Newly-elected barangay officials to train onsite

By Chito Chavez

With the newly elected barangay officials set to assume their post on July 1, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge (OIC) Eduardo M. Año stressed their training should be held strictly “onsite” to ensure a judicious use of the resources of the local government.

Año noted in the event that there are no appropriate facilities in the municipality, the training can be done within the province or within the region to ensure cost-effective utilization of funds, promote efficiency and value-for-money in the government.

He said the Grassroots Renewal and Empowerment for Accountable and Transparent (GREAT) barangays program will cover “newly elected” barangay officials for 2018-2020.

The DILG chief noted that newly elected officials are not only officials elected for the first time but those that have been reelected for either the second or the third time.

He stressed GREAT intends to let the barangay newly elected officials (BNEOs) gain appreciation of their mandated tasks and responsibilities; show improvement in their personal, managerial and leadership skills and manifest the tenets of good local governance.

DILG Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the GREAT program also seeks for barangay governments to show measurable positive performance toward good governance.

The program also aims to inculcate among the barangay officials to demonstrate and contribute to the desired public administration values such as transparency, accountability, integrity and citizen participation.

He said the program takes into account contemporary conditions which impacts barangay roles and contribution to development such as its role in contributing to the achievement of both local and national objectives for development in relation to Ambisyon Natin 2040 and the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.

Malaya emphasized the role of barangays in the fight against illegal drugs and in the promotion of public safety and societal law and order; improving barangay’s capacity for adaptation to and mitigation risks brought by climate change; and the role of barangays in deepening decentralization and participatory government, and a renewed emphasis on the importance of barangays in democratic governance at the community level, among others, are also key principles guiding the GREAT program.

The GREAT components

GREAT is a “term-based” capacity development program that will allow BNEOs to be trained within their two-year term starting June 2018 completing all five components of the GREAT program depending on the component participants.

Component A or Ensuring Smooth Transition prepares BNEOs in assuming their positions after elections promoting transparency and accountability right at the start of the term, through a smooth turnover of barangay documents, properties, and accountabilities and will be participated by all barangay officials.

Jumpstarting Local Governance or Component B has two subcomponents dealing with laying the foundations for GREAT barangays, and the planning and preparation of the Barangay Development Plan and the Barangay Capacity Development Agenda with all barangay officials and members of the barangay-based institutions (BBIs) as participants.

Component C or Sharpening the Saw is the “deepening” component of the program in which barangay officials are enabled to select and deepen their knowledge and skills on barangays governance with four broad outcome expectations for local governments namely Business-Friendly and Competitive LGUs, Environment Protective and Disaster Resilient LGUs, Socially Protective and Safe LGUs, and Transparent, Accountable, Participative and Effective LGUs to be participated in by all barangay officials, BBIs, and other organizations.

Component D or Looking Forward to Better Governance through Citizenship Building which focuses on the process of engaging with the citizens and members of the community where qualified barangay officials are expected to participate.

Enhancing Barangay Performance or Component E focuses on the institutionalization of a performance measurement and awards system for all barangays.

The DILG through the Local Government Academy, the National Barangay Operations Office, the DILG Regional and Field offices, and the city/municipal governments shall implement the program in partnership with Liga ng mga Barangay, local resource institution, and select national government agencies. 

(Reposted from the Manila Bulletin under the title: Año: Training of newly elected barangay officials should be held strictly ‘onsite’)

Ex-barangay officials civil service eligible

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) encourages barangay officials who have completed their term of office on or after August 1, 2012 and who wish to continue their service to the government to apply for the Barangay Official Eligibility (BOE).

BOE is granted to elective barangay officials such as Punong Barangay/Barangay Captain, Regular Sangguniang Barangay Members, and Sangguniang Kabataan Chairpersons; and to appointive barangay officials such as the Barangay Treasurers, and Barangay Secretaries who were appointed by the duly elected Punong Barangay.

The eligibility may be used for appointment to first level positions in the career service, except positions covered by board laws and/or those that require other special eligibilities as determined by the Commission, or those that require licenses such as those positions listed under Category IV of CSC MC No. 11, s. 1996, as amended.

The CSC emphasizes that eligibility is just one of the qualifications standards in order to qualify for a government post. Education, training, experience, and competency requirements should also be met.

The CSC reiterates that those barangay officials elected or appointed during the October 28, 2013 election and were given a hold over capacity by express provision of Republic Act No. 10923 are considered to have completed their term of office as of November 30, 2016 and may be granted BOE.

Furthermore, based on CSC Resolution No. 1601257, Sangguniang Barangay officials who assumed and completed their term of office based on the Rules of Succession provided under the Local Government Code of 1991 may be granted the BOE. Qualified officials are the following:

• An elected Sangguniang Barangay (SB) Member/Kagawad who assumed the post of Punong Barangay/Barangay Captain and completed the unexpired term of office of the Punong Barangay regardless of the number of days.

