OPINION: Why barangay and SK politics should be reformed

    By Atty. Josephus Jimenez
    WHAT MATTERS MOST
             The Freeman

We endorse the decision of the president and Congress to postpone the Barangay and SK elections again, for the nth time, because I believe the barangays, or at the very least most of them, have deteriorated into the feudal turfs of municipal mayors and other local politicians. With all due respect to the minority of honest and innocent ones, most barangay captains have deteriorated into the alter egos of the mayors and other local kingpins. Worse, other barangay officials have become virtual cronies, robots, and blind followers of the mayors. The Ozamiz Parojinog example and the Albuera Espinosa model are being duplicated all over the Philippines. And so, if elections are held as scheduled, narco politics shall determine the results. Democracy shall be negated.

Our arguments are simple. No drug trade can ever proliferate in any town without the tacit or admitted approval of the mayor and the chief of police. No drug trade can ever last in any province or congressional district without the knowledge, even support of the provincial governor and congressman. If a mayor congressman, governor or congressman does not support the drug trade in his political jurisdiction and the trade continues unabated, then he must either be too naïve, stupid, or afraid of being liquidated by the drug syndicate. Then the barangays are being pressured to either actively support the drug trade or look the other way. Government intelligence including Malacañan information confirms drug syndicates currently control thousands of barangays and local government units all over the country.

If elections are held without first dismantling the drug trade web, then all or almost all of the winners will most probably be the drug-controlled barangay candidates. Then the government will never be able to solve the drug malady because the next set of barangay officials shall be under the control of drug lords. Why won’t the national leaders put a stop to such a vicious cycle? Next to the family, barangays are supposed to be the basic foundation of the whole nation. Democracy should be practiced in the barangays in its purest form. The people should be expressing their will without interference and pressure from anyone. But today, such democracy becomes a mockery because elections are controlled by narco money.

These arguments may also be true even in many municipalities and some provinces and cities. Congress should also look into this bigger problem. As to the SK, as a former youth and student leader, I am very frustrated that the SK has become a training ground for future trapos. Many young SK politicians are being trained to falsify receipts, manipulate liquidation reports, and defeat the true will of the people through rampant vote buying, rigging of elections, and all the shenanigans in dirty local politics. Mayors put up their own children to dominate the SK polls. The youth have allowed themselves to be used, abused, and misused by the corrupt elders and traditional politicians. Indeed, barangays and local politics, as well as the SK should be reformed. (The Freeman)

(Photo Credit:  Atty. Jimenez Facebook Profile Picture)

"Drug-free" barangay hall in Muntinlupa City

LEADING by example, the local government of Muntinlupa is cleaning its own backyard in connection with its implementation of its own illegal-drugs campaign as part of the local government’s massive crackdown on this perennial problem.

As a headstart, Poblacion Barangay Hall has been declared a drug-free workplace after adhering to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) regulations. Barangay Poblacion adhered to DDB Regulation 2 series of 2004 guidelines for the formulation and implementation of a drug-free workplace program.

It includes the passage of a Workplace Anti-Drug Abuse Policy, creation of a Workplace Anti-Drug Abuse Committee, publication and signing of policy to all employees, conduction of Anti-Drug Abuse Orientation to employees, conduction of compulsory drug test and corresponding action and evaluation and issuance of resolution for the declaration.

Employees of the said community found positive on dangerous drugs were terminated and  subjected to intervention through the Mamamayan at Pamilya Laban sa Droga program, a local rehabilitation approach for drug-users.

Poblacion Barangay Captain Allen Ampaya said the declaration that their barangay-hall offices is free from drugs is just the beginning of their campaign in making every community in Poblacion drug-free.

No less than DDB Chairman Secretary Dionisio Santiago, together with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) executives, led the recent unveiling rites of “drug-free” Barangay Hall Billboard in Poblacion.

He lauded the community officials and the Drugs Abuse Prevention and Control Office in making sure government employees are drug-free and stopping the proliferation of illegal drugs in the offices.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi extended his gratitude to the DDB and the PDEA for their unwavering support oif Muntinlupa’s thrust to foster drug-free workplaces and communities.

In Muntinlupa, there are two communities declared drug-free as of August. They are Gundran Compound and Pinagpala Compound in Putatan.

The city government of Muntinlupa supports the national government’s campaign to eradicate illegal-drug activities and its adverse effects in the communities. (Business Mirror)

'Barangay day' in Lubao Pampanga

Lubao, Pampanga -- In a bid to bring government services closer to the people, the Municipal Government here conducted its first "Barangay Day" in San Roque Dau I on Tuesday, August 22. Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab led municipal officials and employees in providing services to residents of the barangay.

