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EDITORIAL
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Friday, March 16, 2018
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AS THE MOST basic administrative units in the country, barangays are created to administer the essential services of local government units to its people. But because they have been extremely politicized, barangays have mostly failed to achieve their potential.
Barangay leaders becoming minions of ruling politicians – mayors, congressmen and governors – have sadly become the norm. Don’t look to far, dear readers. Check out the Iloilo City Hall and just behind it the office of the congressman of the lone district of Iloilo. See? Now you know what we mean.
Barangay officials are supposed to be nonpartisan and apolitical. But it is difficult to shield barangays from politics because they are financially dependent on local government units. They get their logistics and budget from their city or municipal governments. Like local government units, the continuing dependence of barangays on their internal revenue allotments (IRA) is keeping them tied to the power that disburses the IRA.
Barangays would remain as subjects to the dictates of higher local government units for as long as they continue to depend on the IRA for their operation. This counteracts the autonomy envisioned for them in the Local Government Code.
The Local Government Code has given the barangays the power to become true economic units by raising local taxes. However, most of them fail to exercise this power. The reason is that either they have become too independent on the IRA or the barangay officials are unaware that the Code has wielded them with such power.
To transform their villages into viable economic units, barangay leaders must be aware of their true functions. Or perhaps they are just too lazy!
Well, the barangay election is just around the corner. People fed up with their indolent, partisan and self-serving village officials can certainly replace them if they want to, unless they want to be screwed by them again and again and again…
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