Legarda Wants Inquiry on Status of Green Brigades in SK

May 13, 2011

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA HAS CALLED FOR AN INQUIRY INTO THE STATUS OF THE GREEN BRIGADES WHICH EVERY BARANGAY IN THE COUNTRY MUST HAVE.
Legarda filed Senate Resolution 458 to find out if Executive Order No. 52 that was adopted in December 1998, which mandates the creation of a youth environmental corps within the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), to be known as Green Brigade, is being implemented nationwide.
“Thirteen years after the adoption of the said measure, there is a need to review the success of the Green Brigade as a platform for youth governance on issues concerning the environment,” she said.
The Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change explained that the Green Brigade is tasked to formulate and implement plans addressing the specific environmental concerns of the barangay.
It is also tasked to establish educational projects such as environmental awareness campaign, clean-up drives and tree planting activities to promote youth partnership in environmental protection and preservation.
Moreover, Legarda said that Congress should also find out if the fund for the operations of the Green Brigade, which is ten percent of the annual budget of the SK, is properly allocated and used for its intended purposes.
“We must scrutinize the utilization of this budget, which can also be spent for the continuity of projects geared towards environmental protection and climate change adaptation,” she pointed out.
“This Green Brigade is an important tool in our crusade to make our country disaster-resilient. It will also help raise youth awareness on environmental preservation and turn them into active participants in this campaign,” Legarda concluded.