By Billy Begas
House Committee on Ways and Means chairperson and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda is confident that the House of Representatives will pass the proposed Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Compensation Act.
Salceda made the statement after the Senate approved a similar proposal on second reading last week.
“Compensating SK officials sends a strong signal that the State expects the degree of professionalism and dedication it expects of other paid government officials. It signifies that the State takes seriously the work of the SK,” Salceda said.
Salceda’s House Bill 1667 is currently pending before the House Committee on Local Government.
Aside from SK Compensation the Senate version includes the eligibility of SK officials for benefits received by Barangay Officials, which Salceda also proposed under House Bill 1030.
“We will have to combine both of my bills into one committee report, so that we can discuss both during the eventual bicameral conference meetings with the Senate, whose version contains both,” Salceda said.
Salceda hoped to pass the measure before the House approved the 2022 national budget.
Under Salceda’s bill, SK kagawad will receive a salary equivalent to half of the salary being received by a barangay kagawad.
“Given this institutionalization in pay, we have to clarify our expectations of the SK. As we will be employing secretaries and treasurers for the SK, we must also impose standard auditing rules and procedures. Rules of ethical conduct for government officials must similarly apply to the SK,” he pointed out.
Salceda explained that SK was a “prisoner of low expectations. We did not want to expect much of the SK because we as a nation-state did not invest enough in the institution either.”
