The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has started assisting the organizing of respective Task Force on Youth Development that will handle the role of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) until new sets of SK officials are elected. This is pursuant to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10632, which postponed the SK elections originally scheduled on Oct. 28, 2
013 and set to be held sometime between Oct. 28, 2014 and February 23, 2015 at a date to be determined by the Commission on Elections. With the SK positions vacant, the 10% of the general fund of the barangay allocated for SK is supposed to be used solely for youth development programs or projects such as leadership trainings, youth camp programs, employability skills training, value formation and citizenship/nation-building seminars, health services and adolescent reproductive health program, out-of-school youth programs, socio-cultural and sports development, disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation, and other youth-related development programs and projects. The implementation of these programs will be overseen by the Sangguniang Barangay member who is elected as chairperson of the Committee on Women and Family, who shall also be the chairperson of the Committee on Youth and Sports Development. The concerned SB member shall also head the Task Force on Youth Development, with its eight members to be nominated by the Katipunan ng Kabataan and other youth organizations within the barangay and designated through a sanggunian resolution. The members shall have the following qualifications: at least 15 years of age but not more than 17 years of age at the date of their designation; should be of good moral character; a resident of the barangay for at least six (6) months before the date of the appointment; and, should not be related within the 4th degree of consanguinity and affinity to the officials of the sangguniang barangay. Before the Task Force is constituted, the names of all nominees shall be posted for three (3) consecutive days at the barangay hall, through which the barangay may receive feedback on issues and concerns relating to the nominee. Mandated to be organized within 30 days from the effectivity of the IRR, the Task Force will formulate a Youth Development Plan and ensure that programs and projects in the Plan are implemented in the barangay and that SK funds are utilized solely for youth development.
