Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday proposed the creation of short courses in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) specifically designed for newly elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials.
During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education on June 9, Cayetano emphasized the importance of preparing young leaders, especially with the upcoming SK and barangay elections.
“Kung hindi ma-postpone [y’ung SK elections,] it would be good for state universities to offer a two- to three-week course for the SK na susunod,” the senator said.
Cayetano, who chairs the committee, made the suggestion as the panel discussed strategies to expand access to tertiary education and skills training.
He noted that many public officials assume office without any formal training and only seek education after they have been elected.
He also encouraged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and SUCs to consider SK training as part of a long-term national development strategy.
“Let me just encourage CHED and the SUCs, lahat ng complaints ninyo sa leaders niyo ngayon, kasama na kami, kaya nating baguhin twenty years from now, if y’ung mga SK na mananalo this year ay maaalagaan natin,” he said.
“Kasi in 2050, 25 years from now, iyan ang mga leaders natin,” he added.
Cayetano also asked CHED to conduct a mapping of all SUCs and their satellite campuses to identify underserved areas, noting that some provinces still lack a state university.
“May mga probinsya pa rin na walang SUC. Pwede ba magkaroon tayo ng parang mapping? Take out all the politics, all the population, so when we look at the country nasaan doon ang mga SUC, ilan dun mga satellite campus, and private universities,” he told CHED Director Raul Muyong.
A long-time advocate of education reform, Cayetano said the country needs a more comprehensive approach to higher education. This includes scholarships, student loans, and specialized training programs.
The senator also urged CHED and the SUCs to continue improving access to and quality of education even during the legislative break next week, until the start of the 20th Congress in July.
“We’ll have a head start by having committee reports. We will comply with CHED requirements, if there are legal issues we can talk about it, ‘pag wala at compliance lang, mag comply na tayo para pare-pareho tayong walang problema,” he said.
