Loren Urges Youth: Make Better Future for RP

“THIS COUNTRY’S FUTURE IS FOUNDED ON THE VISION, AMBITIONS AND HEROISM OF TODAY’S GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE,” THUS SAYS VICE-PRESIDENTIABLE LOREN LEGARDA IN HER MEETING WITH THE YOUTH OF CAVITE IN LAST WEEK’S CAMPAIGN RALLY.
“One of my core programs of governance is to give you, the Filipino youth, the voice and the avenue to exercise leadership and authority. I would like you to develop your sense of responsibility and hone them for you to become tomorrow’s leaders,” urged Legarda before crowds of young volunteers to electoral campaigns, members of the Red Cross and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chapters, as well as high school and college students.
Loren’s Senate Bill 927 introduces reforms to the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Law to enable the youth to fully participate in local governance and maximize their potential as partners in nation building and sustainable development. She has also urged various NGOs, both domestic and international, and government agencies relevant to social development, to set up youth chapters so they can actively participate in issues that concern them.
“The youth undergo a critical period in life from the onset of adolescence to the peak of maturity, self-reliance and responsible adulthood. As builders of the nation and the future of the country, the youth play a vital part of our society,” Loren explained.
Asked by the media on whether her meeting with the youth groups was to garner their votes for the May 2010 elections, Loren said, “I am not going to ask them that. I am confident with theIR knowledge and understanding. They know the issues that need to be resolved, they know the resolutions that best embody their interests, and they know by heart the candidates who they believe will represent them in the government. I will not even ask for their choices. It is entirely their prerogative. Besides, if that were my intention, I would have gathered in this meeting only those of voting age.”
Loren’s meeting with said youth groups was unscheduled. Her motorcade was met by crowds of all ages and upon leaving the Caucus meeting with Cavite’s NP leaders in Naic, an assembly of high school and college students and PNRC and SK members gathered outside the Naic Church to rally their support for the vice-presidential candidate and listen to her speech.
“Ten years into the implementation of the SK and NYC laws, there are still areas that have yet to address and enable the youth to fulfill their significant role in the society. Due to lack of fiscal autonomy from government and undefined areas for budget allocation, the young sector of local governance is not able to participate fully in the running of the affairs of the community. Bur we will change this very soon, together, all of us,” she told the young group.
Loren seeks to mandate all units of the Sangguniang Barangay to appropriate the 10% budget of the Sangguniang Kabataan from its general fund in lump sum and grant it fiscal autonomy. She also proposes that the SK allot budget in certain percentages to the green brigade, livelihood programs, capacity-building, program for street children and anti-drug abuse campaign and to be transparent in their operations by requiring its treasurer to submit and post in the public hall a quarterly report of its actual income and expenditures.
“This country’s future is founded on the vision, ambitions and heroism of today’s generation of young people,” thus says Vice-Presidentiable Loren Legarda in her meeting with the youth of Cavite in last week’s campaign rally.
“One of my core programs of governance is to give you, the Filipino youth, the voice and the avenue to exercise leadership and authority. I would like you to develop your sense of responsibility and hone them for you to become tomorrow’s leaders,” urged Legarda.