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REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 8044
AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION, ESTABLISHING A
NATIONAL
COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED PROGRAM ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Youth in Nation-Building
Act."
SECTION 2. Policy. — The State recognizes its responsibility to enable the
youth to fulfill
their vital role in nation-building and hereby establishes the
National Comprehensive and
Coordinated Program on Youth Development, creates the structures to
implement the same
and appropriates adequate funds to provide support for the program
and implementing
structures on a continuing sustained basis.
The State hereby declares that "Youth" is the critical period in a
person's growth and
development from the onset of adolescence towards the peak of
mature, self-reliant and
responsible adulthood comprising the considerable sector of the
population from the age of
fifteen (15) to thirty (30) years.
The State further declares the National Comprehensive and
Coordinated Program on Youth
Development shall be based on the following principles:
(a)Promotion and protection of the physical, moral, spiritual,
intellectual and social well-
being of the youth to the end that the youth realize their potential
for improving the quality
of life;
(b)Inculcation in the youth of patriotism, nationalism and other
basic desirable values to
infuse in them faith in the Creator, belief in the sanctity of life
and dignity of the human
person, conviction for the strength and unity of the family and
adherence to truth and
justice;
(c)Encouragement of youth involvement in character-building and
development activities
for civic efficiency, stewardship of natural resources, agricultural
and industrial productivity,
and an understanding of world economic commitments on tariffs and
trade and participation
in structures of policy-making and program implementation to reduce
the incidence of
poverty and accelerate socioeconomic development; and
(d)Mobilization of youth's abilities, talents and skills and
redirecting their creativity,
inventive genius and wellspring of enthusiasm and hope for the
freedom of our people from
fear, hunger and injustice.
SECTION 3.
Development Program. — In order to attain the declared national
policy, there
is hereby established the "National Comprehensive and Coordinated
Program on Youth
Development", hereinafter referred to as the "Development Program."
The components of the development program are the following:
(a)Formulation, approval and implementation of the Medium-Term Youth
Development
Program for four (4) years following the approval of this Act and
every three (3) years
thereafter, which shall be aligned to and shall complement the
Medium-Term Philippine
Development Plan for the corresponding period, taking into account
the existing National
Youth Development Plan as provided for in Executive Order No. 176,
series of 1994;
(b)A national study on the "Situation of Youth in the Philippines",
for the period up to the
approval of this Act, and every three (3) years thereafter which
identifies priority needs,
prevailing attitudes and values of youth, the existing services, and
the gaps in services
delivery of the basic needs of youth;
(c)A "National Review, Evaluation and Reform" of all organizations
delivering services to
youth for the period up to the approval of this Act and every three
(3) years thereafter;
(d)Activities to operationalize the implementing structures of the
Development Program,
preparations and participation in activities of youth of global
significance including World
Youth Day, and provide leadership and support therefor on a
continuing sustained basis:
(e)The comprehensive, coordinated nationwide service delivery system
comprising (i)
existing public and civic services for youth which after review and
reform or realignment fully
support the policy and program framework under this Act; and (ii)
innovative services and
delivery systems institutionalized in areas without or with
inadequate services and which are
responsive to needs, following pilot demonstration projects to test
the validity and feasibility
of the services; and
(f)The participation of Filipino youth in the Biennial World Youth
Day starting 1997 in
Paris, France and every two (2) years thereafter.
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act. the following terms
are hereby
defined:
(a)"Youth" shall refer to those persons whose ages range from
fifteen (15) to thirty (30)
years old;
(b)"Youth Organizations" shall refer to those organizations whose
membership/composition are youth;
(c)"Youth-Serving Organizations" shall refer to those registered
organizations or
institutions whose principal programs, projects and activities are
youth-oriented and youth-
related; and
(d)"Commission" shall refer to the National Youth Commission.
SECTION 5.
National Youth Commission. — There is hereby created the "National
Youth
Commission," hereinafter referred to as the "Commission".
It shall be composed of the following:
(a)A chairman;
(b)One commissioner representing Luzon;
(c)One commissioner representing Visayas;
(d)One commissioner representing Mindanao;
(e)Two (2) commissioners to be chosen at large; and
(f)The President of the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang
Kabataan, as
commissioner, who shall serve in an ex officio capacity.
The first set of chairman and commissioners, which shall have a term
of four (4) years, shall
be constituted by the President of the Philippines from among the
list of nominees submitted
by youth organizations or institutions with national or regional
constituencies and which have
been in existence for at least three (3) years as of the approval of
this Act.
The succeeding chairman and the two (2) commissioners to be chosen
at large shall be
appointed by the President from a list of at least three (3) but not
more than five (5)
nominees for each position, submitted by youth and youth-serving
organizations or
institutions with national constituencies duly registered with the
Commission.
