Barangay Tabang: On the Ground is a continuation of the topics, issues, and problems observed among the citizens of the community discussed in the first blog entry entitled Barangay Tabang: Matters on the Docket. If you haven't checked it out, simply click the button below. I highly suggest you read it first before proceeding.
In this regard, as a continuation and in fulfillment of a two-part activity in the course subject BAJ 208: Citizen and Community Journalism with a sole aim to equip student journalists with the basics of Citizen Journalism, mainly on conduct and practice, this Blog Entry No. 2 aims to tackle the issues and problems constantly observed by the local public officials of Barangay Tabang in the Municipality of Guiguinto, Bulacan through their experience while serving the community. The needed information was gathered through a conducted survey via online means. As an aspiring student journalist ready to venture into the challenge of Citizen Journalism, I particularly chose to conduct a mini-interview through Facebook and Messenger.
To officially start, attached below is a brief community profile of Barangay Tabang. For an interactive and elaborate list that includes the summary data, demographics, and location, you can visit and read the information here.
Among the Barangay Tabang officials, four (4) were kindly asked and requested to be part of this survey. Following the Republic Act 10173 of 2012, also known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 by the National Privacy Commission of the Philippines, the respondents have the right to be informed about the processing of their data. Henceforth, attached below is a set of charts and graphics which shows the data gathered in the visual form regarding their profile, rendering their names anonymous to protect their identities and privacy.
Public service signifies much more than one's locus of employment. Elmer Staats has written:
"'Public service' is a concept, an attitude, a sense of duty– yes, even a sense of public morality."
Staats' observation reflects both the breadth and depth of meaning that has been associated with the idea of public service. Henceforth, the information provided and disclosed by the respondents in this survey is by no means meant to harm anyone. Their opinions, observations, and experiences do not reflect the values practiced by the entire population of the said community. Everything that will be tackled in this blog post is purely for educational purposes only.
Regarding the question/s asked during the mini-interview/survey, I did not prepare any sets of pre-determined questions and only relied on follow-ups. This way, each exchange of messages and/or questions thrown back at the respondents was specially catered to the issues they laid upfront. It also helped me establish a closer and personal take on individually interviewing them. Hence, among the differences and similarities of several concerns observed and raised by the local public officials of Barangay Tabang, listed below are the top seven (7) issues after a thorough interpretation and categorization.
The most common issue that the local officials have constantly observed while serving the community pertains to waste management. There is a lack of discipline among the citizens, the absence of waste segregation, and the need for a land property allotted to be the Barangay’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
"Isa sa problema naming madalas na kinakaharap ay tungkol sa basura."
"Isa pang problema namin ay 'yong mga nagtatapon ng mga basura sa ating patubig."
"The household does not separate their garbage properly. The barangay does not have a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), [and] is still looking for a lot for the MRF."
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), "Materials recovery facilities (MRFs) were established in different barangays (community or village) of the Philippines to recover recyclable materials from municipal solid waste. Required under the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, these facilities were constructed out of local funds, grants, and loans but have attained only a limited degree of success. This condition is attributed to the lack of, or incomplete, understanding of the basic aspects of MRFs in terms of design, construction, and operations, as well as the parameters for a successful and sustained operation."
A barangay official confirmed, "We have eco boys to collect the garbage from every household." However, this did not prevent nor solve the other forms of issues about waste. Following the concerns published on Barangay Tabang: Matters on the Docket, two citizens stated and pointed out that there is, indeed, a lack of waste segregation and the absence of a proper Material Recovery Facility to store, process, and recycle the collected solid wastes within the community. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the Barangay officials of Tabang are constantly looking for a place designation to be converted as the community's MRF, which will hopefully be a stepping stone in addressing the concerns regarding waste.
Moving on, the next concern on the list refers to citizens' relational and personal conflicts, which are commonly due to gossip, debts, and family problems.
"Most of the time ay sa utangan ... pangkaraniwan na lang ... at 'yong family problem ..."
"Mga petty quarrels lang sa mga magkakapitbahay [na] kadalasan tungkol [sa] tsismis."
