A case study of Unlad Kabataan Program in Iloilo City

Abstract

This research is a case study of Unlad Kabataan Program of Department of Social Welfare and Development for the Out of School Youth. The purpose of this study is to determine the benefits gained from the program and understand the program, its role in the development of the Out of School youth. It also intend to describe the program in term of its services, strategies and program implementation that help developed the Out of School Youth. The data obtained from the investigation are both qualitative and quantitative. Data were gathered through formal interviews, key informant interviews, survey of PYA members and a review of records and materials about Unlad Kabataan Program. The Unlad Kabataan Program was launched in 1974 through Department of Social Welfare and Development a government agency mandated to provide developmental, remedial and preventive services to Out of School Youth. The program has three major components, economic productivity which provided the out of school youth access to formal, vocational or technical skills training that qualifies them for open employment or self employment that will enable them to venture in livelihood projects, personality enhancement and positive lifestyle where the youth are provided with trainings on population awareness and family life orientation where they are oriented on the concept of population dynamics, human growth and development, family life, responsible parenthood and in decision making. The youth were given access to information and chance to discuss the implication of their actions or behavior with their peers. The last is leadership training and social responsibility which aims to optimize the leadership potentials of the youth as they were provided with basic training in peer counseling that promoted positive lifestyle and capability building intervention that improve their sense of social responsibility. The Out of School Youth in Iloilo City has a total population of 36,727 and out of these 1.400 or .038 percent are registered members of the Pag asa Youth Association (PYA). Most of them comes from a low income family with a large family size ranging from eight to four members excluding their parents, also most of these youths are high school level and a few of them have finished their high school education. The Unlad Kabataan Program utilizes the Pag asa Youth Association to provide opportunities for out of school youth to actualize their potentials and aspirations, experiences to contribute in the growth and development of the community and participate in the task of nation building. The Program faced several problems in its implementation which include insufficient funding support, non functional community welfare structure, low prioritization of the Out of School Youth ( OSY) program by the Local Government Units and lack of coordinative mechanism among different stakeholders. Finally the study revealed that many Out of School Youth perceived that they have benefited from this program in terms of enhancing their economic productivity, their personality, values and their leadership skills.