25/09/2026
KABATAAN PARTYLIST CORDILLERA CONDEMNS MARCOS JR.’S SIGNING OF RA 12326, EXTENDING BARANGAY AND SK TERMS TO FIVE YEARS AND POSTPONING THE 2026 BSKE
The postponement of the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) directly affects the exercise of democratic representation at the most local level of government. By further delaying the elections, communities are once again made to wait for the opportunity to renew their local mandates and choose their representatives.
This is especially important in Baguio City, where many SK councils continue to struggle with vacancies and the lack of quorum. Without quorum, an SK cannot fully conduct its council functions, limiting its ability to deliberate, make decisions, and carry out programs and services for the youth. This leaves many barangays with SK councils that exist, but cannot fully function.
However, the problem goes beyond vacant SK positions. It reflects a deeper crisis in youth representation, where gaps in local governance remain unresolved while the very mechanism that can address them is repeatedly pushed aside. If the SK is meant to institutionalize the participation of young people in governance, then the continued postponement of elections only deepens the gap between the youth and the institutions meant to represent them.
The youth should not be reduced to spectators of decisions made about their communities. Democratic participation cannot be treated as an expense to be deferred, and youth representation cannot remain incomplete by default. The people, the youth, must be given the opportunity to choose and participate!
The BSKE must proceed! And if it is not, the people and the youth shall continue to demand accountability!