• An SK member who succeeded the SK Chairperson provided that the SK Chairperson-successor completed the term of office. The BOE may be granted if the assumption to office of the SK Chairperson-successor is within the allowable fifteen (15)-day deficiency period and if the permanent vacancy occurs within fifteen (15) days from start of term of office.

The CSC stresses that in case of permanent vacancies in Sanggunian which are filled not by automatic succession but by appointment made by the local chief executive, the appointed Sangguniang Barangay member will not be entitled to the BOE.

BOE applications should be submitted to the CSC Regional Office or Field Office having jurisdiction over the Barangay where an applicant has rendered services. The list of documentary requirements and application procedure are available on the CSC website.

In 2017, the CSC has conferred a total of 3,212 Barangay Official Eligibility. 

(Reposted from Rappler.com  under the its original title: CSC accepts application for barangay official eligibility. A press release from Civil Service Commission)

"Crazy" festival in Cebu barangay drawing many visitors

By Norman V. Mendoza

Men wearing women’s dresses, bringing kittens and frogs caught in a fishnet, some men trying to pit a duck and a cat to fight, and even a cross-dressing man displaying a big male organ made of wood.

These are just scenes of the day in Barangay San Vicente in Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City as they celebrate “The Baliw Baliw” festival, which is part of the activities of the barangay’s fiesta on Thursday (May 30).

The unusual festival, whom senior residents of the barangay vaguely trace its beginnings to the early 1900s, has been known to be a part of the activities to celebrate the feast day of the village’s patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer.

San Vicente Barangay Captain Cyrus Eyas said there were more visitors this year, who wanted to witness the “Baliw Baliw” festival.

San Vicente Barangay Captain Cyrus Eyas said, the practice had been there already even when his grandfather was still a boy in the 1900s.

“Dili mi maka-trace kon kanus-a gyud nagsugod ug nganong ingon ana ang nahimong tradisyon sa mga tawo (We cannot trace when did it started and why it has become the people’s tradition),” said Eyas.

On the obscene scenes, he said that they had been trying to educate and ask residents as agreed by the fiesta committee to remove the obscene parts during the showdown portion of the festival at the vicinity of the chapel.

But, he said that people would just gather themselves near the chapel and do their thing like cross-dressing men outdoing themselves and residents trying to pit a cat and a duck to fight.

Eyas said that residents considered the unique festival a tradition from their ancestors and some residents even believed that to stop the festival would bring sickness to their families and calamities in the barangay.

With the festival bringing in more visitors, the barangay is also grabbing the opportunity to earn and make their barangay as a tourism destination.

These include adding more programs to the fiesta activities like the street dancing competition and the search for the festival queen.

For the tourism sites, they were also promoting the Boardwalk going to a floating restaurant via the mangrove available for trekking, a place for camping, snorkeling, diving at its Marine Sanctuary and many others.

Meanwhile, a 94-year-old resident of the barangay shared how the festival started.

Feliza Aying told Cebu Daily News that since she was a child the festival was already celebrated in the barangay.

She said that it was first called “Sakay-Sakay” (Ride to a fluvial procession) and the unusual things people do at the end of the fluvial procession were all just them trying to entertain themselves.

She said, it was the visitors, who called it “Baliw-Baliw” because when they visit San Vicente to celebrate the barangay’s fiesta, they call the place “Baliw” because of the unusual acts of the people in the village.

Today, hundreds of visitors had been known to visit the barangay not only to witness the unusual festivity but also to show their devotion to the patron saint of the barangay, San Vicente Ferrer. (Reposted from Cebu Daily News under its original title: Olango barangay’s ‘Baliw Baliw’ festival draws in more visitors)

The barangay as a small republic

By Manny Valdehuesa

A barangay is a small republic—with a defined territory, an operative government, and sovereign citizens. The Big Philippine Republic draws its strength from these small barangay republics, of which there are over 42,000 in all.

A barangay is also a community—at least it ought to be, in the sense that community is defined as one where its members feel a sense of belonging, where being together matters to one another, and where there’s an implicit commitment to look out for each other.

Looking out for the community is the mission of government in a barangay, that it may develop, progress, and produce benefits for its members.

Towards that end, there must be cooperation and collaboration among barangay members.

If cooperation is absent or lacking, it is the supreme challenge to the barangay’s leadership, both government and civil society (non-government), to bring it about.

***

Harmony and a basic unity is important in the barangay. The people must have a basic sense of unity, of community, and of willingness to work together or cooperate for the common good. Government and citizenry must synchronize and collaborate to advance overall well-being and progress.

To promote and strengthen their relationship is the supreme challenge of leadership. In a word, good governance. Unfortunately, what constitutes good governance in the barangay has not been given the attention it needs. What exemplifies it is not made clear.

As a result, there is poor enforcement of barangay ordinances and regulations; infrastructure is shabby, facilities are unsanitary, and amenities are inadequate in all but a few barangays. While all these are ascribed to poor public administration, the root cause is the absence or lack of public-private collaboration.

