PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED OF YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTING THEIR ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF TINOC

Throughout the history, youth remains and a dynamic partner in nation building from
innovating ideas, creating solutions, effecting political events to facilitating opportunities and
sustaining development. Now a days, education plays a very important role in every man where in
majority believes that education is the key to success. According to Gat Jose P. Rizal that “youths
are the hopes of the fatherland” still speaks today in the limelight of global and national agenda as
well as in sustainable growth.
Half of the world’s population or about three billion people are under the age of 25, of
which 87% live in developing countries while a higher proportion or around 60% belong to the
un employed population according to the United Nations development Programme (UNDP).
While youths are accorded a concern amidst unprecedented socio-political challenges ranging from
“climate change to unemployment to multiple forms of inequalities and exclusion”, they continue
to display both their “abilities and potentials to help solve the problems” in this complex society
(UNDP, 2014).
UNDP (2014) discoursed that despite a seemingly marginalization of young people around
the world, an apparent demographic change in the world’s population equipped with effective
investments made in young people and the way they are engaged will certainly shape the future of
societies. Addressing the challenges faced by young people by facilitating young people’s
empowerment and providing them with an enabling environment for total development will lay
the foundation for a peaceful and sustainable future.
Generally, while youth engagement in political landscape and decision-making is evidently
low, other alternatives are being opened by civil societies who are working on wide array of issues
such as poverty, peace, and anti-corruption. Through these outlets, young people with their energy,
knack for mobilization, communication and innovation are fulfilling and acting as positive forces
for development and peace such that their leadership and activism have “rejuvenated public
debates by opening spaces for dialogue and asking critical questions”(UNDP, 2014).
As early as 1970s before the Philippines became a signatory to the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC), youth participation in local governance has already been
institutionalized with the creation of various mechanisms for nurturing youth as future leaders of
the nation. Article II, Section 13 of the Philippine Constitution promotes the vital role of the youth
in nation-building thus it calls for the promotion and protection of their physical, moral, spiritual,
intellectual, and social well-being, and to instill in them patriotism and nationalism as well as to
encourage their involvement in public and civil affairs.
About 30% of the Philippine population constitutes youth aging from 10-24 years old
according to the United Nations Population Fund (formerly UNFPA). Of the more than 54 million
registered voters in the country, about 37% comprises the youth. With these figures, the youth
remains a major driver in the socio-political and economic aspects of the Philippine society.
History accounts how young people played a vital role in shaping Philippine history. Flores
III (2015) recounts young political actors namely Andres Bonifacio who founded the Katipunan
at the age of 29, Emilio Jacinto who was the Katipunan’s lead thinker at 20, Gregorio del Pilar
who became a general at 24, and Jose Rizal who wrote Noli Me Tangere at the age of 25.
At present, the institutionalization of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in local governments
and the National Youth Commission (NYC) which geared towards youth development, other
mechanisms being opened for instilling nationalism and patriotism such as the Ten Outstanding
Students of the Philippines (TOSP), the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO). And
other youth congresses are testimonies of the dynamic role the youth plays. Further, the
conceptualization of the SK which has developed for decades as a youth arm of local governments
speaks for a high hope the nation puts on the shoulders of the youth.
Saddening however, in 2013, the election for Sangguniang Kabataan which was supposedly
created as an ideal venue to train the young Filipinos was first postponed due to various reasons
such that it was described as “breeding ground for political dynasty and exposing the youth to
corruption and the practice of traditional politicians”. Ironically, while a big percentage of the
population shares the youths, they remain open to vulnerabilities of political and social interests
of others which makes them a “moving target” (Flores III, 2015).
While the SK has proven notable strengths in its ability to develop the next generation of
leaders, engage the youth to the community and teach them accountability, honesty and creativity,
a study commissioned by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-Manila (2007) showed
that SK’s performance for the past years has been generally weak especially in terms of coming
up with “legislations, promoting the development of young people, submitting reports and holding
consultations with their constituents”.
In 2016, necessary reforms were instituted in the youth arm through the signing of republic
Act 10742, also known as the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act, by then President Benigno S.
Aquino III, however, the election was postponed twice since then under a new administration of
President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Flores III (2015) describes the need for a “responsive, forward-thinking and progressive
youth policies” to bring about “an army of reform-minded, democracy cognizant collaborations
and change-makers”.
Thus, while little is known about the challenges facing youth development especially at the
local scene, this study sought to evaluate the challenges and prospects in the local youth
development initiatives in the indigenous and cultural community of Tinoc, Ifugao within the
context of reproductive health, employment, education, leadership and participation, values and
religion, sports, arts, culture and tourism, and other development programs.
Conceptual Framework
Achieving sustainable human development calls for an inclusive participation of all
segments of society in a “holistic, consultative and participatory way” (UNDP, 2014). In the
message of the first United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Youth Development which was
endorsed in April 2013 called for action on the following thematic areas-employment,
entrepreneurship, political inclusion, civic engagement and protection of rights, education
including comprehensive sexual education, and health.
Youth development warrants a continuing growth process from the enhancement of their
skills and competencies to creating opportunities and provisioning of services thru the support of
the family, community and the government (Igbuzor, 2011). An inclusive and responsive youth
development initiative is thus warranted to provide a ground for the realization of young people’s
potentials as agents of social action and social change (Igbuzor, 2011).
Towards inclusiveness and responsiveness of development programs, UNDP (2014) has
taken leads in supporting youth development as investment for sustainable development thru
partnership at all levels with the formulation of UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017 titled Empowered
Youth, Sustainable Future which was a result of extensive multi-stakeholder consultations.
Enshrined in the UNDP strategy are the (a) recognition of the right and duty of young people to
participate and contribute to development at all levels, and (b) the belief that youth participation
in community development, labor markets, political processes, public life, environment
stewardship, peace-building and conflict prevention will shape and transform the quality prospects
for sustainable human development.
Achieving the outcomes of the Strategy, four-pronged approach are maintained: support
through capacity development, engage through advocacy and mainstreaming, influence through
leadership, and sustain through support to national policy development and implementation
(UNDP, 2014).
The passing of Provincial Ordinance No. 2004-010 otherwise known as The Provincial
Youth Coordinating Council of 2004 paved way for the institutionalizing of youth programs and
activities designed to protect and promote the well-being of youth. Hence, the creation of the
Provincial Youth Coordinating Council (PYCC) composed of youth-serving agencies and other
youth stakeholders serves to fill the gap in youth development. However, a report in the Provincial
Comprehensive and Coordinated Youth Program (CCYP) for 2012-2016 showed a fragmented
youth program implementation as evidenced by a week coordination system among youth
development stakeholders in terms of youth policy mandates and conflicts in the government
processes.
Figure 1 shows the paradigm of the study utilizing the Input-Process-Output method. The
input variables are the different youth development areas and the primary advocacies on youth
basing from the CCYP report for 2012-2016. These are the (a) reproductive health, (b)
employment, (c) education, (d) leadership and participation, (e) values and religion, (f) sports, (g)
arts, culture and tourism, and (h) other development programs. In the province as a cultural and
indigenous community, the need for culture, arts, and indigenous knowledge transfer to younger
generation is paramount for sustaining heritage identity which is inherent in community
development, thus, the inclusion of this in the variables of the study.
While local youth programs and policies are aligned with the Philippine Youth
Development Plan (PYDP), a need for customized youth development agenda that is need
responsive is warranted given the complexities of the local community.