Community: Meycauayan City, Bulacan
Name | Age | Gender | Address | Educational Attainment | Profession | Issue/s they wanted to be addressed |
Hernandez, Anna Katrina | 29 | F | Langka, Meycauayan City, Bulacan | College Graduate | City Councilor | No concave mirror along driveways. |
Lunaria, Arsenio B. | 68 | M | Pandayan, Meycauayan City, Bulacan | College Graduate | Barangay Councilor |
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Peña, luzviminda B. | 67 | F | Pajo, Meycauayan City, Bulacan | High School Graduate | Barangay Councilor |
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Table 1. Participants' Profile And the Issues they Wanted to Address
Interpretation
Figure 1. Venn Diagram of Grouped Answers of Citizens and Local Officers
The figure shows the similarities as well as differences of issues brought up by the local officers and citizens (referring to Blog entry #1) who participated on the survey. After classifying the answers, focusing on similarities, there are three (3) similarities among two parties; Animal Welfare, Waste Management and Road Issues that are possibly recognized as concerns of every barangay as well as the entire municipal area. As we observe, stray animals such as dogs are becoming concern as they may possess harm of biting and attacking an individual. Also, pet wastes became an everlasting issue everywhere. Waste segregation practices also became a problem not only for the sake of cleanliness but was also tagged as an environmental issue. In addition, aside from potholes and cracks, putting driveway mirrors along roads should also be implemented.
Conclusion
Both citizens and local officers have common issues that they wanted to be addressed. Most of the answers of local officers meet public concerns rather than personal interests. Moreover, responses suggest that the issues mentioned needs both local officers and citizens' responsibility. Regarding common issues, waste collection and management issues should be both party's responsibility. Citizens should also make effort for their own cleanliness like practicing waste segregation among household, as local officers should also ensure daily collection as well as establishing programs (for disposal, proper waste management, etc.) announcements regarding waste issue regulations and make penalties rates to make disciplinary actions for those who will not cooperate.
Animal welfare and responsible ownership should also be taken action as domestic animals' lives also matter. Adopting cats and dogs means responsibility hence, owners should be aware and responsible for the behaviors of their pets. Dogs, particularly, have the tendency to bite and harm other people as well as their waste being everywhere. Dogs who have owners should take an action such as pet training or at least walk and put a leash on them whenever they want to go outside. Stray dogs and cats should be reported on a shelter so that they can be taken care of as well as be adopted.
Issue regarding informal settler's relocation and livelihood programs should be addressed as current situation will put people in danger. Regardless of how clean Pandayan creek is today, it will never be a safe place to live. Local officers should plan immediately for the relocation as water risks the foundation of land alongside houses. Poverty became one of the reasons why locals choose to live there. In this fact, local government should also offer livelihood programs for the people to give income to the families.
Lastly, concave mirrors along the driveways should be implemented as a project as barangay Langka recorded numerous road accidents for years. Some parts of barangay Langka serves as official routes to go in other places. There are many right and left turns in the barangay so drivers tend to maneuver or continue to drive without noticing if whether there are cars ahead or next to them. Driveway mirrors will be beneficial for accident-prone areas as well as driveways to establish safe driving and avoid accidents.
After I heard the participants' answers, looking at the wider picture, I conclude that issues vary on every individual regardless of their positions in a community. It depends on their observation and experiences that made them decide on what should be changed. For change and transformation to happen, community along with local officers firstly needs to be conscious of what should be the issues that needs to be resolved. As per local officers, advocating what they see as an issue, or worse, a threat to their community is crucial as they will also benefit from this change. Any position, whether a typical citizen or a local government official, needs to be aware of their responsibility and collaborate for the betterment of their own community.
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