Cebu ordinance gives youth development a boost

Local

AFTER years of pushing and planning, Cebu’s young leaders finally saw their vision turned into an ordinance.

The Cebu Provincial Board has approved on third and final reading the Cebu Provincial Youth Ordinance, which creates the Cebu Provincial Youth Development Office (CPYDO) and the Cebu Provincial Youth Development Council (CPYDC).

In an interview with MyTV Cebu, ex-officio Provincial Board Member and Panlalawigang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan (PPSK) President Loren Singco said the measure institutionalizes a concrete mechanism to coordinate, implement, and monitor youth-centered programs across the province.

“The ordinance sets to make a youth development office led by a youth development officer. This office will work together hand-in-hand with the SKs to create and implement our programs,” said Singco, who authored the ordinance.

“He will also register and track youth and youth-serving organizations, which will become a part of the youth development council,” he added.

Singco said he was pleased with the passage of the ordinance, noting that it fulfills the intent of the SK Reform Act of 2015, which seeks to make the Sangguniang Kabataan a more functional and active institution in governance.

He expressed optimism that the measure would help transform the SK into a proactive part of society and local administration.

He also emphasized that the province will align its youth programs with the governor’s eight-point agenda, while ensuring that these initiatives are supported by accurate data from the ground.

Singco said gathering reliable information should be prioritized to fully understand the needs of young people in Cebu.

He added that an application to track the youth and their concerns is being considered, though it remains subject to consultation.

Under the ordinance, the CPYDO will operate as a division under the Office of the Governor, providing technical assistance to the CPYDC.

It will also handle the registration of youth and youth-serving organizations and oversee the implementation of the Provincial Youth Development Plan.

The CPYDC, meanwhile, will serve as a multi-sectoral body composed of representatives from youth and youth-serving organizations, responsible for monitoring and guiding the province’s youth development agenda.

In its official statement, the Sangguniang Kabataan Cebu Province described the ordinance’s approval as a historic milestone, portraying it as the result of years of persistence, collective effort, and a shared aspiration to empower the youth sector.

The organization said the passage represents not just an achievement but the beginning of long-term, youth-driven programs aimed at building a stronger and more inclusive Cebu.

The Cebu Provincial Government, for its part, welcomed the ordinance’s passage and recognized it as a significant move toward enhancing youth participation in local governance.

It underscored that the establishment of the new youth offices provides the institutional framework for young leaders and organizations to take an active role in policy-making, community development, and nation-building.(MyTVCebu)