behavior? There was even a stampede. Has that happened before? No, Brillantes said. Hunger, rain, exhaustion My assessment is that one candidate herded his supporters and his o pponent saw that and did the same. So they (registrants) all ended up waiting (outside Comelec offices), he said. Brillantes said he did not believe Filipino voters would, on their own, willingly suffer hunger, the rain and exhaustion just to register to vote. Ask them why they were willing to suffer the rain, hunger and exhaustion? Are our voters now that motivated? I dont think so, Brillantes said.

Biometrics system Most probably they were hakot, transferees, those who were paid, flying voters, and those who were told that they would not get benefits if they did not register. Who told them that? The candidates, he said. Brillantes said that herding registrants was not illegal but the problem was that this discouraged or disenfranchised legitimate registrants from signing up. Brillantes said the ERB would use the Comelec biometrics system and the Automated Fingerprint Identification System to purge illegal registrants from the list of new voters. Thats going to be easy because we now have biometrics. We will see who registered twice or who transferred (precincts) without meeting the six-month residency requirement, he said.

Illegal registrants Brillantes said that as of Tuesday, the Comelec had recorded 2.3 million SK voters (those above 15 but below 18 years old) and 1.2 million regular voters. We already had 52 million voters registered last May. Why would there be another million? Im sure were going to find many (illegal registrants), Brillantes said.

SK Abolition: Still, A Long Way To Go. AUGUST 30, 2013WORLDKNOTS

By : JUANCHO ANTONOV Have you heard the name Jane Cajes? If not, it was a powerful name of a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) National Federation president that was involved in several allegations. As a youth leader, she was charged over the lack of transparency in her financial dealings and for flaunting her wealth in April 2010. It has been three years since the controversy happened. Where is she now? For the meantime, let us leave the question unanswered. Let us focus on her credibility that was subject to very close scrutiny by the public, creating a number of reasons why youth leadership, particularly the SK officials are no longer as credible and why its entire abolition becomes a big issue in the Philippines.
JUANCHO ANTONOV, UNCATEGORIZED LEAVE A COMMENT

Photo taken from : http://www.watblog.com HISTORY CHECK It was in 1975 through Presidential Decree 684 when the idea of a youth representation was formally recognized. Under the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, it was later termed as the Kabataang Barangay aimed to develop every youth leader help his community through his own small scale but useful projects. However, during the time of Marcos rule, the emergence of militant youth leadership surpassed the popularity of the pro government Kabataang Barangay. The militant youth became very visible and played critical role in forming the broad front of the progressive Philippines left. When Cory Aquino was elected as the president of the Philippines, KB being a name associated to Marcos was replaced with Presidential Council for Youth Affairs (PCYA). Unfortunately, it only functioned as a coordinator of youth groups and failed to provide leadership training to harness the leadership skills of young people. Eventually it was abolished and again replaced by the 1991s Local Autonomy Law or the Local Government Code of 1991 . The rise of Sangguniang Kabataan (also called as Katipunan ng Kabataan) has put an end to the KB brand. SK in its formative years has had gone through many revisions which in its current form is a product of those transformations. SK AS THE YOUTHS VOICE

#1. As the name speaks for itself, SK is a governing body for young people. They are
in the age bracket of 15 to 18 years old during their reign. These youth leaders are elected to initiate policies, programs, and projects for the benefit of the youth in their respective territories. Some of their projects were to help the less fortunate students by giving them school supplies, construction of places for leisure, and numerous medical missions. They serve as the voice of the youth, speaking in behalf of them and representing the rights of the youth in the society. That is why when the clash between to or not to abolish SK Election becomes a focal issue in the youth sector, various opinions emerged. Just like what the SK National President Louise Gabriel Del Rosario said Bakit natin tatanggalin ang kaisa-sang pundasyon ng kabataan para sa good governance?

Photo taken from : http://www.philstar.com WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM?

