Manila SK Leaders Faced Criticisms Over Thailand Trip
Several Sangguniang Kabataan – SK leaders from Manila are facing online criticisms after photos of their trip to Bangkok, Thailand went viral.
Recently, Manila Councilor Yanyan Ibay, shared photos of some Sangguniang Kabataan leaders having a trip in Thailand. The post quickly spread like wildfire on social media and elicited comments from netizens.
The travel was reportedly for a “Capacity Development and International Benchmarking” activity, but many online users questioned whether it was really about training or just an overseas getaway.
The issue first spread after Ibay, who serves as ex-officio councilor for the SK, posted about the trip on social media. The post was later deleted, but not before it caught the attention of online groups and critics.
Some netizens argued that the trip seemed more focused on leisure than on learning. They pointed out that the itinerary included tourist activities such as elephant feeding and visits to popular attractions in Bangkok.
Critics questioned how these activities were related to addressing barangay issues back home. One group even went as far as labeling the trip a waste of taxpayers’ money and sarcastically referred to SK as “Sangguniang Kawatan.”
They also questioned the relevance of benchmarking in Bangkok, noting that the city does not even have an SK system to model after.
According to a post from We Are Millennials, over 600 participants were part of the first batch of the trip, with eight more batches scheduled to follow. The incident fueled more discussions online about the purpose and cost of the travel.
As of this writing, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso has not issued a statement about the controversy. Meanwhile, the public continues to debate whether trips like these truly benefit youth leaders or simply turn into expensive photo opportunities abroad.
In a previous report, 150 SK officials rushed to various hospitals due to food poisoning
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
