I have prepared a 22-page proposed provincial ordinance that in general will make Antique a better place in which to live, and in particular will promote the development and empowerment of the Antiqueño youth. I wrote the bill in 2006 and have rewritten it for around 30 times already. It will be sponsored by a Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member, and it is about the establishment of the KABALAKA (Konseho kang Antique tuhoy sa mga Bagay nga may Labut sa mga Kabataan, or Council of Antique on Affairs that are Related to the Youth). Incidentally, KABALAKA means concern in Kinaray-a, my native language which is also the native language of most Antiqueños. (The other native languages in Antique are Caluyanun, Inati which is endangered, and Ligbok which is also endangered.)
The essence of the KABALAKA is the participation of “the best, the brightest and the charming” among the Antiqueño youth in the formulation and implementation of youth-related projects of the provincial government, in the spirit of voluntarism and love for the province, in an atmosphere of appreciation for talent and hard work, and in the context of considerable financial support from the provincial government.
The KABALAKA will be composed of individuals who come from the entire youth sector. “Youth” is defined in the bill as those people who are at least 13 but not yet 36 years old, and this definition is based on physiology, for at around the age of 13 years, a person enters puberty, and at around the age of 35 years, his or her biological vigor and physical performance begin to wane.
The KABALAKA will have the following members:
a. 3 representatives from each sangguniang kabataan (SK) municipal federation,
b. 10 representatives from student governments of high schools,
c. a representative from the University of Antique (UA) Caluya Student Council,
d. a representative from the UA Libertad Student Council,
e. a representative from the UA Tario-Lim-Ruiz Student Council,
f. a representative from the UA Sibalom Student Council,
g. a representative from the UA Hamtic Student Council,
h. 5 representatives from student governments of colleges in the province other than the units of the UA,
i. 10 representatives from college-based Antiqueño youth organizations outside the province (like the Antique Future Seafarers' Association of the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University),
j. 10 representatives from community-based youth organizations (like the PAGTATAP Youth, and the Association of Concerned Youth of San Remigio),
k. 10 youth representatives from community-based youth-serving organizations (like the Lin-ay Kang Antique, Inc.; the Antique Chess Society; and the Bugasong Runners' Club),
l. a representative from the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines - Antique Chapter,
m. a representative from the 4-H Club - Antique Chapter,
n. a representative from the youth of the Ati ethnic group,
o. a representative from the youth of the Iraynun ethnic group,
p. the Lin-ay Kang Antique and the 4 runners-up in the search for the Lin-ay Kang Antique,
q. the chief executive officer who will be appointed by the governor, and
r. 11 other notable youngsters, including representatives from at least 4 church-based youth organizations, who will also be appointed by the governor.
The KABALAKA will have 125 members in all.
The KABALAKA will be under – although autonomous from – the Office of the Governor, in the same way that the UA Board of Regents is under – although autonomous from – the Commission on Higher Education, and in the same way that the Protected Area Management Board of the Sibalom Natural Park is under – although autonomous from – the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The council will have a regular meeting once in a quarter, and will determine the date, time and venue of the meeting.
The council will be represented by 1 of its members, except the chief executive officer, in the meetings of the provincial development council.
The male children among the members of the KABALAKA will elect from among themselves a representative to the provincial council for the protection of children. The female children among the members of the KABALAKA will do the same.
The members of the council will serve as goodwill ambassadors of the province, with the Lin-ay kang Antique as the main goodwill ambassador, so they will be like the Sarong Kebaya-wearing flight stewardesses of Singapore Airlines who not only work as part of the cabin crew of the airlines but also serve as goodwill ambassadors of Singapore.
A member of the council, except the chief executive officer, may be removed from office upon the vote of at least 2/3 of all the members of the SP, including the vice governor.
The council will have the following functions:
a. formulate and implement youth-related projects of the provincial government;
b. provide mechanisms for regular consultations with the youth on governance;
c. grant funds to other entities for the implementation of youth-related projects;
d. facilitate the development of the youth and their participation in making the province a better place in which to live;
e. epitomize what is true, good and noble in the Antiqueño youth, and help project a wholesome image for the province and the Antiqueño people;
f. coordinate and cooperate with youth-serving government agencies and non-profit organizations regarding youth-related projects;
g. raise awareness among the youth of the youth-related programs and projects of other provincial government agencies and of national government agencies;
h. hasten the spread of vital information among the youth, especially regarding courses, school entrance requirements, school-related expenses, scholarships and employment opportunities;
i. facilitate the establishment of youth organizations and youth-serving organizations;
j. register youth organizations and youth-serving organizations;
k. foster unity among the youth with regard to the developmental goals of the province;
l. promote the spread of knowledge among the youth about the province and its assets;
m. promote the spread of knowledge among the youth about the world outside the province, and about national and global issues that affect the lives of Antiqueños, like free trade;
n. promote the development of the intellectual capital of the province in the context of what is in demand in the province and in the world outside the province, and what the province can supply;
o. promote love of province among the youth;
p. promote the provision of more developmental, recreational and aesthetic opportunities for the youth;
q. promote friendship and understanding among the youth to facilitate the forming of developmental partnerships;
r. promote among the youth the importance of producing, marketing and advertising high-quality products and services in the context of responsible environmental management; and
s. promote good spiritual health among the youth.