"Ipapa-barangay kita" and "Magkita na lang tayo sa barangay" are commonly heard phrases whenever an issue erupts within a community, specifically a neighborhood, between two or more parties who are in the heat of a fight.
According to Silvia Sanz-Ramos Rojo, "The Barangay Justice System (BJS) in the Philippines is a community mediation programme whose overarching objective is to deliver speedy, cost-efficient and quality justice through non-adversarial processes."
A little look into the history, Rojo's policy paper sited that among the principal goals of the People’s Access to Justice: Barangay Justice Service System, a project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, is to make important efforts to achieve the following: (1) develop strong community leaders, (2) enhance support systems in the Barangay, (3) empower citizens through massive public information campaigns especially targeted to the poor and marginalized, and (4) improve the BJS delivery of justice by providing legal literacy and mediation skills to Punong Barangays and members of the Lupon.
According to the Barangay Chairman of Tabang, they make sure to address the relational and personal conflicts of the citizens through a hearing, securing the attendance of the camps involved within the Barangay Office, to ensure a peaceful series of talks to attain conformity in the best possible ways they can. They most commonly arrange a twice a week scheduled meeting for each complaint, "Tuesday at Friday ang aming paghaharap. Kung ang mga akusado ay sa gabi pwede, o Sabado, o Linggo, at puwede rin naman kami, binibigyan namin [sila] ng oras para makapagharap."
Personally, when I was conducting surveys and interviews in gathering information about the concerns among the citizens and the problems commonly observed by the local officials, the relational and personal conflicts among neighbors never crossed my mind; however, it all made sense somehow how this issue managed to crawl up its way on the list.
The next concern on the list refers to the faulty irrigation system which is a connecting issue regarding waste management. Two local officials raised their concern about the improper waste disposal of some citizens, wherein they throw their garbage in the irrigation system of the community clogging it in the process. Floods caused by the overflowing irrigation system are one of the concerns raised by citizens in the first blog entry.
"May problema na rin sa ating irrigation, nakakadagdag pa ang basura."
"Sa gilid ng patubig, doon na lang tinatapon ang kanilang mga basura."
In accordance with the government's rehabilitation programs, some volunteers and a few local officials conduct a clean-up drive every Saturday in some areas of the community, especially focusing on rehabilitating the irrigation system. As per the flaws of the system itself, I haven't been able to gather enough information about this particular matter.
The fourth issue on the list pertains to road safety and security. Some citizens have raised the same concern in the first blog entry, wherein they've observed the lack of street lights and bumpy, uneven roads which they believed will eventually lead to some accidents.
"Accident ng mga motorista."
To mitigate this problem, the barangay officials have provided humps and street signs in some areas of the community to guide and slow down the drivers on the road, reminding them to prioritize safety.
The next concern on the list pertains to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It's a given fact that the pandemic has tremendously devastated the orderly system we were used to; and it is, unfortunately, not a surprise to see this issue on the list of the common problems observed by the local officials of Barangay Tabang.
"Ang pinakamalaking problema na na-encounter namin ay ang COVID-19."
A barangay official claimed that the pandemic is the biggest problem they've encountered. From a personal experience, I've witnessed how the barangay provided assistance to the citizens of our community. They've kept a close watch on the situations, especially during the numerous surge. They were able to provide support in terms of offering an ambulance whenever a citizen, who contracted COVID-19, needs immediate hospitalization and provided monetary support to the other citizens during the outbreak.
However, it is worth noting that a concern was raised by a citizen in the first blog entry concerning the inconsistency with regards to the financial assistance; but all in all, it was immediately resolved by the Barangay Chairman.
Second to the last issue on the list pertains to noise pollution. Similar to the concern raised among the citizens, it causes disruption and inconvenience.
"Open pipe exhaust [o] 'yong maiingay na tambutso."
Shared and stated by a citizen in the first blog entry, the noise of the open pipe exhaust of motors and tricycles is very irritating to hear. To mitigate this concern, they are hoping for the officials to put up signs that remind everyone to be mindful of others so as to express their concerns. Following this approach, a barangay official claimed and shared, "The barangay does not have police powers to address certain motorists' violations. The barangay can not compensate."