SK election is set to happen this coming October 28, 2013. Meaning, two months from now, the 6 th election for the youth leadership in the country is ready to roll. However, many Filipinos strongly believe that SK isnt necessary anymore and therefore should be abolished. SK is argued to be the breeding ground for political dynasties. The Filipino people, particularly the youth do not see SK facilitating the development of good leadership qualities in young people for Philippines as a nation to confidently say youth is the hope of the future. Aileen Joy Aguirre, College GraduateIts just their Basketball programs that Ive noticed. Also, I find it very sayang, because the fund for them was too high, yet we cant feel it. FROM THE OFFICIALS If supporting statements from the people who have expressed specialist opinion in their fields are what you need, youve just found the right way. Not only common Noypis have these sentiments about SK, but also the officials who found the SK election not helpful anymore to contribute to the nations progress. Edgar Erice, Caloocan Representative. The original objective of the creation of the Sangguniang Kabataan as a training ground for the countrys future leaders is a noble one. However, through the yea rs, it has been observed that the ugly side of Philippine politics has served to distract it from its primordial mission. It has become the logical first target of any local politician who is seeking a higher position, (PDI 2013) Lucenito Tagle, Commissioner- SK had become a training ground for corruption with older politicians tutoring the budding youth leaders in the ways of taking government funds. (PDI, 2013) Sixto Brillantes, COMELEC Chairman- We are teaching them to resort to hakot even at their young age, (PDI, 2013) HAKOT SYSTEM Aside from the idea that the term HAKOT is associated with power greediness and corruption, it now talks about the hoarding of voters in illegal way. For example, a candidate would pay scores of people, bring them to COMELEC Offices, and make them register as voters. Despite knowing that some of them arent supposed to be voters from that Barangay, they pay the person to register and vote for them. Brillantes doubts that this practice is coming from the voters eagerness to effect change in the country. Ask them why they were willing to suffer the rain, hunger and exhaustion? Are our voters now that motivated? I dont think so, Brillantes said in an interview with Inquirer. He simply doesnt buy the concept that Filipino voters are voters alone. They are paid voters. REFORM NOT ABOLISH Para po sa amin, hindi po katanggap-tanggap ang direct abolition, kundi reform. Kaya po, ito po nilalabanan po namin ngayon, nilalapit po naming sa ating mga kongresista, senador na sana mapakinggan nila an gaming side na meron ginagawa ang Sanggunian Kabataan, na hindi po tama ang kanilang ibinibintang sa amin said by the SK National President Louise Del Rosario. With regards to his statement, an unknown author launched a petition online with a message No to SK Abolition! Yes to SK reformation! The said petition supported by member of Brotherhood of Destiny INC. (BROOD) still believes that SK is one of the most relevant youth formations in nation building. They dont consider abolition is the best thing to do but rather reformation to certain provisions like:

1. Increase age bracket of the Katipunang Kabataan (KK) from 15 to 17 to 15-21 and age qualification bracket of SK officials to 18-21. 2. Give some degree of fiscal autonomy to the SK like those granted in other Local Government Units in order that the youth councils wouldnt be beholden or wouldnt be used for partisan activities by the barangay elders and the mayors. 3. Increase relevant trainings of the SK which focuses on their functions as SK officials, this can be done through coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Youth Commission (NYC), Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), National Sports Commission (NSC), and other National Government Agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); As of know the petitions got 136 signatures. Having this few numbers of signatures isnt quite good for a certain petition which was made last year (2012). THE PAST AND THE PRESENT I also got the chance to talk with some people who had and still have the position. They might have the throne and enjoyed the privilege of being SK Officials, but what makes the difference is that experience tells it all. Christian Martizano, SK Federation President (2002-2007)In my opinion, SK should be abolished in the political system in the Philippines since its duties and responsibilities on its respective areas can be done by every executive and legislative body from barangays to national level. My stand for its abolition was based on my personal experience since the SK was being used by higher officials for their personal interest which includes political dynasty and graft and corruption. Edcel Matthew Juarez, SK Chairman (2010-2013)Im not in favor that SK should be abolished. Without SK, youth wont have their representatives in every barangay. Their agonies and discontentment wouldnt be heard anymore. For me, what the youth want is far and d ifferent from what the elders want. THE WRITERS STAND I was once a SK voter, and I have seen how my vote was put into waste. Unluckily, I belonged to a community where the elected SK chairman is the son of Brgy. Chairman. I have been a witness to the perpetuation and continuing existence of political dynasty. Im not saying that our SK Chairman did not do something of service to the people; I just believe that he could do something more if he is really that dedicated and willing. SK is about passion to serve the public, not a profession where you can hoard tons of peso. Im not generalizing but my ears have heard enough of similar stories from their respective SK officials. Regarding the reformation, I only have one sentence for this. There is nothing to change, if there is nothing to change. Yes, we sometimes see mistakes and tend to give it another try. But Im not entirely convinced that one more try could really put an end to this entire try in SK. SK has been into many revisions, hoping for an after effect. But did we felt the difference between the service of SK from the local government officials? I didnt felt it, Im sorry. With the Hakot system, Mr.Sixto Brillantes and I are wearing the same shirt. I dont think that there is a voter on his own willing to suffer from hunger and exhaustion just to vote. Im not saying that Filipinos are worth the cent, but I can see that a cent, oh well I should say lots and lots of cents are worth a lot for a Filipino nowadays. WHAT HAPPENED TO JANE CAJES?

