National Youth Commission (Philippines)
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The National Youth Commission ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon sa Kabataan}), also known as the NYC, is a government agency in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
that specifically addresses issues surrounding the Filipino
youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...
. It was founded on June 30, 1995, via ''Republic Act 8044'' or the "Youth in Nation-Building Act of 1995". The NYC is the Philippine government's sole policy-making body on youth affairs, but also coordinates and implements programs designed to respond to and raise awareness on youth issues. Its mandate is enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution: "The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism; and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs."


History

During the Marcos administration, government supervision on youth affairs fell under the
Kabataang Barangay Sangguniang Kabataan (abbreviated as SK; ) is a council meant to represent the youth in each barangay in the Philippines. It was put "on hold", but not quite abolished, prior to the 2013 barangay elections. In January 2016, the Sangguniang ...
National Secretariat, the Youth Development Affairs, and the Secretariat on Youth Affairs. Under the Cory Aquino administration, these were abolished and functions were carried over to the Presidential Council for Youth Affairs (PCYA).Office of the President of the Philippines. (1987). '' xecutive Order Nos. : 171 – 390'' Manila : Presidential Management Staff. The NYC was founded on June 30, 1995, through Republic Act 8044 or the "Youth in Nation-Building Act of 1995", mandating it to be the "policy-making coordinating body of all youth-related institutions, programs, projects and activities of the government." On July 4, 2016, NYC was among the 12 agencies, formerly from the Office of the President reassigned to the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, based on Executive Order #1 issued by President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
. On October 31, 2018, the Commission, through Executive Order No. 67, was transferred to the
Department of the Interior and Local Government The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
along with the
National Commission on Muslim Filipinos The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon sa mga Pilipinong Muslim; ar, اللجنة الوطنية لمسلمي الفلبين : ''allajnat alwataniat limuslimi alfilibiyn'') is a government agency in the Philippi ...
and the
Philippine Commission on Women The Philippine Commission on Women (formerly the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women), is a government agency run by the government of the Philippines with the intention of promoting and protecting the rights of the Women in th ...
as part of the reorganization of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary.


Mandate

The agency's mandates are specified under RA 8044 ("Youth in Nation-Building Act of 1995") and RA 10742 (" SK Reform Act of 2015").


National Youth Parliament

The agency convenes the National Youth Parliament (NYP) every two years. The NYP is a 3-day convention of youth leaders wherein policy recommendations are formulated to address youth issues, and serve as the government’s guide in policy formulation and program development. Started in 1996, youth leaders gather every two years to share ideas and gain valuable insights and networks to aid them in their youth development efforts. The most recent parliament was held last October 2018 in Davao City, where it caught controversies due to alleged electioneering.


Sangguniang Kabataan

The agency serves as the National Secretariat of the
Sangguniang Kabataan Sangguniang Kabataan (abbreviated as SK; ) is a council meant to represent the youth in each barangay in the Philippines. It was put "on hold", but not quite abolished, prior to the 2013 barangay elections. In January 2016, the Sangguniang ...
(SK), local youth councils in the Philippines. The agency conducts mandatory continuing program for elected SK officials and coordinates with relevant government agencies for policies involving the SK and Local Youth Development Offices. In coordination with various youth groups, the agency spearheaded efforts for the passage of RA 10742 in 2018.


Youth Development Program

The agency is mandated to formulate, approve, and implement Medium-Term Youth Development Program (MTYDP) every three years. Currently, the MTYDP in place is called the Philippine Youth Development Plan for 2017-2022. It is also mandated to conduct a study on the situation of the youth sector every three years to identify priority needs, prevailing attitudes, and gaps in service delivery. Its most recent study is entitled the National Youth Assessment Study (NYAS) conducted in 2015.


