Behind the ideal Rocka Village II, as some portray it, are the local officials who keep the peace and order. However, as those who make decisions and hold authority, how far can their eyes see and what are their concerns in this community?
On April 1, 2022, a face-to-face survey was conducted with two local officials from barangay Tabang. The main question was the same as in Blog No. 1 (survey for citizens), what community issue have they seen that they want addressed. The purpose of the said survey was to determine whether the concerns expressed by citizens corresponded to those said by the selected local officials.
PART 1: Secretary Jojo Marquez
Jojo Marquez, 44, of Tabang, Plaridel, Bulacan, was the first to be interviewed. He is currently employed as the barangay secretary of Tabang. Despite initially being hesitant to share his community concerns, claiming that the results would not match because they will protect the reputation of the barangay for which they work; Sec. Marquez eventually shared his observations as a barangay official.
Sec. Marquez expressed two community concerns in response to his observation, namely (1) clogged water irrigation systems caused by (2) undisciplined citizens.
He continued by stating that regardless of how much effort they put into cleaning and unclogging the water irrigation systems, two weeks (or less) will pass and they will be filled with garbage once more. As a result, Sec. Marquez expressed his concern about disobedient citizens, as they are the cause of such recurring occurrences.
When asked how long these problems have existed, he stated that he has been aware of them since three years ago, when he began working in the barangay.
The community issue/s shared by citizens and Sec. Jojo Marquez is depicted in Figure 1.
I have also asked about the effects of these of community problems on him, as a local official, for then he proceeded to say: “Bilang local officials, ang magiging epekto sa amin no’n, syempre, kapag nababalikan kami ng mga salitang hindi maganda. Na-ba-bash kami.”
Sec. Marquez continued by stating that their only option is to respond to those who complain in a polite manner. “Akala nila hindi namin ginagawa ang trabaho namin, Pero, may mga supplement documents naman kami na we are doing our job,” he added.
PART 2: Volunteer Maria Consuela Fabian
Maria Consuelo Fabian, 57, of Rocka Village, Tabang, Plaridel, Bulacan, was the second local official surveyed. She is currently employed as a barangay volunteer. She brought up a total of four community concerns that she had observed.
Segregation of waste
Stray dogs/cats
Children roaming the streets without the supervision of their guardians
Undisciplined citizens
The community issue/s shared by citizens and Ma’am Fabian are depicted in Figure 2.
When asked how long she had observed these issues, Ma’am Fabian stated that they had been occurring since she worked in the barangay, as they would receive calls about these complaints.
Additionally, she stated that the primary issue here is not the barangay, but rather the undisciplined citizens. “Sabi nga ni Sec. ‘di ba, hindi naman talaga ang barangay ang may pagkukulang. Kasi, kung disiplinado rin ang mga tao, walang problema ang barangay,” Ma’am Fabian said.
“Aaksyon lang kami sa nakikita namin. ‘Di ba? Pero ang nagbibigay pa rin ng problema is tao, is ‘yung community, is ‘yung mga taong walang disiplina.”
She, too, emphasized that the unruly citizens, regardless of their actions, remain the unsolvable problem—not unless “kamay na bato” exists.
However, Ma’am Fabian later contradicted her “kamay na bato” statement by asserting the existence of human rights.
INTERPRETING THE SURVEY
By comparing the results obtained from citizens and local officials, it is clear that, while there are significant differences in concerns, there are also parallel issues. While the first blog identifies the concerns of the citizens as being related to higher officials, local officials, on the other hand, place the issue squarely on its citizens, particularly those who are disobedient.
Furthermore, this survey has led to the point that local officials can/will only act on issues that fall within the scope of their lens or from individuals who report or call to reach out. As previously stated by Ma’am Fabian: “Aaksyon lang kami sa nakikita namin.” This type of system can also be held responsible for issues that cannot be resolved because they are too far away in the eyes of the officials.
This survey led me to my own conclusion as to why the results would differ from what Sec. Marquez had stated—the power and authority—that divides the two sides.
Local officials call for citizens to be disciplined.
Citizens demand more organized local government officials.
Perhaps, the larger issue highlights the need for a system that responds to the demands of both local officials and citizens. Only in this way is it possible to achieve a more progressive Rocka Village II.
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