Improving the welfare of barangay officials key to their productivity

Senator Win Gatchalian said recently that improving the welfare of barangay officials may lead to enhanced productivity of the government's so-called immediate providers of frontline services.

During the recent hearing of Gatchalian's Senate Bill No. 366, or the Magna Carta for Barangay Officials, the lawmaker emphasized the need to give plantilla positions to barangay officials, as he lamented that many of these hardworking officials are often times subjected to the whims of politicians.

Gatchalian noted that his bill proposes to fill in the inequities in the present law by providing for the regularization of the Punong Barangay, Barangay Kagawads, the Treasurer and the Secretary; and providing for allowances and benefits to the members of the lupon tagapamayapa, and tanods, as currently, the latter two sets of barangay officers are not receiving any from the Local Government Code.

Photo credit: philstar.com

https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2019/0922_gatchalian1.asp

MORE BARANGAY NEWS & EVENTS NATIONWIDE

Portion of the P5B budget for barangay elections to be realigned to finance the procurement of palay reserves from local farmers. The House leadership has decided to realign a huge portion of the more than P5-billion budget for next year’s barangay polls to finance the procurement of palay reserves from local farmers to ease the negative effects of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

Speaker Alan Cayetano made the statement on Monday as he disclosed that the House of Representatives has decided to readjust some P10-billion allotments under the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 to finance priority programs of the Duterte administration next year. 

Barangay in La Trinidad, Benguet requires organizations based in the barangay to have trained first aiders. Barangay officials of Betag in La Trinidad, Benguet are requiring all establishments and officers of different organizations and schools in the village to become trained first aider.

Barangay Ordinance 1, series of 2019 requires all establishments to have at least first aid kit and must have one for every 10 members or employees to undergo first aid and basic life support course provided by the Philippine Red Cross, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and other accredited agencies.

The proposed ordinance covers all establishment or agencies, markets, grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, schools, construction and manufacturing companies and similar establishments are operating within the barangay with 10 or more personnel.

Baguio Elementary students learn the proper way of performing a Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation in case of emergency during a Bureau of Fire Protection fires safety road show in Baguio City. A village in La Trinidad, Benguet seeks to require establishments, different organizations and schools to have a trained first aider. (Jean Nicole Cortes)

Manila barangay chairman convicted of receiving cash advances from contractor for non-existent project. Barangay 131, Zone 11, District 1 Chairman Raphael Germar Mendez from the City of Manila was found guilty for violating Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for receiving P150,000 worth of cash advances from Celso Sebastian in consideration of granting the latter barangay projects. However, no such projects really existed.

He was sentenced to six years and one month minimum imprisonment to a maximum of eight years, with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. Mendez was also directed to return P150,000, minus the P5,000 already received by Sebastian’s wife.

After posting bail, Mendez filed a Notice of Appeal. He argued that the RTC erred in finding him guilty beyond reasonable doubt. 

Bacolod City barangay bans ‘tsismis’ or gossip in the community. The Council of Barangay Handumanan in Bacolod City approved an ordinance that aims to penalize a person or group of persons who are involved in "tsismis" or gossip in the community.

The ordinance, which was approved on September 10, stated that gossip or tsismis is a Filipino habit that has been one of the major causes of misunderstanding and fight in a community.

Gossip can start a fight between members of the community that can result in the mutilation or humiliation of a person's personality. It also affects not only the people involved, but also their families by extension.

New classrooms to be built in the distant barangays of Compostela Valley.  Another batch of five schools will be built this month at the five far-flung barangays in the municipalities of Compostela, New Bataan and Pantukan, Compostela Valley Province.

The five school sites will be located in Sitio Side 4, Barangay Mangayon, and in Purok 3, Barangay Panansalan both in Compostela, while the other schools will be located in Danawan, Barangay Manurigao and in Purok 3, Barangay Pagsabangan in New Bataan and at Purok 10, Sitio Sapanglubog in Barangay Tibagon, in Pantukan.

The identified areas for the building of school classrooms were being run before by the revolutionary New Peoples’ Army (NPA) and even have their Salugpungan schools built to influence the mindset of the local kids. 

Barangay officials play big role in solving insurgency. In the recent multi-stakeholders summit on Executive Order No. 70 or the whole-of-nation approach to end local communists armed conflict, Agusan del Norte 1st district representative Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba gave emphasis on the big role of barangay officials in curbing insurgency problem in the area and achieve peace and development.

“If you want to solve insurgency, help the government; work and do your part as the barangay executive; and know your constituents,” Matba told the barangay officials present during the summit held in Butuan City.

Punong barangay Ireneo Lauro of barangay Jaguimitan in the municipality of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte believed that EO 70 is an ultimate solution to end insurgency in the country. “This is now the tool that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has given us, we will implement this to solve insurgency in our area,” Lauro said.

Photo credit: (NCLM/PIA Agusan del Norte)

All barangays of Agusan del Sur declared as drug-cleared.  As the government continues to combat against illegal drugs menace, the province of Agusan del Sur was declared as drug-cleared after its remaining 63 drug-affected barangays, Bayugan City, and six municipalities had recently been declared by the Barangay Drug-Clearing Program Regional Oversight Committee – (BDCP-ROC) Caraga.

Agusan del Sur was the third province in the region declared as drug-cleared, while Bayugan City is also the third city declared by the committee as drug-cleared.

According to acting assistant regional director Irvin John Coderis of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Caraga, constant coordination and cooperation of the barangay officials who also compose the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) are greatly needed for its operation to be successful.

Photo credit: Philippine Information Agency

Barangay in General Santos eyed as ‘critical habitat’ for largest bat in the world. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is pushing for the declaration of a forested hill in an outskirt village here as a "critical habitat" for the threatened large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus).

Forester Shalimar Disomangcop, the outgoing head of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO)-South Cotabato, said the move aims to protect around 7,000 large flying foxes in the city.

He said the site covers around 25 hectares in Nopol Hills, Barangay Mabuhay, which is one of the city's tourist attractions. 

THREATENED. A large flying fox, the largest bat in the world, flies towards its roosting tree in Napol Hills, Barangay Mabuhay, General Santos City. The site is currently the subject of study for declaration as a critical habitat for the said species. (Photo courtesy of DENR-12/PENRO-South Cotabato)

P300 million fund to be allocated for the purchase of construction equipment for every barangay in Zamboanga Del Sur. With more infrastructure projects for the province in the pipeline, Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor Yu announced the allocation of P300 million fund for the purchase of construction equipment during the Liga ng Barangay Night event of the week-long celebration of the Araw ng Zamboanga del Sur, held recently.

The local government will buy heavy equipment, like four bulldozers, ten backhoe, ten grader and ten steamroller or road roller to be used to hasten the delivery of infrastructure projects in the province and to aid the barangays in road widening projects.

Yu said he will deliver the equipment to every barangay on a scheduled basis until more of the 681 barangays of the province are accommodated. 

Photo credit: Philippine Information Agency

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