The KABALAKA will have an executive committee that will function under the supervision of the council.
The executive committee will have the following members:
a. 9 representatives from the 54 SK chairpersons in the council;
b. the representative from the youth of the Ati ethnic group;
c. the representative from the youth of the Iraynun ethnic group;
d. 2 representatives from the 10 representatives from student governments of high schools;
e. the chief executive officer, and
f. 11 representatives from the 59 other members of the council.
The executive committee will have 25 members in all.
The executive committee of the KABALAKA will have a regular meeting twice in a quarter, and will determine the date, time and venue of the meeting.
The executive committee will have the following functions:
a. prepare the plan of the council,
b. decide on matters in which the council is silent, and
c. manage the trust fund of the council.
The KABALAKA will have 4 chairpersons in a year, 1 for every quarter. Because 54 (or 43.2%) of the 125 members of the council will be SK chairpersons, a maximum of 2 SK chairpersons can become chairpersons of the council in a year. The members of the council, except the chief executive officer, are the ones who will elect the chairperson. They will elect him or her from among the members of the executive committee, again except the chief executive officer.
The chairperson will have the following functions:
a. preside over meetings of the KABALAKA and of the executive committee;
b. serve as the main spokesperson of the council, speak on the radio about the projects and activities of the council, and – for a period that should not exceed 30 minutes – deliver before the SP a report on council-related matters, and
c. act as the main representative of the council, and sign contracts on behalf of the council after being duly authorized by it to do so.
The council will have a secretariat that will function under the supervision of the executive committee.
The secretariat will have the following regular members: the chief executive officer as head, the executive officer for internal affairs, and the executive officer for external affairs.
The representative (or the representatives when the province is divided into more than 1 congressional district), the governor, the vice governor, and any other head of government office may, upon the consent of the executive committee, augment the secretariat by assigning an employee or employees to it, either on a part-time or full-time basis. An augmentative member of the secretariat may be dismissed by the executive committee.
The secretariat, or any person who is part of it, may be invited for an inquiry by the SP, and may accept the invitation without the permission of the governor.
The regular members of the secretariat will have contractual positions.
The regular members of the secretariat will each receive a monthly honorarium. The chief executive officer will have a monthly honorarium that will be equal to the monthly salary of an employee who has a salary grade of 16. The monthly honorarium of the executive officer for internal affairs and that of the executive officer for external affairs will each be equal to the monthly salary of an employee who has a salary grade of 12.
The regular members of the secretariat will each have a term of 1 year, and will each have a maximum of 3 consecutive terms; if any of them fails to finish a term or is removed from office, the non-completion of the term will not be considered as an interruption with regard to the 3-consecutive-term limit.
The regular members of the secretariat will be appointed by the governor upon – and only upon – the recommendation of the executive committee, in order to ensure that the regular members of the secretariat are acceptable not just to the governor but also to most of the members of the KABALAKA, otherwise, the council’s performance will be affected. The selection process for the persons to be recommended will be decided upon by the members of the council except the chief executive officer. The first regular members of the secretariat will be appointed by the governor from among the persons who will be recommended by SK chairpersons.
A regular member of the secretariat can be removed from office upon the vote of at least 2/3 of all the members of the council except the chief executive officer.
The secretariat will have the following functions:
a. take charge of the day-to-day operations of the KABALAKA;
b. conduct the necessary elections regarding the membership of the council and the executive committee, the representation of the council to the provincial development council, the representation of the children in the KABALAKA to the provincial council for the protection of children, and the position of chairperson of the KABALAKA;
c. propose specific allocation of resources for projects and activities that are part of the program of the KABALAKA;
d. ensure the implementation of the projects and the conduct of the activities that are part of the program of the council;
e. submit quarterly reports to the council on the progress of each unfinished project and activity and on the outcome and impact of each finished project and activity of the council;
f. prepare a quarterly report on the accomplishments of the council in the context of the plan of the council;
g. make and keep a record of the meetings of the council and of the executive committee;
h. document the projects and activities of the council through printed words, photographs, audios and videos, or whichever of them or whatever combination of two or more of them is appropriate on a case-to-case basis;
i. make, keep and update profiles of the council's members, the representative (or the representatives when the province is divided into more than 1 congressional district), the governor, the vice governor, the regular and ex-officio SP members, the mayors, the vice mayors, the regular SB members, the municipal liga ng mga barangay presidents, and other people that the council may deem significant with regard to the development of the province like youth leaders and other prominent youngsters who are not members of the council;
j. gather and store information on the official accomplishments – especially the youth-related ones – of the representative (or the representatives when the province is divided into more than one congressional district), the governor, and the people who compose the SP;
k. gather and store developmentally significant pieces of information on the organizations that have at least one member in the KABALAKA, and those that do not have a member – but are represented – in it;
l. gather and store developmentally significant information on the Antiqueños who work abroad, especially the young ones, and of Antiqueño groups abroad;
m. gather and store developmentally significant information on the companies and agencies that are potential sources of financial support;
n. make and publicize every month a list of the members of the KABALAKA, and of those of the executive committee;
o. gather and publicize employment-related pieces of information, like the jobs that are in-demand abroad, the jobs that will most likely be in-demand abroad within 10 next ten years, the jobs that are in-demand in the country, and the jobs that will most likely be in-demand in the country within the next 10 years;
p. gather and publicize school-related pieces of information, like the courses that are offered, the entrance requirements, the dates of entrance examinations, and the enrollment fees at different schools – especially the schools that many young Antiqueños go to – and the scholarships that are available;
q. provide the KABALAKA with other pieces of information that are relevant to its functions;
r. make press releases and radio reports about the projects and activities of the council, and about the significant accomplishments of youth leaders, youth organizations and youth-serving organizations; and
s. perform such other functions as the council may deem necessary.
