Chosen Community: Barangay Caingin, City of Malolos, Bulacan
Caingin is a barangay in the city of Malolos, in the province of Bulacan. According to the 2020 Census, it has a population of 7,348 people. This amounted to 2.81 percent of Malolos' total population.
When I was four (4) years old, my mother, four siblings, and I moved to my grandparents' house in Barangay Caingin. It is where I grew up and went through my adolescence. I've been seeing our Barangay when there were still many trees, grass, and lots without houses, up to now, when our area is densely packed with houses, apartments, and establishments.
Many things have changed in our Barangay throughout the years, and I have noticed this since I have lived in Barangay Caingin for about 16 years. Because there is no such thing as a flawless Baranga
y or community, it is normal for a Barangay to have a problem or issue. Since then, I've heard personally from my family and neighbors about their concerns regarding our Barangay. It is numerous and diverse.
Hence, to know and understand more about the community challenges that citizens of Barangay Caingin face on a daily basis, I conducted a survey and asked eight people to respond to some of my questions. Some of the respondents have lived in the Barangay for nearly 20 years, while others are new residents.
Let's find out what the citizens of Caingin are actually worried about!
Table 1: The Demographic Profile of the respondents.
Table 1: Shows the respondents' demographic profile in Barangay Caingin. The age spans from 16 to 70 years old among the 8 responders. Six of them are female, and the other two are male. The majority of them are students, while the rest are employed.
Table 2. Community issues the respondents want to address.
The table above shows the issues that the respondents want to address in Barangay Caingin. From the collected data of the survey, the most common issue that was addressed was Noise Pollution.
Table 3. Tally of the responses
Table 2 and 3 highlights the community issues that respondents want local officials to resolve and using tabular and pie chart infographics, it is clear that the issue of noise pollution receives the most citations among the respondents, with the other responses receiving only one.
NOISE POLLUTION
Noise pollution is the most common issue that respondents think should be addressed in the community. Respondent numbers 2 and 6 both cited the aforementioned community issue. According to respondent 6;
"I know that it is their rights to have freedom in chikahan and anything, pero kasi, most of the houses here ay may online classes or wfh (work from home), so medyo disturbing ang kwentuhan pag medyo malakas, and especially kapag may nagpapatugtog pa. Example po, sa school, need mag video for requirements, but cannot be done because of their loud noise"
As a resident of Barangay Caingin, I understand the respondents' concerns, particularly the most common response, Noise Pollution, because I am also a student taking online classes, and the noise from our neighbors really distracts me, as well as my family members who are also studying online and working from home. We've gotten to the point where we've complained to our neighbors about their loudness, but they refuse to modify it, and it continues till daybreak. They have no concept of neighborly rights and are incapable of providing the tranquility that we deserve.
STREET ANIMALS / STRAY DOGS
Respondent 7 also raised his concern about stray dogs and the harm they can do to residents of Barangay Caingin. We all know that the bark of dogs is also irritating, especially at a time when all people are sleeping, but respondent 7 raised other concerns about the dogs.
"A lot of dogs are strolling around the streets, and a lot of people are afraid because we don't know if they're safe to engage with," he said, adding that "we don't know if they have rabies, and we all know that getting bitten by a dog with rabies is very life-threatening."
LACK OF CHECKING STREETS AT MIDNIGHT
Respondent 4 also expressed her thoughts on the matter in Barangay Caingin. As a resident of the aforementioned Barangay, I am also concerned about this issue since I am worried about the youngsters who are out on the streets, despite the fact that it is already bedtime and rest time. If the Barangay officials do not pay any attention to this matter, a lot of bad things could happen to those poor children.
"Based on my observation a lot of individuals, especially children who are just 4-5 years old are still running around the streets in the middle of the night without their guardians. So, it is better to take action rather than to wait for some unexpected circumstances''
It may be deduced from the eight (8) respondents in the conducted survey that Barangay Caingin is fully aware of the problems that local community officials must handle.
All throughout the course of this assignment, I realized that it would be easier to identify the common issues that citizens are concerned about and struggling with within their daily lives if more individuals had the bravery to help and comprehend the actual state of each community. Also, participating in this type of activity made me feel happy because I recognized that there is still time to develop and make a significant improvement, even if it is only a small step. Furthermore, I acknowledged how much journalism's power can greatly assist in making a difference in a community.
Moreover, I am confident that it will be a significant boon if the local administration takes the time to listen to and pay attention to understanding the community concerns of our citizens in each Barangay. It would be a stronger connection between the people, and their administration would result in a stronger environment and society in every community.
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