BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance appropriating the amount of P3 million or so much thereof for the annual capability-building program of barangay officials and volunteers in the city.
The ordinance authored by Councilors Leandro B. Yangot, Jr., Faustino A. Olowan, Michael L. Lawana and Levy Lloyd Orcales stated the amount being proposed to fund the annual capability building of barangay officials and volunteers, particularly the barangay peacekeeping action team (BPAT) members, barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), barangay nutrition action officers (BNAOs), barangay health workers (BHWs) and child development workers, shall be sourced from the local government’s share from the operation of the Loakan-based Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
The ordinance stipulated all elected barangay officials and appointed barangay officials and volunteers will be qualified to undergo the annual capability-building program to improve their knowledge and skills in ensuring the sustainable implementation of city and barangay projects for the same to be cascaded down to the grassroots level.
The proponents underscored the city’s barangay officials and barangay volunteers have significantly contributed so much and that they have continued to help deliver basic services to the people in the city’s 128 barangays over the past several decades.
According to them the contribution of the barangay officials and volunteers in the overall development of the city’s barangays and the city as a whole cannot be quantified with them being overworked because of the enormous duties and responsibilities being required of them even if they remain underpaid.
The proponents disclosed that some of these civil servants they do not even receive fair and modest allowances for the different jobs being assigned to them in their areas of jurisdiction.
The ordinance noted the inadequate compensation being provided to the barangay officials and volunteers is due to the limited funds and resources of their respective barangays.
The ordinance underscored that one way of rewarding the barangay officials and volunteers for their extreme sacrifices is to provide funding for their annual group capability-building program that includes their Lakbay-Aral or educational tour, among others, for them to adapt/adopt in their own barangays, the best practices of other barangays in the country..
The ordinance pointed out the conduct of their annual capability-building activity in their proposed areas of study will widen the officials and volunteers’ horizon by learning the best practices of other barangays that can translate to improved services for their constituents.
The proponents claimed the frequent exposure of barangay officials and volunteers to best practices of other communities in the country’s 7,100 islands can generate productive and best results for the city’s barangays where they can learn updates on their areas of responsibility.
By Dexter A. See