***

Among the citizenry, there is marked unconcern amongst the barangay’s elite classes (A&B economic categories) about their essential role, particularly in respect of their presence and participation in the governing process. They hardly take part in the governing process and are largely absent from meetings or assemblies of their barangay.

So the need for citizens to participate and collaborate with their officials in the tasks of governing—e.g. planning, mobilizing human and non-human resources, implementing, evaluating, etc.—is relegated to the barangay’s less educated and less experienced sectors.

The absence of the elites accounts for the difference in appearance and infrastructure between private, gated enclaves within it and the rest of the barangay. Except in a few jurisdictions, there is this spectacle of neat, well-maintained subdivisions contrasting with shabby, chaotic neighborhoods beyond. It calls attention to the divide that separates rich and poor, educated and less educated. This contrast stands as an unfortunate reminder of the disparity between the two.

***

As for the local government, poor public administration characterizes its performance. This is reflected in poor planning for people’s needs, poor project implementation, poor infrastructure maintenance, poor security and oversight of peace-and-order.

It is sad that citizen unconcern and poor public administration combine to make most of the barangays shabby and inhospitable.

For example, the least that a barangay resident should expect to be provided is ease and security in moving about, clean environment, unobstructed public facilities like easements, sidewalks, and parks, neat establishments, a park, and a library and reading center.

For transients, the least that a visitor should expect of a barangay as a destination is its “walkability” as well as ease of finding transport from one point to another. Are its surroundings pleasant, its establishments (commercial or private) well maintained? Is it hospitable, with outdoor amenities like shady sidewalks, covered drainage sewers, park benches, and comfort room facilities?

The painful truth is, the track-record of public administration in most barangays is very poor. And so is the performance of the elites of barangays in doing their duties as citizens thereof. (to be continued)

Editor's Note:  Manny Valdehuesa Jr. is a former Unesco regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-general, Southeast Asia Publishers Association; director, Development Academy of Philippines; member, Philippine Mission to the UN; vice chair, Local Government Academy; awardee, PPI-Unicef outstanding columnist. He is chairman/convenor of the Gising Barangay Movement Inc. (This article reposted from Mindanao Goldstar Daily under its original title: Governing the Barangay)

Elected SK officials new breed of leaders - Senator

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on Friday expressed high hopes for the new set of Sangguaniang Kabataan (SK) or youth council officials this year adding that he believes in the statement of the National Youth Commission that this term’s officials will be “a new breed” of leaders.

“Our dream when we implemented the SK Reform Act of 2015 was to change the image of the SK, make the programs more responsive programs and policies and make the youth feel that they are important,” Aquino told SunStar Pampanga during an interview in Porac town Friday.

As for areas with no SK representation, the barangay councils, he said, would have to assign. But Aquino said that while there are a few with no complete SK council, most have their own SK chairman. 

Aquino also has high hopes with the ongoing mandatory training of the SK here. He added that training should not just be one-time but done on a regular basis. 

The senator added that this term will also be a way to evaluate if the reforms have contributed to the betterment of the SK and if the new SK officials are up to the task of really working for change for the youth sector.

The reforms on the SK include anti-dynasty provision especially in the barangay level, the age limit from 15 to 17 years old to 18 to 24 years old for SK members, mandatory leadership training and education for the SKs and the creation of Local Youth Development Council (LYDC) to include other youth organizations in the barangay.

The new law also mandates the creation of the LYDC, a council that will support the SK and ensure the participation of more youth through youth organizations.

The LYDC will be composed of representatives from the different youth organizations in the community – student councils, church and youth faith groups, youth-serving organizations, and community-based youth groups.

Co-sponsored and co-authored by Senator Bam during his term as chairman of the Committee on Youth in the 16th Congress, Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reform Act is the first law in the country with an anti-political dynasty provision which prohibits relatives of elected officials up to 2nd civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from seeking SK posts. (This article reposted from SunStar Pampanga under the original title: Senator optimistic for new SK officials)

Detained barangay chair in Misamis Oriental re-elected

The incumbent chairman of Barangay Patag in this town who was arrested a week before the elections was elected a third time.

Hermito Laid Jr. was arrested on May 6 for possession of illegal drugs and explosives.

Because of this, Laid was unable to campaign but still managed to get 800 votes, enough to secure victory.

Alona Laid believes that her husband's win proved he is still loved in his barangay "despite the accusations thrown at him."

Department of Interior and Local Government 10 director Arnel Agabe said that, since Laid is in prison while the case against him is ongoing, he is "temporarily incapacitated" to serve, which is why the first village councilor has assumed the post as acting village chief.

Mike Añora, who ranked first among the village councilors, said he is ready to assume the position.

Senior Inspector Dennis Flores of the Opol Municipal Police Station said authorities are not questioning Laid's victory but stressed that he is under their watch list for his involvement in illegal drugs.

Laid is facing charges of violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and Illegal Possession of Explosives. (Source: ABS-CBN News. Original title:  Detained barangay chairman facing drug charges re-elected in Misamis Oriental)