Winners in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election in Ilocos Norte underwent mandatory training slated from May 17 to 26 with the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) serving as the Local Resource Institute (LRI). The training was conducted in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Required under the SK Reform Act, the newly-elected SK officials in the 557 barangays of the province were obliged to undergo training and orientation before they can assume office. The mandatory training, which was ordered by the DILG in a January 2018 memorandum, aims to prepare the elected SK officials of their new roles as public servants. It covered SK history, decentralization and local governance, meetings and resolutions, planning and budgeting, and ethics.

In a memorandum issued by DILG Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya, elected SK officials’ non-attendance to the training without any valid reason shall constitute sufficient ground to disqualify or subject them to disciplinary actions as per Section 27 of the SK Reform Act.

The training consisted of the following modules: Decentralization and local governance, and History of the SK and the SK Reform Act, also known as Republic Act 10472; Meetings and resolutions, and Planning and budgeting; and RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Prior to the mandatory training, the Presidential Council for Youth Affairs gave optional training for newly-elected officials, as per Title 3, Section 532, of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.