My problem with people’s participation permeates on
governmental affairs such as, but not limited to the practice of the right of
suffrage, involvement on national/local legislation, and adherence to rules and
regulations. This tackles a vast extent of concern to the very gamut of good governance itself where rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus oriented,
equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, accountability, and
participation should be observed in totality to achieve the utmost public
service served to the hoi polloi. The lack or the mediocre participation of the
citizens towards nation building doesn’t only impede progress but also to
losing the sense of a democratic scheme. Poor people’s participation for one
nation state leads to the election of corrupt officials, elected corrupt
officials then in return would disperse unpleasant public service which then
clamoured by the people who they elected by themselves. Not only that, bad
people’s participation also disrupts national/local legislation through
referendum and plebiscite, and consequently leading to non-adherence or no
familiarity to statutes enacted. To sum-up the damage of what an awful people’s
participation could provide, headache or hell maybe the term appropriate to
give as it leaves the type of the government which is for the people, by the
people, and of the people into a fiasco.
One fresh example of this problem dates back to March 30,
2013. In the midst of the holy week, a barangay assembly was set pursuant to
presidential proclamation no. 342, declaring the last Saturday of March as
Barangay Assembly days. All eyes were set for one of the grandest nationwide synchronized
activity designed for the purpose of a getting the government closer to the
people.
The
proclamation is also in accordance with Section 397(b) of the Local Government
Code of 1991, which mandates all barangays throughout the country to hold
simultaneous Barangay Assemblies at least twice a year and undertake the
following activities: Presentation of accomplishment and financial reports;
discussion of problems, issues, and concerns affecting the barangay,
particularly on solid waste management and the proliferation of illegal drugs
and other illegal activities; discussion on effects of and mitigating measures
relative to the El Niño phenomenon; and other prevailing concerns. Being the
basic political unit of our country, the barangay is an important vehicle for
eliciting citizen opinion on pressing issues affecting the local community and
mobilizing participation in local and national programs and projects.
The
Barangay Assembly is the most appropriate venue for clarifying issues,
discussing community concerns and problems, offering suggestions to improve the
delivery of basic services, and proposing income-generating projects to improve
the quality of life of local residents. Punong barangays would do well to
utilize the day to update their registry of inhabitants, especially in
barangays located in the metropolis where there are many transients, and in
areas just outside Metro Manila where housing developments have mushroomed.
Residents of barangays are encouraged to participate in this twice-a-year
activity to air their concerns and problems, offer suggestions to improve their
local communities, and propose livelihood, sanitation, beautification, and
peace and order projects. All residents should be involved in community
initiatives to make this basic political unity fully functional and productive.
The paramount aim of the barangay assembly is to make the
government closer to the people. This is the right time to redress their
grievances and to be closely seated to the officials, looking at their eyeballs
and given the chance to ask their stand on a public interest. The barangay
assembly permits you to hold the mic and, for a moment, be the media man of your
own. But when what should have been a flawless system turns out to be just
purely an idea, this 21 year old political animal calls for dire after a brunt
on a traumatic scene seen firsthand.
I attended the event myself as I always do. Been attending
semi-annual barangay assemblies since my term as an SK chairman ended. To my
dismay, again, the barangay assembly was taken for granted by many of the
residents of our barangay. There are some who attended were more concerned
about the raffle prizes, some were present only for the compliance of 4P’s
policy to attend barangay assemblies, and some just signed in and left
afterwards. Well, there are those who attentively participated in the activity
though they were only a handful. I am not even sure if it was officially
declared as quorum. The most frustrating part was those members of the
community who were successful professionals of their own lives weren't there and
most of those who attended where from the ordinary laymen sector. The most
common response when asked why they did not attend the activity is that, they
don’t like the officials who, according to them, were only seated in the
position only because of money. Who elected those bastards at the first place? By
choosing not to vote the right candidate or influencing an ocean of voters to
choose the right man on the right job, men and women who possess the intellect
to persuade the voting public to do the right move but chose to hide on their
shell reluctant of their ideas are indirectly voting the wrong politicians.
Looking at the barangay assembly in a political
perspective, the Republic Act 7160 or also known as Local Government Code of
1991provides:
Section
397. Composition; Meetings. -
(a) There shall be a barangay assembly
composed of all persons who are actual residents of the barangay for at least
six (6) months, fifteen (15) years of age or over, citizens of the Philippines,
and duly registered in the list of barangay assembly members.
Section 398. Powers of the Barangay Assembly. - The barangay assembly shall:
(a) Initiate legislative processes by
recommending to the sangguniang barangay the adoption of measures for the welfare
of the barangay and the city or municipality concerned;
(b) Decide on the adoption of
initiative as a legal process whereby the registered voters of the barangay may
directly propose, enact, or amend any ordinance; and
(c) Hear and pass upon the semestral
report of the sangguniang barangay concerning its activities and finances.
Sec 397, par. A, reminds me of “the youth is the future
of our motherland” by Dr. Jose Rizal. Politics is not an old man’s game and the
youth sector should be involved in it for a better foundation of the future
generation. Sad to say, aside from me only toddlers who were with their mothers
were deemed to be the members of the next generation were present in the
assembly.
It’s very enticing to think that the Local Government Code
of 1991 arranged an activity, somehow, to consult the stakeholders of every ordinance
to enact, projects to propose, basic services needed, and to correct
shortcomings and mismanagement. I remember the time when I had my OJT in
Municipal Planning and Development Office when we were keeping an eye on a
joint project of the LGU concerned and an academic institution called Community Based Monitoring Survey
(CBMS) when we were tallying pieces of information vital for legislation. In
that point I realized how crucial for a Local Government Unit to take an
in-depth view of the community’s standing. If the quality of life of the people
depends on the public service they receive, the quality of public service lives
and dies with the info it has with its people. We complain a lot, we get
involved a little – true!
In line
with the conduct of Barangay Assembly Day, the barangays shall undertake
compliance to DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2010-149 dated December 14, 2010 re:
Posting of Barangay Budget, Statement of Income and Expenditures and other
Barangay Financial Transactions and Annual Procurement Plan.
If in chase of the realm of good governance and advocating
a zero corruption, the barangay is the best place to start. Planning to help lessen an uprooted problem
of graft and corruption in the diverse facets in government? I suggest you
begin in the grassroots level, the barangay, as the basic political unit of the
state. To shun corruption, a wary ear to public disclosure of all public
transactions is the best way to do it, and the barangay assembly which happens
twice a year divulges income, expenditures, and transactions to the
constituents are very much worthy to dissect.
With the May elections fast approaching, we will soon be
hearing campaign jingles and a lot of political rallies on the streets. Soon to
be showered with promises and idealism, electing a new set of leaders isn’t the
main answer. We can’t expect change in the society if we leave it all to them. Allowing
government watchdogs to be solely responsible for corrupt officials, they can’t
do it alone and perhaps they are with the bad guys. Sovereignty resides from
the people and all government power emanates from them (Art. 2, Sec. 1 1987
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines) and we should at least
remember that. You don’t need to be an
activist to make a change, throwing paints on the walls of an embassy, and
worst, mudslinging on alleged corrupt officials. Let’s do it in a non-barbaric
manner and I assure you “yes we can.”