Medical and dental services, as well as employment, engineering and civil registration assistance were farmed out to residents. Municipal health officers provided free medical consultations and medicines for hypertension and diabetes. The municipal dental bus was also on standby for oral health consultations.

Cayabyab also received various requests and answered queries relevant to the services that the local government unit (LGU) is providing its constituency.

Those seeking employment were also registered to be referred to companies thru the public employment services office.

Since "bird flu" remains the hottest issue in the province, Municipal Agricultural Officer Maria David shared information about the disease to dispel public fear about the disease.

Planting of malunggay and papaya will also be part of the next barangay visit to promote backyard farming among the constituency.

This was the first of a weekly barangay visitations that the LGU will conduct until the first quarter of 2018. Cayabyab hopes to conduct the same activity in at least one barangay per week.

She said all requests for projects and other services shall be consolidated and included in the next budget deliberation of either the LGU or national agencies concerned. (SunStar Pampanga)

Barangay to be erased from the map forever

Barangay Danao, a barangay along Lake Danao in Ormoc City, is facing the possibility of being erased from the map forever because the city plans to tap the lake as a  source of drinking water.

Mayor Richard Gomez told reporters the decision to develop Lake Danao as a water source was reached because the city’s water has become turbid following the series of landslides triggered by the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that shook Leyte last July 6.

Gomez said the entire Barangay Danao, which is near the lake, will be relocated since no more human habitation will be allowed within 3 to 5 kilometers of the lake once it becomes the city’s water source.

The barangay also straddles a fault line, the mayor said.

Those who refuse to leave will be forcibly evacuated.

Gomez said the water in the lake is more than enough to supply Ormoc. Lake Danao is also the source of water for Tacloban City and seven other towns in Leyte.

Regional Director Leonardo Sibbaluca of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Lake Danao Natural Park in Ormoc is one of seven protected areas in Eastern Visayas under the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act of 1992.

Sibbaluca said the water in the guitar-shaped, 2,193-hectare lake is also one of the city’s tourist attractions.

The decision of the mayor to ban human settlements near the lake will boost the park’s ecosystem, he said.

Lake Danao has a diverse species of plants and animals.

Sibbaluca also stressed that squatting or occupying land in a protected area, except by qualified tenured migrants or indigenous communities, is prohibited under the NIPAS Act. 

(Texts reposted from Manila Bulletin) Photo credit: Paolo Dolina. 

Sarangani barangay tops Regional Gawad Kalasag

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (August 16, 2017) – With full of pride, Barangay Captain Lydia Hizoler shows off the award that Barangay Calabanit obtains for besting all the other barangays in Region 12 belonging to the rural category in the 2017 Regional Gawad Kalasag Search for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Humanitarian Assistance on August 10. Aside from the plaque, the barangay also received a P50,000 cash incentive. Calabanit is a barangay of Glan, Sarangani Province. (Reposted from www.sarangani.gov.ph)

Is the barangay government structure necessary?

Opinion

An engineer, lawyer, and retired politician chatted over coffee, discussing the barangay government structure, created by former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.


The topic was the subject of a column I wrote in August of last year, where it was noted, “The barangay concept was an idea of the Marcos regime as a way to control people.” It is through the control of barangay officials that leaves politicians with the responsibility of winning the favor of barangay leadership, who will convince their constituents to vote for them – for those unaware, this why there are barangays.


Marcos was a brilliant leader and if not for his inner circle, along with a spouse who abused the powers of her husband, the strongman could have gone a long way had he not fallen ill, said the engineer.


The lawyer added, it was Marcos’ daughter Imee who created and led the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in order to capture the youth vote, in order to convince their parents to support Marcos.


In another column focusing on the same subject in May of last year, it was pointed out, “It was a strategy to strengthen political powers, not to serve constituents.”


Today, it is more expensive to be an elected official since many barangay leaders will not assist a candidate without financial support – resulting in politicians being afraid of barangay officials, said the retired politician.


He added, even after they are elected, officials are still giving in to demands by barangay leaders, out of fear of losing the next election.


The lawyer noted, there are no concrete advantages to keeping the barangay structure in place, saying, it would be better if the mayor just handled the city and appointed deputies to various locations across the town.


