"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)

Barangay chair declared used vehicles brand new

The reelected chairman of a village in Las Piñas City is facing another complaint for allegedly purchasing two secondhand rescue vehicles but declared them as brand new.

The complainant, Enrico Medina, an incumbent council member of Barangay Daniel Fajardo, claimed that their village head, Robert Cristobal, purchased a small fire truck and an ambulance last year. Although both were used, the vehicles were passed on as brand new, he said.

"Before they purchased the vehicles, we had a meeting but there was no minutes of the meeting. We seldom have meetings to discuss projects or expenses. The fire truck was delivered a week after we supposedly had a meeting,” he added.

Medina claimed he had no say in the purchase of the vehicles.

“When Chairman Cristobal called for meetings for the purchase of two vehicles, he told stories and did not ask our advice. He would just say that he bought secondhand vehicles and that was that,” the council member said.

Medina is one of the five members of the barangay appropriations committee, the panel responsible for allocating funds.

He maintained that he did not get the chance to read budget reports because he felt “pressured” by Edna Cristobal, the barangay administrator.

"We were just asked to sign contracts and budget reports. Every time I was about to read the documents, they would pressure me to speed it up because allegedly they are waiting for my signature. They would say, ‘Don’t read the documents anymore, CoA and the mayor are waiting,’ so I ended up not reading the entire thing,” he said.

Medina maintained that “there was corruption in the release of funds for the ambulance and fire truck.”

Medina is the second council member to accuse Cristobal of irregularities. Demetrio Fajardo, another council member, earlier filed a complaint against the village chief before the Department of the Interior and Local Government because of his failure to hold sessions for eight months.

Fajardo also claimed that Cristobal does not reside in their barangay.

Cristobal however said he was never involved in any illegal practice during his term as barangay chairman.

"I only want to help others and yet they have these issues against me. They are trying to destroy what I have accomplished in so many years. I feel bad but I am not a violent person, so I will just leave this issue to God,” he said. (Source: The Manila Times under the original title: Village head declared used vehicles brand new)

Death wish of armless Punong Barangay

Punong Barangay Patrimonio

The newly elected Punong Barangay of Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, once had a death wish.

After losing his arms and four toes in a construction accident, Crispin Patrimonio, then 26-years-old, asked that he be allowed to die and that any assistance be given to support his young family.

Crispin barely finished his Industrial Arts degree from the Central Visayas Polytechnic College when he married his high school classmate, Celestina, in 1990. They were both 20.

But instead of pursuing a white-collar job, Crispin started to enjoy making money as a casual employee in a soft drink company. Six years later, Crispin left the soft drink job to learn welding as an apprentice in his cousin’s shop.

Then the accident happened.

“The steel bar I was holding was sucked by a transmission wire and I got electrocuted,” Crispin said.

“I was burned all over. When I came to, I realized that the doctors cut both my arms and four of my toes,” he added.

But his family refused to grant him his death wish.

Celestina and their two sons, Alvin Chris and Lauren Dale, nursed him back to health and helped him adjust to his new normal. Then their daughter, Natalie, was born a year later.

After six years of unemployment and self-pity, Crispin started to recover.

“If others are able to accept me for who I am, who am I not to accept my condition?” he said.

Crispin pursued his dream of having a home and applied for one at Habitat for Humanity.

Since Habitat required sweat, or labor, equity from beneficiaries, Crispin proved that having no arms was no hindrance to shoveling sand into sacks and performing other manual tasks.

Once he left his Tabuctubig neighborhood to live in a new home at the Habitat 3 Village in Bajumpandan, Crispin started selling banana cue around the village.

“The banana cue, which my wife cooked, would be dangling from my right limb while my earnings would be hanging in a bag on my other limb,” he said.

His perseverance and industriousness got him noticed in the village to the point that he was invited to run for village councilor to fill the last vacant slot in a slate. He came out No. 2 out of seven councilors.

From that point on, Crispin was unstoppable and was in the forefront of every village event.

“Whenever someone from my village is hospitalized, I facilitate the payment of hospital bills,” he said.

“When someone dies, I help process the death certificate and make the funeral arrangements,” he added.

That probably explains why in the next two village elections, Crispin held on to the top spot.

With his legislative career at the end of the three-term limit, Crispin ran and won as village captain of Bajumpandan. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Chair of PH Richest Barangay Still Unopposed

Constancia “Nene” Lichauco will head the richest barangay in the country for three more years.

The 79-year-old Lichauco is running unopposed again during this year’s barangay elections as the chair of Barangay Bel-Air in Makati City. She also had no opponents for the post in the last barangay elections in October 2013.

Barangay Bel Air Makati Chair Nene Lichauco        Photo by Rappler

Still campaigning

She, however, still goes around the swanky gated communities of Bel-Air Village and Salcedo Village to campaign for her seven councilors and the Sangguniang Kabataan under her team.

According to the Makati Commission on Elections, there were only two barangay councilor candidates opposing her roster.

The barangay hall of Bel-Air—a two-story white building with an elevator—sits in the middle of the posh Bel-Air Village.

Instead of trooping to the nearest public schools to vote,  Bel-Air residents cast their votes inside the air-conditioned basketball court beside the barangay hall.

Home of the old rich of Makati, Bel-Air is also the country’s richest barangay, earning an annual gross income of P188 million in 2017.

In 2016, the barangay posted an income of P196 million—slightly higher than Metro Manila’s lone municipality of Pateros with P189 million.

A big chunk of Bel-Air’s income comes from its share of real property tax, which reached P155 million last year.

Besides the gated villages of Bel-Air Village and Salcedo Village, the barangay is one of the four enclaves comprising the Makati Central Business District, the country’s financial center. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)