GUEST COLUMNIST
By MAYOR FRANCIS ZAMORA
The barangay is the most basic political unit in the Philippines. Its concept dates back long before the Spaniards came to our country. It originated from the word “balangay”, the traditional boat used by early Filipino settlers who built their small communities with an established rule of governance during pre-colonial times.
The barangay system as the cornerstone of Philippine society and governance may have evolved through the centuries, but it has maintained its core function of bridging the government to the local communities.
Today, there are more than 42,000 barangays across our archipelago. With the Punong Barangay at its helm, together with its council of Barangay Kagawads and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, barangays serve as the building blocks of our country's decentralized local government system, which enables a more effective governance at the grassroots level. They play crucial roles in community development, local governance, and public service.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the crucial role of barangays was more evident. They helped facilitate governance and delivery of essential services needed most by our people during those trying times such as food, medicines, vitamins, face masks, quarantine facilities, and vaccination.
In San Juan, the synergy between our city government and our 21 barangays namely Addition Hills, Balong-bato, Batis, Corazon de Jesus, Ermitaño, Greenhills, Isabelita, Kabayanan, Little Baguio, Maytunas, Onse, Pasadena, Pedro Cruz, Progreso, Rivera, Salapan, San Perfecto, St. Joseph, Sta. Lucia, Tibagan, and West Crame, made it possible for us to deliver food packs 20 times during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our 20 waves of food packs distribution would not have been possible without our barangays’ efficient identification of households, which allowed us to make sure help reaches San Juaneño families.
From locating the positive patients to making sure that they were quarantined properly in our facilities or in their homes, from identifying the radius of streets and households to be locked down to making sure that those residents are provided with the needed help, our barangays were our city government’s constant partner.
It was the same strong partnership that helped us achieve a very high vaccination rate in such a short span of time. In fact, we were the first in the Philippines to have achieved herd immunity. We made vaccination accessible to people by setting up one main vaccination center and satellite vaccination sites in the barangays, malls, and in public schools. We even visited the homes of the bedridden to be able to protect them from the virus.
As we continue to strengthen our city and our nation, our barangays will remain to be essential partners in the delivery of basic services.
The people have spoken during the recently concluded Barangay-Sangguniang Kabataan elections. On that day, we voted for the barangay and youth leaders who will be responsible in providing public service, maintaining peace and order, and addressing the needs of our constituents.
I congratulate all the elected Punong Barangays, Kagawads and SK officials all over the country. The people have given their trust and confidence to you through their votes. They have chosen you because they believe that you can fulfill well your duties and responsibilities at the barangay level. Please do not fail them.
As your fellow public servant, allow me to share this with you, “Iba ang manalo at iba ang magtrabaho,” meaning now that you have won, it’s time to perform. Let us show our people that we indeed deserve the trust and confidence they have given us.
Let us all continue to work together for the betterment of the Filipino people in all local government units in the country.
Mabuhay ang mga barangay ng Bagong Pilipinas!
(Mayor Francis Zamora of the City of San Juan is the president of the Metro Manila Council, the chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, the vice chairman of the Regional Development Council, and the regional representative of the National Capital Region in the League of Cities of the Philippines.)