Author Topic: Unfortunately, barangay constituents do not know anything...  (Read 712 times)

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Written by Joe Espiritu
Jagna-based Writer, Bohol Sunday Post

Whether one likes it or not, barangay officials for the next term has to be a better set than today. The Local Government Code of 1991 will be fully implemented at the barangay level. Barangays will be more or less autonomous. Judiciary functions had been fully devolved.

Part of the executive functions like fiscal management has to be controlled by municipal authorities. The legislative functions have to be reviewed or supervised by the municipality and sometimes the supervision is faulty. Most of the municipal legislators do not know the difference of the inclusive and or the exclusive or in the provisions of an ordinance.

During the past elections, anyone with enough logistics can be elected to any political office even those who are not familiar with governance. The same goes in the barangay. One headache of a barangay is the legislative function. There are those who do not know the difference between a resolution and an ordinance, an opinion, a suggestion or a motion. The legislative function is a mess that secretaries are forced to invent or doctor minutes for submission to the Municipal Local Government Operations Officer.

Another headache is the Barangay Justice System. Barangay Treasurers accept filing fees even if the barangay has no jurisdiction of the case because of its nature like the cases of child abuse, acts of lasciviousness, serious physical injuries, theft of large amounts and even procedural lapses like forum shopping.

Once the Barangay Treasurer issues a receipt, can the Barangay Captain refuse to hear the case and refund the amount? Nobody told them what to do in this case.

This time, this financial function is left to the barangays. Several weeks ago, some officials of each barangay have to undergo training in the implementation of the New Government Accounting System of NGAS. The purpose of which is to let the officials know about how the mechanics of income and expenditure accounting and auditing are to be followed.

Those officials are to manage the barangay financial affairs and if any untoward event develops in their operations, they will have to answer directly to the Commission on Audit or possibly the Ombudsman This will be another barangay headache.

In some barangays, the most experience the officials have is running sarisari stores, the only accounting done is keeping a notebook full of accounts most of them bad debts. In some barangays, only the treasurer draws up the barangay annual budget and controls its disbursements. Now that accounting, auditing and budget monitoring functions are devolved, the treasurer not only has to handle everything but keep records according to NGAS standards as well.

The three barangay officials who will be handling the barangay finances will be the Barangay Captain, Treasurer and Finance Officer. These three will be responsible for collection of taxes and other income, allocation of funds for various functions, like budgeting, disbursement as well as accounting, auditing and reporting.

Another official is to be appointed; the Barangay Recorder. Their functions must follow the guidelines specified in the NGAS.

Unfortunately, barangay constituents do not know anything about the devolved functions. They make demands from barangay officials not knowing the resources the barangay have nor about the priorities that must be followed. Allocating meager resources to conflicting demands is a constant problem barangay officials must face. Most barangay officials elected are unprepared and untrained to handle such problems. Full devolution of Local Government Unit functions will need a better set of officials

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