The city council has approved Resolution 357, s. 2024 authorizing Mayor Benjamin Magalong to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Philseven Foundation, Inc. represented by its Chair Jose Victor Paterno for the implementation of the foundation’s “Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) on Wheels” in Baguio.
The “PES on Wheels”, or Gulong ng Karunungan, is an adaptive and sustainable approach to learning development interventions for parents in the communities,which provides a package of services where a mobile van with complete materials deliver the services to the communities.
As a partner, the city government’s counterpart is to ensure the care and maintenance of the vehicle.
The activity complies with Republic Act 11908 or The Parent Effectiveness Service Program Act, which mandates the establishment of a PES Program in every local government unit to assist all parents and parent-substitutes in strengthening their knowledge and skills in responding to their parental duties and responsibilities, protect, and promote children’s rights, foster positive early childhood development, and advance their educational progress.
The program shall be implemented in every barangay in cooperation with the city government through the City Social Welfare and Development Office by the Philseven Foundation, Inc., which is the corporate social responsibility arm of the Philippine Seven Corporation engaged in the operation and/or franchise of 7-Eleven stores in the Philippines.
The manual to be used in the Gulong ng Karunungan in the 128 barangays of the city consist of nine volumes of specific modules on “Myself as a Person and a Parent”, “The Filipino Family”, “Challenges of Parenting”, “Child Development”, “Keeping Your Child Safe From Abuse”, “Building Children’s Positive Behavior”, “Health and Nutrition”, “Home Management”, and “Keeping a Health Environment For Your Children”.
The learning and lecture sessions shall be conducted in the barangays/community and mostly facilitated by the social workers and trained partners in a dynamic, unique, sustainable way, and provide a supportive environment event to the facilitators where the presentations, learning materials, and sound system are readily available, worry-free from the hassle of preparation.
The MOA shall be submitted to the city council for confirmation.
The city council has approved Resolution 324, s. 2024, “Reminding the barangay officials of the roles of Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson as an ex-officio member of the barangay council and equalizing the benefits thereof.”
The reminder was based on numerous complaints received by the SK Federation office from SK chairpersons that they are being excluded from the Barangay Council preventing them from exercising their duties and responsibilities with some being excluded from benefits and privileges given to SB officials.
The resolution cited provisions of Republic Act 10742, or the SK Reform Act of 2015:
“Sec. 2. Declaration of State Policies and Objectives. – The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and thus, promotes and protects their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being, inculcates in them patriotism, nationalism, and other desirable values, and encourages their involvement in public and civic affairs.”
On the privileges of SK officials under Par. 6, Sec. 16, “The Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson shall have the same privileges enjoyed by other Sangguniang Barangay officials under this Act subject to such requirements and limitations provided herein.”
As to the SK funds, Sec. 20(b), “The Sangguniang Kabataan shall have financial independence in its operations, disbursements and encashment of their fund, income and expenditures. As such, the Sangguniang Kabataan funds shall be deposited in the name of the Sangguniang Kabataan of the concerned barangay in a government-owned bank situated in or nearest to its area of jurisdiction with the Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson and the Sangguniang Kabataan treasurer as the official signatories;
Sec 20(c) “All Sangguniang Kabataan funds shall be allocated in an annual budget, and if the funds allow, in a supplemental budget in accordance with the adopted Annual Barangay Investment Program. Both the Comprehensive Barangay Youth Development Plan and annual barangay Investment program shall give priority to programs, projects, and activities that will promote and ensure equitable access to quality education, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and resiliency, youth employment and livelihood, health and anti-drug abuse, gender sensitivity, sports development, and capability building which emphasizes leadership training”
The resolution further stated that there are even sangguniang barangay officials who have been intrusive on the decisions of the SK officials regarding their Comprehensive Barangay Youth Development Plans, Annual Barangay Youth Investment Programs, and the disbursement of their budgets, which hinders their planned activities.
July 27, 2024
