2 decades of unamended RA 7160 failed to empower barangays

(Part 2 of a series on Survey of Mayors’ Delivery of Health and Education Services)

In The Philippine STAR’s August 11 issue, the article entitled “Noy scraps GMA’s P8-billion ‘pork’ for LGUs” stated that President Noy Aquino scrapped two lump sum budgetary items of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Kilos Asenso for livelihood programs and the Kalayaan Barangay program for insurgency and security measures with a total budget of P8 billion were introduced in 2006. Since these programs were allegedly a source of corruption the new administration would like to cancel this as part of their belt-tightening policy.

Most of the opposition lawmakers, who were very critical of the Arroyo administration feel that this allocation, which is on top of congressmen’s pork barrel funds or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), was quite redundant. A portion of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) briefer reads, “We will replace them with much better programs like the conditional cash transfers and the LGU performance incentive fund under the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government).”

P-Noy increases the PriorityDevelopment Assistance Fund

PDAF allocations in the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget will also be slightly higher, which is pegged at P22.3 billion, and would “incorporate both the hard (roads, bridges, etc) and soft (scholarships, grants, etc.) components of the program. The (PDAF) menu will be limited to the priority programs of the administration and publication requirements will be mandated from the implementing departments to publish the details and status of the projects in the website,” the DBM said.

Local assistance for alleviating poverty and insurgency will be helped by funds for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, pegged at P5 billion this year, the National Unification Fund (P100 million), and the Premium Subsidy to indigents (P5 billion in 2010) have been integrated into the Department of National Defense, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and the Department of Health budgets.

Among the six crucial factors that led to the decrease of the original P1.75-trillion budget are the prohibitions to procure new government vehicles and to create new government positions, while salary levels for contractual and casual workers will be kept at 2010 levels, and allocation for GOCC allowances will be tightened.

Literacy empowerment of the barangays

In the early ’80s, UNESCO’s Medium Term Plan stated that “Illiteracy and poverty generally go hand in hand…” You find this phenomenon reflected among the most destitute sections of the Filipino population – those that suffer inadequacies in food, health, housing, or who are affected by unemployment.

“Literacy is an essential weapon against human rights violations.” Literacy exposes people to being cheated and defrauded. Illiteracy prevents people from understanding basic processes like buying and selling, prevents people from learning livelihood courses, or simply filling out an employment application. Illiteracy prevents people from reading contracts and agreements, from understanding legal proceedings or exercising the right to vote. “Being literate does not guarantee the protection of human rights, but it gives one a fighting chance.”

“People are not made literate. They make themselves literate when they have the incentive to do so.” Their interest in literacy is likely to be strongest when reading and writing are directly related to their lives. The success of Practical Living literacy program is due to their taking into account the rural folks’ interest in the modern art of Personal Grooming and Hygiene, Good Housekeeping, Child Care, Cooking and Backyard Business Ventures.

How RA 7160 could be redirected

Republic Act (RA) 7160 is an attempt to activate the spirit of democracy, whereby a government is not dictated by a central government, but it is instituted locally through the provincial governors, municipal mayors and the barangay captains. The Philippine Constitution has pledged that the government must be of the people, for the people and by the people. In other words, the government is made up of the people whose voices should be heard. They have the right to have their opinions respected, together with the elected officials, the civil servants can work for their common welfare.

This was the ideal goal of devolving the central power from the national government to the local government way back as early as 1991. Since then, were the Filipinos involved in establishing their local government so that it can enhance their standard of living?

The source of local budget comes from IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) which is derived from the revenue of the business sectors, properties and revenues from available natural resources like hydro power, geothermal power, rice, tobacco , coconut and other agricultural and marine products.

Twenty percent of the total IRA goes to EDF (Economic Development Fund), one-third of these EDF goes into MOOE (Maintenance and other operating expenses). MOOE should go into maintenance and repairs of buildings and roads, but often this is spent for the salaries of casual employees. The other source provided by Congress per district is the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) – P70 million for each district. Most of the latter goes to construction of school buildings and roads. (It is the practice of some legislators to create dummy corporations to front for them to implement huge infrastructure projects. Of numerous construction firms, the one chosen gives them generous payback.) Since, it is not necessary to build every year, it is more proper to give these to education and health services, which are desperately needed.

The right of the community to elect the local school board

The Local School Board is made up of the mayor as the chairperson and the following members: the councilor in-charge on the committee on education, LGU treasurer, a principal and a representative of an accredited NGO. For local autonomy, the mayor should not be part of the Local School Board since his presence can cause undue influence.

Moreover, the mayor must not merely appoint the members. Instead, the community must elect them as practiced in Europe and the United States of America, where the Local School Boards are made up of highly reputable civic-minded citizens, professionals, businessmen, doctors and active church laymen. It is not fair for the mayor to just appoint them.

The Filipino mayors’ influence can be questioned when they are classifying their constituents into three groups (pro-administration, anti-administration and neutral groups). Guess who are closer to the mayor and get more favors than the rest.

As far as local education is concerned, the principals who are supposed to list down their requisition for supplies, furniture and repairs are seldom consulted. The district supervisors draw up their own list of supplies some of which are not needed by the schools.

Public schools are in tragic situation, prone to thievery and the environment is messy and unsanitary. School heads are also frustrated because the qualified teachers they choose are not hired because of the mayor’s personal preference.

Meantime, a major problem of the local health centers is the irregular attendance of the doctor. Without adequate salary, the physician does private practice elsewhere. He does not work full time. The mayor provides the “barangay health worker” who has inadequate training. A common complain is their tendency to issue prescription.

Mahatma Gandhi’s definition of self-rule

The word “Swaraj” is a sacred word, a Verdic word, meaning self-rule.

“Real Swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is abused. In other words, Swaraj is to be obtained by educating the masses to a sense of their capacity to regulate and control authority.” (India of My Dreams by Mahatma Gandhi, 2008) –Preciosa S. Soliven (The Philippine Star)