Thank Local Government Code for what?

Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo praised towns, cities and provinces for “great strides in delivering good governance at the local level.” He said they have the Local Government Code, which is in its 20th year, to thank for it.

That he should mention only towns, cities and provinces (but not barangays) is disappointing. They are intermediate-level governments, one level removed from where the people are—in the barangays.

The barangay is the primary government, the frontliner, of which every Filipino is a part, as a member of its assembly. There are more than 42,000 barangays, much more than the number of towns, cities and provinces. They deserve no mention? By ignoring the role of barangay folks in local governance, the secretary betrayed a mindset that is off-focus: governance from the viewpoint of oligarchs. In hailing the upper officials, is he praising them for governing with transparency, responsibility or accountability? Is he commending them for consulting/informing their constituents regarding their initiatives or projects?

Only the constituents can judge the performance of their officials, but no assessment surveys are made by the Department of Interior and Local Government (even the SWS survey on local governance, as reported last Oct. 15 by Mahar Mangahas, ignores the barangay)—in effect belittling its system of direct democracy and parliamentary government.

What would be useful is if Robredo can tell us where constituents are properly represented in their local development councils, as the Code requires; where people have a voice—able to input ideas or suggestions into their Sanggunian proceedings and to influence governance. Where are the Filipinos who are truly aware of the power of initiative or recall? Do they discipline or punish erring officials? Where are they truly enfranchised, empowered, as intended by Republic Act 7160? In other words, what is there to be thankful for, or to celebrate, after two decades of nominal autonomy?

What the DILG can do is enlighten people about changes the Code introduced into our system and practice of local governance. It ought to inform the citizens about their essential role as official members of the Barangay Assembly, about the community’s power to clean up or reform matters by themselves. How about expanding our GNP by growing the gross barangay product?

This failure to inform the public of the meaning and implications of the Local Government Code—especially in empowering the barangay constituency—has made it difficult for Filipinos to tell what constitutes good governance at any level. Worse, it is fraught with dire implications.

If the failure is intentional, then there is a conspiracy (1) to stifle People Power by keeping the public ignorant of their sovereign power over local affairs, and (2) to keep those in office firmly in power, tightening their control over neighborhood votes and the voters’ resources. This of course entrenches all the more the de facto oligarchy that rules our society from above.

If the failure is unintentional, shame on the DILG!

—MANNY VALDEHUESA,

national convenor,

Gising Barangay Movement Inc.,

valdehuesa@gmail.com