(Continued from July 28, 2020)
IN THEORY and even in practice, it is very clear that executive functions and regulatory functions could be separated, with no problems in between. As provided for in the Local Government Code (LGC), the municipal governments are supposed to perform their executive functions independently from the provincial governments, limiting the latter to mostly regulatory functions.
Down the line, the structure is supposed to be the same, wherein the barangay governments are supposed to perform their executive functions independently from the municipal governments, limiting the latter to mostly regulatory functions. Since that is supposed to be the case, there is no reason why the village associations could perform their executive functions independently from the barangay governments, limiting the latter to mostly regulatory functions.
As far as I know, the tasks of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were not delegated downwards to the local levels, meaning to say the provincial level all the way down to the barangay level. That is moot and academic now, because the MGDs have already ended, wherein the Philippines fell short of most of its committed targets.
Up ahead, the Philippines should aim for the achievement of all the new 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I think that this time around, practically our second chance, we should delegate the tasks of achieving these goals downwards to the local levels, all the way down to the village level.
With so much politics going on all around us, it may actually be a good idea not to have open elections anymore at the village level, and just have open consensus instead on who should become the village officers. It may also be a good idea not to turn over barangay funds to the village associations, and for the barangay governments to just deliver fully funded and completed projects.
As it may actually happen, it may be difficult to reach a consensus as to who should serve as the village officers, because there is no money involved, and there are no funds to be corrupted, so to speak. The truth of the matter is, politicians invest money when they run, expecting to recover their money and to earn more when they get elected. That will no longer happen when there are no elections, and there are no funds to be stolen.
As it is supposed to be, the barangay residents are supposed to attend not only the Barangay Development Councils (BDCs), but also the Barangay Assemblies (BAs). That being the case, the barangay residents should take advantage of these forums to demand their share of the Internal Revenue Allocations (IRAs) that are due to them anyway.
Instead of asking for funds however, they should just ask for fully funded and completed projects, in line with their own village level master plans that should be in tune with the SDGs.
Also as it is supposed to be, the agenda items of the BDCs are supposed to be elevated to the Municipal Development Councils (MDCs) and further upwards to the Provincial Development Councils (PDCs) and the Regional Development Councils (RDCs).
Too much to do, but that is what the law says./PN
