Assessing Environmental Leadership among Youth Officials in Local Governance:  Quantitative Insights from the Sangguniang Kabataan in Bataan, Philippines

Allen Miguel B. Mallari, Roxanne D. Danan, Emarvin T. Gregorio1,Rendel B. Batchar and Judy B. Dumlao

abstract

Youth participation is widely recognized as a critical component of sustainable local governance; however, the effectiveness of youth-led institutions depends not only on motivation and engagement but also on the capacity to translate commitment into informed action. This study examined the environmental leadership of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials in Samal, Bataan, focusing on three interrelated dimensions: motivation, leadership capacity, and environmental expertise. Using a cross-sectional descriptive–comparative design, data were collected from 77 elected SK officials across all barangays through a structured survey instrument grounded in an established environmental leadership framework. The findings indicate that SK officials exhibit very strong motivation and strong self-perceived leadership capacity, reflecting high readiness to engage in environmental initiatives, while environmental expertise, although generally classified as high, was uneven and largely limited to foundational knowledge, with weaker familiarity in policy and systemslevel sustainability concepts. Differences in environmental expertise were associated with educational attainment and prior leadership experience, whereas no significant differences were observed across sex or SK position. These results highlight a gap between youth leaders’ strong commitment to environmental action and their preparedness for policyinformed environmental governance, underscoring the need for targeted capacity-building interventions and strategic collaboration between local government units and educational institutions to strengthen youth participation as a driver of sustainable local development.Received July 31, 2025First Decision Made     December 10, 2025Accepted December 18, 2025Corresponding AuthorAllen Miguel B. MallariUndergraduate Student, College of Education,  Bataan Peninsula State University –  Dinalupihan Campus

Keywords
Environmental leadership, Youth governance, Sangguniang Kabataan, environmental expertise, Sustainable development, Education for sustainable development