BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved a resolution requesting the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to fastrack the formulation of the guidelines for the utilization of the Sangguniang Kabtaan (SK) funds prescribed under the pertinent provisions of the SK Reform Act of 2015.
The resolution authored by SK federation president and Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales stated that in cognizance of the urgency of the budgetary preparations for fiscal year 2018, it is deemed necessary that the agencies concerned should fastrack the formulation or adoption of pertinent rules and regulations relative to the appropriate implementation of the true spirit and intent of Republic Act (RA) 10742 or the SK Reform Act of 2015 in accordance with existing accounting and auditing guidelines, to achieve the desired objectives of the law.
The resolution noted that it has been a declared policy of the State under existing laws, rules and regulations to establish adequate, effective, responsive and enabling mechanisms and support systems that will ensure the meaningful participation of the youth in local governance and in nation-building.
Section 21 of RA 10742 or the rules and regulations implementing RA 10742 otherwise known as the SK Reform Act of 2015 provides that the COA shall formulate accounting and auditing guidelines pertaining to the proper recording, reporting and audit of SK funds and such other funds, including but not limited to funds of the federation in all levels.
The resolution pointed out that since the conduct of the synchronized barangay and SK elections last May, the concerned agencies never came out with the appropriate rules and regulations on the proper utilization of SK funds that deprived the SK to avail of the use of the funds for their programmed projects, programs and activities geared towards promoting the general welfare of the youth in the city and even in other parts of the country.
Under the SK Reform Act of 2015, the SK barangay councils are entitled to a 10 percent share of the budget of the barangays for its desired programs, projects and activities.
However, the resolution claimed that most of the funds of the SK in the barangays have never been used up for over six months now because of the absence of the prescribed guidelines for the purpose.
Among the programs, projects and activities where the share of the SK could be used include environmental preservation and protection, an-drug campaign, and other related events purposely to uplift the status of the youth in the city.
The resolution stated that once there will be no available guidelines on how the SK will use their available funds for this year and the coming years, the funds will simply accumulate and will be useless if the concerned agencies will not be able to craft the necessary rules in time for the budgeting of the said funds.
The resolution will be forwarded to the DBM, COA and DBM Central offices for their immediate action on the concerns not only of the SK federation of the city but also similarly situated federations in the country.
By Dexter A. See
