Sangguniang Kabataan

The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) (Youth Council) is a governing body in every chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan (Youth Federation). Each barangay in the Philippines is mandated by law to have its own chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan, aging from 15 to 18 years old who resides in their respective barangays for at least 6months and registered in the Sangguniang Kabataan, or in the official list in the custody of the barangay secretary. It is the local youth program and projects implementation partner of the government. The Katipunan ng Kabataan members elect their officers known as Sangguniang Kabataan which serves as the local youth legislature in the village. The Sangguniang Kabataan is an off-shoot of * the KB or the Kabataang Barangay (Village Youth) which was abolished when the Local Government Code of 1991 was enacted.

The Sangguniang Kabataan is the youth legislature in every local village or community. They are in the age bracket of 15 to 18 years old during the time of election. They initiate policies, programs and projects for the development of youth in their respective political territories. The Chairman/President of the Sangguniang Kabataan acts as the Chief Executive of the Sanggunian (Council) while the Kagawad (Councilor) as the legislative council. The Kagawads approve resolutions of the Sanggunian and appropriates the money allotted to the council, a share in the revenue of the Barangay.

The Chairman automatically sits in the Sangguniang Barangay (Village Council) as ex-officio member. He or She automatically gets chairmanship of the Committee on Youth and Sports, one of the standing committees in the village council. Every Sangguniang Kabataan is then federated into municipal and city federations, then city and municipal federations are federated into a provincial federation.

The barangay SK Chairman/President represents the barangay in the municipal or city federation. The presidents of the city and municipal federation becomes a member of the provincial or metropolitan federation. They elect their own president as well. The presidents of highly urbanized and independent component cities (Metropolitan Federation) and the provincial federations compose the membership in the national federation. They elect the national federation president who automatically sits in the National Youth Commission as ex-officio member of the commission.

Except national federation, each level of the federation form municipal, city to provincial is governed by the Local Executive Committee composed mostly of the seven regularly elected officers of the federation.

Since 1992, there have been three simultaneous nationwide SK elections held in the Philippines which each term lasting from three to five years due to amendment of the regular 3-year term of the council. After every election, association officers are chosen. The elected presidents of the municipal associations sit as ex-officio members of the municipal councils, while the provincial president sits on the provincial board. All of these ex-officio members automatically chair the respective councils' committees on youth and sports development.

Jane Censoria Cajes from Bohol was elected SK National President in an election in Feb. 2008.