Aside from heading the secretariat, the chief executive officer will have the following functions:
a. spearhead the preparation and the implementation of the program of the council, and
b. act on matters which the executive committee refers to him or her and those in which the executive committee is silent.
The executive officer for internal affairs will work under the supervision of the chief executive officer and will have the following functions:
a. take charge of matters that are internal to the KABALAKA, and
b. cooperate with the chief executive officer and the executive officer for external affairs with regard to the functions of the secretariat.
The executive officer for external affairs will work under the supervision of the chief executive officer and will have the following functions:
a. take charge of matters that are external to the KABALAKA, and
b. cooperate with the chief executive officer and the executive officer for internal affairs with regard to the functions of the secretariat.
The council may confer honorary membership upon a person. An honorary member may be 36 years old or older and may be invited by the council to attend meetings and other activities of the council. An honorary member may participate in the deliberations during meetings of the council but will not be allowed to take part in the voting to arrive at a decision of the council.
The council will have an annual appropriation of at least 2% of 20% of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the province.
During its first year of existence, the council will have its appropriation from the unexpended funds of the province, and may have an appropriation of less than 2% of 20% of the IRA of the province if there are budgetary constraints. As of 2006, the IRA of the province was P371,811,901.00. 20% of that amount is P74,362,380.00, 2% of which is P1,487,247.60, so if the IRA of the province will be the same by the time the council is established, and if there will be no budgetary constraints by then, the council will initially have an appropriation of P1,487,247.60.
The budget for the operations of the council will include the traveling allowances of the members, the honoraria of the regular members of the secretariat, and allocations for food and drinks during meetings.
The maximum percentage of the annual appropriation that the council can budget for its operations will be 45%. This means that at least 55% of the appropriation of the council will be reserved for the council's projects.
The trust fund of the council will be a fund that will be the depository of all financial donations to the council. Unlike the appropriation from the IRA of the provincial government, the trust fund will be used exclusively for projects of the council.
After the bill establishing the council is filed, its title will be mentioned during the plenary session of the SP and then referred to the SP Committee on Sports and Youth Development which is headed by the SK provincial federation president. The SP will tackle the proposed provincial ordinance in a plenary session after the head of the committee has made a report on it. If the head of the committee fails or refuses to make a report on the proposed provincial ordinance, it can be taken out of the committee for discussion in a plenary session of the SP only upon the demand of at least 2/3 of all the SP members.
The bill, if enacted, will be translated to Kinaray-a, Caluyanun, Inati and Ligbok, in line with the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (also known as the Barcelona Declaration).
I will not be a member of the KABALAKA, but I have promoted its establishment because I love Antique and am concerned about the Antiqueño youth. I believe that the social benefits of establishing the council far outweigh the financial cost. The council will infuse into the provincial government additional intellectual capital which will eventually result to a better brand of provincial governance, and a better brand of provincial governance in turn will eventually result to a better quality of life in Antique.
The Antiqueño youngsters comprise 1/3 of the population of the province, so they are part of the reason why the provincial government exists. Attending to the welfare of the Antiqueño youth is not an option of the provincial government; it is an obligation. And not only is it an obligation; it is also a very rewarding endeavor, for the future of Antique lies in the hands of the Antiqueño youth.
Some adults don’t care if the allocation for the youth sector in the provincial budget is meager; they don’t care if there is very little youth participation in the formulation and implementation of youth-related projects of the provincial government; they don't care if a lot of youngsters need guidance in looking for employment. Perhaps those adults think that the provincial government is doing enough for the youth; perhaps they think that the SK provincial federation is the voice of the entire youth and is the one that should worry about youth welfare; perhaps they are just too preoccupied with the promotion of their self interests and think that bothering about youth affairs is a sacrifice that is not worth their time. But I keep on promoting the establishment of the KABALAKA because in spite of everything, I still believe that the Antiqueño youth is worth sacrificing for.
Note: If you want to read the full -- and more intellectually stimulating -- version of the article, please click "Home" which is under "Pages." If you have at least one question regarding the KABALAKA, you might get the answer or answers by reading the full version. If, after doing so, you still have at least one question regarding the council, you may send me the question or questions through the following e-mail address: gats_grasparil@yahoo.com.
