Beyond the court: Evaluating balanced youth development program in the Sanguniang Kabataan

Abstract

The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act of 2015 mandates holistic youth development; however, cultural expectations often pressure local councils to prioritize highly visible sports tournaments ("pa-liga"), raising concerns that this traditional focus crowds out essential sectors like education, health, and livelihood. To investigate this resource allocation issue, this study employed a qualitative document analysis by examining the fiscal year 2026 Annual Barangay Youth Investment Programs (ABYIPs) and accomplishment reports from three selected barangays in Anao, Moncada, and San Manuel, Tarlac. A review of these financial records revealed a persistent bias toward recreational activities, with sports constituting the largest programmatic expenditure. Specifically, sports consumed between 28% and 49% of discretionary youth funds across the observed barangays, creating a financial bottleneck for other vital developmental initiatives. Ultimately, these findings indicate that SK governance remains disproportionately sports-centric, highlighting the need for councils to transition away from short-term recreational spending and reallocate resources toward sustainable capacity-building, health interventions, and genuine civic engagement.