The succeeding commissioners representing Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao, respectively, shall
be appointed by the President from a list of at least three (3) but
not more than five (5)
nominees for each position, submitted by youth and youth-serving
organizations or
institutions in their respective areas duly registered with the
Commission.
The chairman and the appointive commissioners shall serve for a term
of three(3) years, with
reappointment for another term.The chairman shall have the rank and
privileges of a
department undersecretary, and the appointive commissioner shall
have the rank and
privileges of assistant secretaries of a department.The ex officio
commissioner shall also have
the rank and privileges of assistant secretary of a department.
SECTION 6.
Status and Nature of the Commission. — The Commission shall be
independent
and autonomous and shall have the same status as that of national
government agency
attached to the Office of the President.
The Commission shall exercise corporate powers.It shall have a seal,
may sue and be sued,
and shall be the sole policy-making coordinating body of all
youth-related institutions,
programs, projects and activities of the government.
SECTION 7. Qualifications of the Chairman and the
Commissioners. — The chairman
shall
not be more than forty-five (45) years of age, and the appointive
commissioners no more than
forty (40) years of age, at any time during their incumbency;
natural-born citizens of the
Philippines; have occupied positions of responsibility and
leadership in duly registered youth
and youth-serving organizations or institutions; of good moral
character and not have been
convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.
The chairman shall serve as the chief executive officer of the
Commission.
SECTION 8.
Objectives of the Commission. — The objectives of the Commission
are:
(a)To provide the leadership in the formulation of policies and in
the setting of priorities
and direction of all youth promotion and development programs and
activities;
(b)To encourage wide and active participation of the youth in all
government and
nongovernmental programs, projects and activities affecting them;
(c)To harness and develop the full potential of the youth as
partners in nation-building;
and
(d)To supplement government appropriations for youth promotion and
development with
funds from other sources.
SECTION 9.
Powers of the Commission. — The Commission shall have the following
powers:
(a)To appoint the officers and other personnel of the Commission and
fix their
compensation, allowances and other emoluments, subject to the civil
service and other
existing applicable laws, rules and regulations;
(b)To suspend, dismiss, or otherwise discipline for cause, any
employee, and/or to
approve or disapprove the appointment, transfer or detail of
employees, subject to the
provisions of existing laws and regulations;
(c)To enter into contracts;
(d)To acquire, use and control any land, building, facilities,
equipment, instrument,
tools, and rights required or otherwise necessary for the
accomplishment of the objectives of
the Commission;
(e)To acquire, own, possess and dispose of any real or personal
property;
(f)To accept donations, gifts, bequests, and grants;
(g)To ensure the implementation by various government departments
and agencies of
their youth developmental projects and activities as indicated in
their respective annual
budgets;
h)To issue rules and regulations in pursuance of the provisions of
this Act; and
(i)To perform any and all other acts incident to or required by
virtue of its creation.
SECTION10.
Functions of the Commission. — The Commission shall have the
following
functions:
(a)To formulate and initiate the national policy or policies on
youth;
(b)To plan, implement, and oversee a national integrated youth
promotion and
development program;
(c)To establish a consultative mechanism which shall provide a forum
for continuing
dialogue between the government and the youth sector on the proper
planning and evaluation
of policies, programs and projects affecting the youth, convening
for the purpose,
representatives of all youth organizations and institutions,
including the sangguniang
kabataan from barangay, municipal, city, provincial and national
levels;
(d)To assist and coordinate with governmental and nongovernmental
organizations or
institutions in the implementation of all laws, policies, programs
and projects relative to
youth promotion and development;
(e)To seek or request the assistance and support of any government
agency, office or
instrumentality including government-owned or -controlled
corporations, local government
units as well as nongovernmental organizations or institutions in
pursuance of its policies,
programs and projects;
(f)To conduct scientific interdisciplinary and policy-oriented
researches and studies on
youth-related matters, as well as trainings, seminars and workshops
that will enhance the
skills and leadership potentials of the youth, instilling in them
nationalism and patriotism,
with particular emphasis on Filipino culture and values;
(g)To establish and maintain linkages with international youth and
youth-serving
organizations or institutions and counterpart agencies of foreign
governments in order to
facilitate and ensure the participation of Filipino youth in
international functions and affairs;
(h)To administer youth exchange programs as well as monitor and
coordinate all foreign-
sponsored youth programs and projects such as the Ship for Southeast
Asia Youth Program and
other similar exchanges and goodwill missions;
(i)To establish such organizational structures including regional
offices, as may be
required to effectively carry out its functions;
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