Youth voters rue lack of info on SK aspirants

Several voters for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in Barangay Commonwealth said on Monday they barely felt the administration of their youth leaders, prompting them to abstain from voting.

Nikko Reyes, 20, and Rose Vargas, 28, did not vote for any SK candidate in their barangay due as the aspirants failed to present themselves and their respective platforms.

“Walang nagpakilalang SK sa akin, ni hindi nga sila nagpakita,” Vargas said.

“Wala akong binoto. Nag-abstain ako kasi wala ako nakitang mga kandidato saka wala rin ako nakitang plataporma,” Reyes noted.

A third year Education student, Reyes he would have voted for an SK candidate if he knew the aspirant’s platform.

“Basta sana ‘yung may clear na plataporma, na alam nating may gagawin na pagbabago,” he said.

Friends Ryan Estrella and Michael Ricarto further said they hardly saw the programs of incumbent SK officials. They expected the SK to push for programs on improving the youth welfare.

“Sa SK, sila dapat ‘yung nangunguna sa kabataan dito sa barangay, pero ‘di naman nakikita. Walang programa na nakikita, ‘di tulad ng inaasahan. Dapat nga sila naglalayo sa mga kabataan sa mga bisyo,” Ricarto noted.

First-timer

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Jovy Chavez felt excited about her first time to exercise her right of suffrage despite committing mistakes on the steps to vote.

“Dami kong mali sa proseso. ‘Di ko alam ang next na step nakakahiya konti, pero siyempre at least na-try ko na,” said Chavez, who is taking up Veterinary Medicine.

First year Economics student Mira Campillos said she based her vote on the people whom she knew personally, even if they were just friends on social media network Facebook.

“Nakikita ko naman sila tapos ‘yung iba kilala ko rin so alam mo naman ‘yung ugali nila, so alam ko na sila kung paano sila mag-lead,” Campillos said.

Chavez noted one of her cousins is an aspiring SK chairman, but said she expects the next SK would help subsidize the school fees of public school students who live in Barangay Commonwealth—the second most populous village in the country.

“Para sa ‘kin priority ‘yung education. As SK dapat focus niyan kabataan, kunwari sa education sana less ‘yung nababayaran namin. Sana magawan ng paraan na minimal lang ‘yung gastos,” she said. —VDS, GMA News