Her case was thrown out of court. The charges against her were said to be just false charges. She is now a happy wife, living her own life, far from the black propaganda (as she defined it) she had been through. Miles away from the charges she faced. Just like what happened to Jane Cajes case, I can see a long way to go before the entire abolition of SK election happens. Yes, there might be copious reasons why it should be abolished, but that wouldnt be enough to kill a cow easily. Many might be shouting, dying to have it abolished but as long as the most powerful seat is being occupied by the current most powerful person in this country, the long way to go means miles away to run. Yes it will be abolished, but not today, not tomorrow, not even next month or next years.

1- Youth addiction to alcohol - Causes and concerns 2- Comparison between the children brought up in Filipino and Europe 3- What is and should the role of politicians in socializing through campaigning? 4- Merits and demerits of media for a society? 5- How cross cultural media transformation destroys the culture of a particular society? 6- Internet and its implications on a society. 7- Diffusion of innovation in European culture. 8- Critical comparison between sociology and anthropology 9- Homosexuality - crucial warning to our society 10- Views about organ transplantation in our society 11- What are the causes of increasing street crimes in our society? 12- What does mean to be a single parent in a conservative society? 13- Comparison between marriages and live-in? 14- Life in rural areas and life in a metropolitan city 15- Increasing materialism increases the depression in a society 16- In spite of such an advanced means of communication people are increasingly going for solitude. 17- Adoption and its consequences for an adopted child 18- How does divorce effects on the minds of the children 19- Comparison between materialistic and a spiritualistic person 20- Living a life as an eternal bachelor 21- Women empowerment in a conservative society 22- Challenges a working women faces in our society 23- Comparison between inferiority and superiority complex 24- Living whole life in a prison 25- Origin of sociology as a science Hip Hop Culture in the 80's, 90's and 2000's Punk: Anarchy, Rebellion and Revolution Extreme Sport Culture: Surf, Skate and Snow How Adolescents are Affected by the Media "Emo" Culture: The Self-Destructive Teen Mean Girls: A Study of Competition between Young Women Jock Culture At-Risk Youth and Deviant Behavior Messages Promoted in [insert genre here] Music Masculinity and Femininity in High School Cliques and Outcasts: A Study of a High School Social Structure Bullying

Cyber Bullying Maturity and the Media: Are Teens Pressured to Mature as Fast as their Favorite Stars? Sex and Adolescents
incest, sexual relations between persons who, because of the nature of their kin relationships, are prohibited by law or custom from intermarrying. Because, cross-culturally, incest is more an emotional than a legal issue, the term taboo is generally preferred over prohibition. The incest taboo is acknowledged in anthropology as universal, although it is imposed differently in different societies and knowledge of its breach provokes widely different reactions from society to society. Generally speaking, the closer the genetic relationship between two people, the stronger and more highly charged is the taboo prohibiting or discouraging sexual relations between them. Thus, sexual intercourse between a father and daughter, a mother and son, or a brother and sister is almost universally forbidden. Sexual relations between an uncle and niece or between an aunt and nepheware also generally taboo, and relations between first cousins are prohibited as well in some societies. Incest taboos beyond immediate family members can vary enormously, however. In matrilineal societies in Melanesia, for example, the taboo is extended from biological brothers and sisters to include all so-called classificatory siblings who trace their descent through the same matriline. Thus, in Melanesian society, the incest taboo makes a distinction among ... (200 of 637 words)