It is indeed complicated to define truth since it has different faces and that stories have different sides. However, I believe that differences make us one. Differences make us human. Differences is the one and only similar thing we share.
Putting this in mind, the only question is, will this attest that, citizens and officials, in spite of differences, will share similar sentiments when it comes to community issues? Let’s find out.
After hearing the sentiments of the residents in Barangay Tikay, I know I have to shift focus and see the other side. If I could amplify the voices of the residents who have stories, why not the officials when they also have one?
I have sent a survey request to different barangay officials of Tikay, before proceeding to the actual data gathering. I know this might sound weak but it only took four waiting days before I almost called it quits. Pressured by time and ideas, I really felt I won’t make it.
Luckily, just before I claim defeat, two rainbows were very kind and eager to take part.
As a citizen and aspiring journalist, I admire how these two people, in spite of full dockets, were able to impart their sentiments and speak on behalf of their fellow officials. This made me realized that...
There is no excuse to someone unless they don’t want to be involved.
Figure 1. Demographic Profile of the Respondents
This figure shows the demographics of my respondents.
As presented above, both are males. One is 33 years old and the other is 48. Both of them are college graduate with one being a businessman and the other as a nurse. What I would like to emphasize here is the fact that they share similar position in the Barangay.
For this reason, we will also try to analyze how two people see things and how their respective works affect their perceptions.
Figure 2. Community Issues that the respondents want to be addressed
The rights of the citizens, are the rights of the leaders.
In this blog, we have granted the officials the power to speak, giving them a good opportunity to share what their eyes see. We all know how dangerous it is to agree in a single story, for it not only impair the quality but also harm the people behind the story. So, in order to condemn it, we asked people on the flip side.
Garbage Disposal, Informal settlers, Lack of volunteerism, and Political will. These are the problems that the officials of Tikay wanted to be addressed.
With the figure above, it is clear that both respondents share one similar concern─ garbage disposal. We have come to know this issue on my previous blog, where one of my respondents have said that proper waste management is the most pressing issues within their community. It is not only unhealthy but also pollutes a great amount of air and water.
I believe that this stinky problem is prevalent not just in Tikay, but across the country. In fact, based on 2018 data, the Philippines is the third largest solid waste generator in Southeast Asia, producing a whopping 21 million metric tons of garbage annually.
With that, I am not surprised to know that this also exists even in the smallest, farthest, and silent communities. But I have a question in mind. Who is really accountable in situations like this, the citizens or the leaders?
Respondent 2 have said that,
“People are very insensitive when it comes to [the] community. People are very irresponsible…”
But in contrary, I remember respondent 7 from my first blog who have said,
“Mukhang wala namang ginawang kilos ang officials […] Siguro kung [mayroon] man silang ginawang kilos, hindi sapat or hindi nila naprioritized.”
This led me to another question, was it really the citizens or the officials? Or neither of them?
Figure 3. Respondents’ way of addressing community issue
To be fair and to precisely compare the views of a normal citizen to barangay officials, I have decided to asked the same question to both parties. I have also avoid giving presumed ideas, just so I can see and wring out the respondents’ viewpoint.
Regarding this question, I have asked my samples their preference when addressing the issue to the concern. On my previous blog, majority preferred to personally go to the hall to talk to the officials and raise their concerns. However, figure 3 simply shows the contrary. You see, one respondent preferred to have a community meeting, whereas the other preferred to have thorough study and plan to call for an action.
Figure 4. Suggestion to overcome the concern
This is the report of the respondents’ suggestion in overcoming the concerns. Both have proposed different steps but, in a nutshell, what we can derive from their answer is simply, to be involved.
We cannot just sit and wait for a miracle to happened, we have to be involved, we have to take action, we have to be there. We need to be reminded that blame-shifting will and can never guarantee the best solution.
Conclusion and Interpretation:
It is true that reality is different to different people. Truth has many faces and we can never blame anyone for what they see.
This evaluation led us to the principal matter─ garbage disposal is the issue that the officials want to be addressed.
The result of this blog obviously contradicts the previous where, drug addiction and lack of organization appeared to be the top community issues. I bet the reason why I’ve come up with different result is the fact that these are different people. And different people mean different views.
Tikay, city of Malolos, Bulacan, just like many, is facing an issue of trust and blame-shifting. People do not trust the officials and the officials on the other side, only connotes negative with their vassals.
Garbage disposal? Drug addiction? Lack of organization?
How can we overcome a trial without trusting one another? How can we focus resolving the concern when we are busy finding holes?
Maybe the issue is just the trust. And maybe… just maybe, all we really need is the will to change the circumstance without blaming anyone.
References:
One News. (2020, September, 6). Phl Facing Garbage Crisis; 16.6 Million Metric Tons Of Waste This Year Can Fill 99 Philippine Arenas. www.onenews.ph. Retrieved April 06, 2022, from https://www.onenews.ph/articles/phl-facing-garbage-crisis-16-6-million-metric-tons-of-waste-this-year-can-fill-99-philippine-arenas
Business Mirror. (2021, January 10). The garbage conundrum. businessmirror.com.ph Retrieved April 06, 2022, from https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/01/10/the-garbage-conundrum/
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