Speaker Alvarez eyes abolition of SK, barangay kagawad post

Only barangay captains could be elected during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in 2017 if House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez succeeds in his plan to abolish the position of barangay kagawad and the entire youth council.

In a television interview Tuesday, Alvarez said the imminent postponement of the October 2016 barangay and SK polls will give Congress enough time to enact laws to scrap certain elective posts within the barangay.

"If we move the (barangay) elections to 2017 I think we have enough time to amend the Local Government Code so that by 2017—if Congress will agree on my proposal to abolish the barangay kagawads and the SK—we will be only electing the barangay captain," he said.

Alvarez said the abolition of the SK and the post of barangay kagawad would allow the government to save an estimated P24 billion, which the government can devote instead to hike the pay of purok leaders, barangay health workers, barangay tanods and day care workers.

The Speaker noted that the estimated annual budget for the SK is around P8.5 billion while that for barangay kagawads is around P15.8 billion.

While barangay kagawads are compensated well, Alvarez noted that it is the purok leaders, barangay health workers, barangay tanods and day care workers who work to serve residents but receive very little pay.

He believes the barangays can function without kagawads since there is no need for barangays to enact its own ordinances.

"Anong purpose yung barangay kagawad? To enact ordinances… So gagawa pa ba ng panibagong barangay ordinances yung barangay para i-implement nila? Hindi na siguro dapat," he said.

In calling for SK abolition, meanwhile, Alvarez said the youth serving as SK officials either get paid for doing nothing or do not have enough time to devote to their studies.

He also said that the youth council has become a training ground for young people to learn how to employ dirty tricks in politics as their parents sometimes spend for their candidacy.

"Instead of training to become leaders, tini-train po natin sila how to play dirty politics," he said. —Xianne Arcangel/KBK, GMA News