To strengthen the ability of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Officials in Region XII to be more accountable and transparent in the utilization of their resources out of their 10% share from the general fund of the barangay, a Virtual Regional Briefing on the Handbook on the Financial Transactions of the Sangguniang Kabataan on the Proper Recording and Reporting of SK Funds on February 9-10, 2021 via Zoom Application.

The briefing was attended by 1,068 SK Chairpersons, Treasurers, Budget Monitoring Officers and Local Youth Development Officers, and spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region XII in partnership with Commission on Audit (COA) Regional Office XII through the Local Governance Regional Resource Center (LGRRC) XII.

Throughout the two-day training, the participants were oriented about the SK Planning and Budgeting Procedures, rules for receipts/ collections and deposits for SK, rules for disbursements/ payments, government procurement policies applicable to SK, supplies, materials, property and equipment management policy, and the preparation of financial reports required for SKs.

To cap the activity, the participants had the opportunity to be in a dialogue with the DILG XII Regional Director Josephine Cabrido- Leysa, CESO III, COA XII Regional Director Virginia G. Datukon, and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) XII Regional Director Akmad J. Usman to address various concerns and issues of SKs.

 In her closing message, RD Leysa urged the participants to never stop learning not only to enhance their ability to perform as an SK Official, but more importantly to become a better individual.  Good governance, which is characterized by accountability, transparency, participation, and effectiveness starts not from the reforms in our system but in every individual that runs it, she emphasized.