Finally, in pursuing quality education, a Barangay official, specifically the Chairman of Education, shared that they have a new Day Care Center at the New Barangay Hall at Ylang-Ylang Homes 2. They will utilize the old Day Care Center near Susan's Lugawan.
"We are looking for another Teacher and a Teacher Assistant."
Following this approach, there is a lack of teaching personnel(s), but I believe that this issue will soon be resolved due to the consistent determination and dedication of the local public officials in serving our community.
The significance of the barangay lies in the opportunity, through its creation, to reconstitute the realm of effective community at a scale which is both realizable and useful in the daily life activities of a large part of the Philippine population. It is an extension downward of the formal sociopolitical structure even to the level of streets and small compact dwelling groups (Kendall, 1976).
Among the four (4) Barangay Tabang officials in the conducted survey, it can be concluded that they are pretty much aware of the most common concerns that are constantly observed, raised, and experienced in the community. Attached below is a quick comparison and contrast of the concerns among the citizens and issues commonly observed by the local officials of Barangay Tabang.
In a statistical stand, the local officials raised 4 (57.14%) out of the 7 issues similarly experienced and observed among the citizens, which includes (1) waste management, (2) safety and security, (3) faulty irrigation system, and (4) noise pollution.
On the other hand, the barangay officials also raised three concerns that are absent in the first survey/interview conducted among the citizens, namely the following: (1) citizens' relational and personal conflicts, (2) COVID-19 pandemic, and (3) lack of teaching personnel(s).
The modern barangay is headed by officials elected every three years. A span of a single term would mean countless opportunities in assessing how the system operates to efficiently and effectively provide solutions to problems in serving the community. Regarding the problems that the officials have laid upfront, it can be concluded that the barangay justice system is often utilized wherein community leaders and elders provide alternative dispute resolution through mediating between community members in conflict, which allows for a quicker and less expensive judicial process at the barangay level (Porio & Roque–Sarmiento, 2019).
As per the Barangay Chairman of Tabang, each conflict undergoes a series of hearing with the sole purpose of reaching conformity among aggrieved parties. Now, that may sound beneficial and systematic; however, it cannot be denied that it delays the progress that could ultimately be done to resolve much larger issues and problems within the community. That being said, the officials already have their hands full of matters that, I suppose, the citizens can and should resolve themselves. Hence, this concern is like a double-edged sword: it allows the citizen to freely utilize the barangay justice system and also pushes back the progress of growth and development that the officials can possibly achieve if they can have more time on their sleeves to focus on the other issues within the community.
All in all, I sincerely believe that change is a collective goal. As mentioned in the conclusion of the first blog entry, "If the people can collectively collaborate in attaining change and development as an end goal, they can easily voice out their concerns and leave a dent waiting to be fixed." However, change must also come from within the people. If we constantly hope and consistently commit ourselves to attain the common good, there is without a doubt that we can achieve change that can touch and transform the lives of countless people. Hence, collaboration between the officials and the members of the community, assessment, discipline, consistency, and intensification of existing rules and regulations would definitely help in resolving a number of problems currently observed and experienced in Barangay Tabang.
References:
Asian Development Bank (April 2013). Materials Recovery Facility Tool Kit. Retrieved from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/30220/materials-recovery-facility-tool-kit.pdf
Kendall, S. H. (1976). The barangay as community in the Philippines. Ekistics, 41(242), 15–19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43618621
Porio, E., & Roque-Sarmiento, E. (2019). Barangay. Retrieved from https://archium.ateneo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1074&context=sa-faculty-pubs
Rojo, S. (September 2002). The Barangay Justice System in the Philippines: Is It an Effective Alternative to Improve Access to Justice for Disadvantaged People? Retrieved from http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/ssaj15.pdf
Staats (n.d.). Public Service and the Public Interest p. 601. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Patricia-Ingraham/publication/229476704_Performance_Promises_to_Keep_and_Miles_to_Go/links/5eee604d92851ce9e7f52f27/Performance-Promises-to-Keep-and-Miles-to-Go.pdf
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