In the August column, it was pointed out, “Barangays have nothing to show as their achievements – we have dirty environment, foul-smelling communities, and they show disregard for health and hygiene, among other things.”
The engineer summed it up, life was better before the barangay came to existence.

Many barangay officials are retired and are there for extra income, with the expectation of “blessings” from candidates, said the lawyer. The comment echoed sentiment from the May column, where it said, “Some individuals who run for office are merely looking for a source of income.”

The politician added, barangay officials have admitted they are unhappy with the proposed postponement of elections because they would lose money, considering success at the ballot box means fulfilling the demands of barangay officials.


The lawyer suggested repealing the Constitution and removing the barangay portion, calling it “a money-making venture;” pointing out many officials are not qualified, which results in unsatisfactory services.


The lawyer went on to say the postponement would also be due to drug money proliferating among barangay residents. Barangay officials will have too much money and winning elected officials will be obligated to pay back their financiers, preventing them from being able to enforce policies against illegal drugs and illegal gambling.


Barangay officials are too focused on money – that’s the name of the game, surmised the politician. That is the sad life in the country, he added. (Reposted from Watchmen Daily Journal)

Barangay Nutrition Scholars lifesavers -- Sen. Cynthia Villar

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A Philippine ​s​enator said the country should have more ​b​arangay ​nutrition ​s​cholars to address the problems of the health sector including malnutrition.

“Maituturing nga nating mga lifesavers and heroes kayong lahat in your own way ng mga 40,000 barangay in the Philippines (All of you are considered life savers and heroes in your own way to about 40,000 barangays in the Philippines),” Senator Cynthia Villar told the crowd of about 900 Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BSNs) from all over Mindanao during the biennial n​​ational ​c​onference held at the SMX Convention Center on Wednesday, August 9.

Villar said the increase​ in ​number of BNS​ in the country will greatly contribute to combat the issues and problems of the health sector such as malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency, stunting, wasting and others.

The ​BNS are community-based volunteers whose primary responsibility is to assess and monitor the nutritional status of children in a barangay for the officials to know what should be done to address it.

In her speech, Villar, who is also the ​c​hairperson of the Senate ​c​ommittee on ​f​ood and ​a​griculture, said the BSNs, as “prime movers”, who ​play a very important role in the implementation of the programs and projects that is centered on health and nutrition.

“Saludo ako sa ating mga BN​S​ na talaga namang

napakaimportante ang papel na gagampanan upang masiguro ang tamang nutisyon at kalusugan ng mga residente sa ating mga komunidad at sa ating mga barangay (I salute all of our barangay nutrition scholars who have a very important role to perform to ensure the right nutrition and health of the residents in our communities and in our barangays),” she said.

“We are thankful that the BN​S​ are really devoted and dedicated in improving the nutritional status of families in barangays,” Villar added.

Evangeline Orais, who works as a BNS​ in barangay Visayan village, Tagum City for 20 years, told Davao Today that one of the most challenging parts of their work is the monitoring since some of the parents show unlikely attitude towards them.

“Ang challenging kanang pag mag monitor nami sa household sa malnourished kay dili maayo ang attitude (What is challenging is when we monitor the household of malnourished children because they show bad attitude towards us),” Orais said.

However, she assured that at such instances, what they do is really just to educate especially the parents about proper nutrition.

Orais added that they make sure that monthly monitoring and lectures are being done so that parents or guardians of the malnourished children are able to absorb and apply what they have taught them.

“Among nakita na sa among pag-reach out ug pag-educate naa gyu’y improvement (We have seen that by reaching out to them and by educating them, there really are improvements),” Orais said.

Orais said the prevalence rate of malnourished children in Tagum City reduced from 3.5 percent down to 1.6 percent.

“Barangay Nutrition Scholars have always been at the forefront in the community as far as nutrition is concerned particularly in monitoring the nutritional status of all children below five years old in order to identify the malnourished for immediate intervention,” Villar said.

LuzViMin BNS Federation, Inc. President, Joy Luma-ad said in a press conference that BNS now play a greater role especially with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), the Philippines’ framework of action for nutrition improvement, which was recently launched in Iloilo City in May.

Luma-ad said that through the convention, the BNS will be able to learn more about their significant role in the implementation of the PPAN such as reaching out to indigenous peoples in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) especially here in Mindanao, identifying and referring children with acute malnutrition, monitor their growth and recovery and others.

(Texts reposted from davaotoday.com under the original title: Villar says PHL’s Barangay Nutrition Scholars are lifesavers)