Youth Organizations & Volunteer Program

The agency contributes to the development and proliferation of youth organizations in the country. The agency's Youth Organization Registration Program (YORP) was launched to register, help, and facilitate the establishment of youth organizations and youth-serving organizations. The agency also founded the
Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards is the sole award-giving program that "recognizes and supports the outstanding contributions of youth organizations" in the Philippines. It is organized and presented annually by the Ten Accom ...
, an annual search and recognition program for outstanding contributions made by youth and youth-serving organizations nationwide. Under the term of NYC Chairperson Ronald Cardema, the agency stopped sponsoring the award-giving program establish the "President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Youth Leadership Awards", which did not materialize. The National Youth Volunteer Program, initially established to mobilize youth volunteers for the
2005 Southeast Asian Games The 2005 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, was a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Manila, Philippines. This was the third time the Philippines hosted the games and its first time since 1991 S ...
, is now an ongoing platform for volunteer training and mobilization for various activities nationwide.


Composition

The agency is headed by one Chairperson, three Commissioners representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and two Commissioners-at-large. Its secretariat is headed by an Executive Director who concurrently serves as Chief Operation Officer. These officials serve for a term of three years, with reappointment for another term.


Controversies


Electioneering in the 12th National Youth Parliament

In October 2018, the 12th National Youth Parliament held in Davao City was met by a series of controversies. First, then-NYC Chairperson Ronald Cardema was criticized for openly accusing youth groups
Kabataan Partylist Kabataan, also known as the Kabataan Partylist (KPL, ) and formerly known as Ang Nagkakaisang Kabataan Para sa Sambayanan (ANAK ng BAYAN, ), is a partylist in the Philippines affiliated with the leftist political coalition Makabayan. It is curre ...
and Anakbayan as communist recruiters during the program's orientation. On the first day of the event, the program was suspended to accommodate then-senatorial candidate
Bong Go Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go (; born June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator since 2019. He previously served in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Presi ...
, who discussed his campaign platform and invited delegates to support his campaign. Delegates were asked to do the "Duterte fist-pump" pose during a photo opportunity, while SK Federation Presidents were invited to celebrate with Go in the evening. In response, delegates passed a resolution barring politicians from using the event for political campaigns. Likewise, various youth groups and alumni of the parliament released statements criticizing the agency. In a Facebook post, Go denied allegations that he attended the event for his political campaign.


NYC Employees Association controversy

On March 23, 2020, the agency released a statement addressed to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, manifesting its support for the immediate passage of a legislative measure granting additional powers to President Rodrigo Duterte for COVID-19 response. This was met by criticism from youth and civil society groups as the initial bill contained provisions deemed unconstitutional. The agency's employees association called NYCEA released a statement clarifying that the statement did not go through any form of consultation with youth stakeholders or other NYC officials. In response, NYC Chairperson Enriquez threatened the NYCEA Board with disciplinary action for misconduct and insubordination as stated in the NYC Memorandum dated March 31, 2020 and April 13, 2020. In June 2020, the agency's employees association sent a letter addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte citing NYC Chairperson Enriquez's "abuse and usurpation of authority, violation of security of tenure, and harassment". In support, more than 120 SK chapters and youth groups released a statement calling for the Enriquez' resignation for "failure to release statements or action points to address pressing issues faced by the youth sector mid the COVID-19 pandemic and for using the agency's social media accounts to release support towards the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill. Neither Enriquez nor the Office of the President responded to the issues.


Fund misuse

In an audit report released in 2022, the Commission on Audit flagged the NYC under Ronaldo Cardema for illegally diverting up to P2.714 million in 2021 to support the
National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is a task force organized by the government of the Philippines to respond and raise awareness to the ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines. Background The Na ...
. The funds were meant for the training of youth leaders under the Sangguniang Kabataan Mandatory and Continuing Training Fund and Marawi City rehabilitation efforts through Task Force Bangon Marawi.


External links


National Youth Commission Philippines website


References

{{Executive Departments of the Philippines Youth organizations based in the Philippines 1995 establishments in the Philippines