THE MOUNTAINEER

Crucial barangay elections
EDISON L. BADDAL

The coming barangay election is no less critical at this juncture in the history of the nation. Occurring on the third year before the end of the first decade of the millennium and barely three years before the termination of the present dispensation, it is a crucial crossroad in the political existence of the nation.

The coming village polls could either make or break the direction where the nation is being paddled to. At this point, our country is invariably ascending economically (based on National Economic Development Authority projections for the first half of the year if taken at face value) and there is likewise marked politically stability as GMA continues her inexorable consolidation of power.

Seemingly, there is a manifestation of a favorable trend in economic and political circles. This is despite the spate of imbroglios and rhubarbs among powers-that-be in high places which is not normal as government is usually characterized by a normal interplay of political brinkmanship, upmanship, as well as sordid perfidy and greed.

With more foreigners locating their direct investments in the country, notably China which is eyeing the broadband market and other investments to be located at the Clark Economic Zone, and with the continued increase in OFW remittances, there is probable reason to conclude that the economy is going bullish. Curiously, with the way things are obtaining, it seems that the country has achieved the tiger club status which was achieved during the Ramos presidency before the Asian Financial Crisis that caused massive economic meltdown in the Asian region.

So with the above indicators manifesting a country on the rise, the oncoming barangay elections is crucial in that there is the necessity for the country to maintain its favorable present conditions in the offing and beyond the term of GMA through the election of the seemly village leaders who will oversee the implementation of development PPAs in the barangays.

This forthcoming barangay elections then being a crucial crossroad in terms of socio-economic development of the country, the people owe it to themselves to choose those who are possessed of the right values and proper disposition coupled with adequate working skills come election day.

It is indispensable that only those with potentials for leadership and has the potential to catalyze the villagers to achieve worthwhile goals and projects should be elected. Those whose leadership traits may implement projects that impacts on the development not only of the barangay concerned but of the municipality where it belongs.

By and large, noteworthy accomplishments at the barangay level invariably impacts at the provincial level as the accomplishment of the higher LGUs is the total output of the congruent accomplishments of their component barangays which goes on up to the national level. Nothing is farther from the truth.

Just how important the barangay is in relation with the higher LGUs and the line agencies in the whole spectrum of the political-administrative structure of the government aside from occupying the base of said structure is vividly reflected in the definition of the barangay given by the Code (AKA RA 7160) in Sec. 384, Chapter l, Title One, Book ll thereof.

The barangay is described as “the basic political unit that serves as the planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes maybe amicably settled (sic).”

Based on the aforementioned definition, the barangay as a basic political unit has three basic responsibilities even while it occupies the lowest rung in the political-administrative structure of the government. The first is that it serves as a primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs and activities.

As a planning unit, the barangays play a crucial role in the identification of the priority programs, projects and activities that should be planned and the subsequent implementation of which surely redound to the benefit of the greatest number of people. This is based on the principle of the bottoms-up approach in planning wherein planning starts from the grassroots.

This is contrary to the top-to-bottom approach previously used by the central authorities whereby projects and programs were just rammed down to the barangays without considering if it’s the priority need of the constituents or not.

The Code, as a foremost proponent of participatory democracy, directly involves the people in planning and prioritizing of projects.

The prioritized projects are the ones geared for implementation out of the yearly barangay 20% Development Fund and other funding sources like the municipal Dev’t Fund, Provincial Dev’t Fund, City Dev’t Fund, District Country wide Dev’t Fund and programmed funds of the different line agencies.

As a forum whereby the sentiments and collective views of the people are expressed, synthesized and considered, it is in congruence with that Roman Dictum that “the voice of the people is the voice of God.”