The barangay is the smallest administrative and political unit of the governmental organizational structure of the Philippines. There are 42,028 barangays in the country.
The barangay officials are the Punong Barangay, seven Kagawads, the Secretary, Treasurer and the representative of the Kabataan Barangay. The elections for the Puno or Kapitan and the Kagawads are scheduled to be held on October 28, 2013.
It is, therefore, election time again and this time it is at the very grassroots level. With the large number of barangays and officials to be elected and with the candidates being certainly being known as one’s neighbors, relatives and friends at a personal level, it is not surprising that these elections exhibit the highest voter turnout among all the elections in the country.
It is all personal. What is surprising is that the present elections and campaigning have become very professional and “pera-pera” in the tradition of old style politics.
The intention of the use and empowerment of barangay and grassroots involvement in the running of government and the local units/territories is supposedly nonpartisan and non-political.
However, the reality is that these barangay elections have become just like their higher level counterparts. Just observe the many posters and tarpaulins posted all over. Teams or political line ups, endorsements and pictures by the mayors, family members of the political dynasties, vote buying and large campaign spending are everywhere.
One wonders what the prize really is. Is it really the opportunity to render public service, make a meaningful contribution to the community and leave a legacy for the future? One must certainly hope so. It is certainly not for the salary of a minimum of Php 1000 for the Kapitan and minimum of Php 600 for the kagawads.
Depending on the category and IRA of the barangay, the highest that may be allowed for the allowances is Php 23,000 which is not really very high for all the work and expectations of support by one’s constituents. Besides, the maximum only occurs in a very few of the barangays like Forbes Park and San Lorenzo.
The vast majority are at the level of Php 2000 to Php 3000. Even with the added benefi ts of free hospitalization in government hospitals and education for one’s dependents in state colleges and universities, it is still peanuts Maybe it is for the prestige and power or as an entry level for the rise to higher political offices.
One begins to acquire the connections, training and exposure to position oneself to reach not only the low lying fruits but also the higher value fruits of the political tree. Our high level officials have certainly provided clear models and examples to be aspired to by potential future entitlements of pork barrel and other benefits.
One must be in the loop in order to be in the game and have a “piece of the action.” And this piece will grow bigger as one’s political career path rises.
The concept of the barangay and its operations as an administrative and management structure for planning and implementation of policies, projects, developmental activities and delivery of services, as formalized and granted in the Book III of the LGU law, can be an effective and efficient top-down and down-up mechanism of involvement and relevance for the smallest unit and the grassroots citizenry.
We must remember that the word barangay is derived from the Malay word balanghai. This is the sea vessel which carried the early Malay settlers into the Philippine islands. Each balanghai carried 20 to 50 families who had to cross the sea and its perils to fi nd their homes and settle here.
As a balanghai, they literally were one boat and dependent on each other and the boat’s seaworthiness to survive and reach their destination. This is really our situation as barangays and as a country. We are one boat and one people.
No one in this boat, whether a leader or follower or of differences of whatever kind, should rock the boat or paddle in contrary directions for individual agenda. If this boat is subjected to internal selfish sailing, then it may go around in circles or sink.
And so let the barangay elections proceed and pray that these are not another version of the Hunger Games.
