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AN ACT
ESTABLISHING ENABLING MECHANISMS FOR MEANINGFUL YOUTH
PARTICIPATION IN REGION BUILDING, STRENGTHENING THE
YOUTH, CREATING THE COMMUNITY, CITY, COUNTY, AND
LINCOLN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Section 1 (Title & Definitions)
i. The title of this act shall be the
"Youth Development and Empowerment Act" It may be cited as the as "YDEA"
ii. For the purposes of this Act:
(a) "Community-based Youth Organizations" shall refer to organizations whose membership or programs and projects are based only on a specific community;
(b) "Council" shall refer to the Local Youth Development Council in the city and county;
(c) "Faith-based Youth Organizations" shall refer to those organizations whose members share common faith, moral persuasion and spiritual beliefs with programs, projects and activities catering to the youth;
(d) "Ideology-based youth organizations" shall refer to youth organizations whose members are advancing a legitimate social ideology or thought;
(e) "Local chief executive" shall refer to the community, city and county head;
Section 2 (Youth Develpoment Council)
i. To ensure wide and multi-sectoral youth participation in local governance, there shall be in every community, city and county a local youth development council which shall be called Community Youth Development Council, City Youth Development Council and County Youth Development Council, respectively.
ii. The Council shall be composed of not more than two (2) official representatives of the following classifications of duly organized and/or accredited youth and youth-serving organizations who are at least fifteen (15) but not more than twenty-four (24) years of age:
(a) Student councils of public and private secondary schools;
(b) Student councils of public and private tertiary schools;
(c) Out of school youth organizations;
(d) Working youth, young entrepreneurs and young professional organizations;
(e) Youth with specific needs organizations;
(f) Community-based youth organizations;
(g) Faith-based youth organizations; and
(h) Ideology-based youth organizations.
iii. The officials must be appointed through screening, application, and interview by the:
(a) Community level - by the local community chief executive
(b) City level - by the local city chief executive
(c) County level - by the local county chief executive
iv. The Council shall perform the following duties and functions:
(a) Serve as the core of the advocacy on youth participation in region- building and youth empowerment;
(b) With the assistance of the respective local government unit, conduct a study and maintain data on the situation of the youth in its locality;
(c) Prioritize programs, projects and activities that will be included in the Annual Youth Investment Program which shall be recommended to the local chief executive for inclusion in the Annual Investment Program of the local government concerned and funded in the budget of the local government unit concerned;
(d) Establish enabling mechanisms which shall provide a forum for youth consultations and feedback gathering systems;
(e) Consolidate and recommend to the local government through the youth sector representative youth development policies needing local legislations;
(f) Assist the local governments in the promotion and implementation of youth development programs and projects;
(g) Conduct fund raising activities, proceeds of which shall be taxexempt and receive contributions, donations, grants and aids from government and private institutions for the implementation of priority programs and projects for the youth in its jurisdiction;
(h) Provide support to youth and youth-serving organizations in its jurisdiction;
(i) Endorse youth and youth serving organizations for the accreditation of the local government for purposes of representation in the local development council and other local special bodies;
(j) Prepare and submit annual program accomplishments and financial reports to the local government
(k) Discharge such other duties and perform such other functions as may be delegated or necessary.
v. All members of the Council in good standing shall, during their incumbency shall be exempt from payment of tuition and matriculation fees while enrolled in any public secondary, tertiary school including state colleges and universities and those locally funded public educational institutions within or nearest its area of jurisdiction.
(a) The regional government shall reimburse said educational institution the amount of the tuition and matriculation fees.
vi. The term of office of all the members of the Council: A member can serve until he/she turns 24 years old. Or if he/she is removed by the position by the local executive; resignation, recall, or inability to execute its duties.