HOTSPOT

While many appear to be worried or panicking about prospects for change in the 2025 midterm elections and even the 2028 presidential elections, we’re not seeing any concerted effort around the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) happening on Oct. 30, 2023.

Each of our 42,001 barangays will elect a punong barangay and seven Sangguniang Barangay (SB) kagawads, and a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chair and seven SK kagawads.

All told, we will be electing a grand total of 672,016 barangay and SK officials who, as we all rediscovered during the pandemic, perform a lot of frontline government functions and provide basic services, neighborhood watch, and conflict resolution.

Whether online or offline, I do not notice any sense of urgency, even among the politically-engaged or those who profess to be for electoral change, to directly participate in the BSKE. I have not heard of patriotic, progressive, anti-corruption, anti-extrajudicial killings, or pro-change slates of candidates being formed and fielded.

Online mentions of the BSKE are mostly about “trapo-like” modus of some aspirants who indiscreetly engage in premature campaigning through posters and streamers of assorted greetings. But while netizens roundly criticize the village trapos, there’s scarce evidence that critics are prepared to give them a tough fight.

There is still time, however little, for concerned barangay residents to contest their village leaderships. The filing of certificates of candidacy is set for Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. If there would be no new leaders to file and compete in the elections, we might just be left with the same set of BSKE officials. Sure, some would be retiring but in classic “trapo” fashion, their relatives would be more than prepared to take their place.

Per the Local Government Code, “as the basic political unit, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes may be amicably settled.”

The SB’s powers include enacting ordinances, including taxes and revenues ordinances; enacting a budget; and construct and maintain barangay facilities. The punong barangay also chairs the lupong tagapamayapa, a legal body for the settlement of disputes and the core of what the law calls Katarungang Pambarangay.

Many of our municipal or city services we avail are based on our barangay residency, and municipalities and cities mobilize the barangays to guarantee that services reach citizens. Senior citizens, PWDs and solo parents begin their applications for entitlements and privileges at the barangay level. Calamity and emergency assistance are coursed through the barangay.

When a barangay has an SB and an SK that’s good and even outstanding, life is a lot better because the most basic services are guaranteed. When the SB and SK are inactive or corrupt, they themselves become the problem of the barangay. A classic example would be barangay officials who provide timely and adequate services for their bailiwicks, while neglecting households of those who run against, challenge or criticize them.

Whether identifying ayuda beneficiaries or implementing tokhang, we are now better informed of the power and potential of the barangay. The coming BSKE elections is an opportunity to reward those who performed admirably, with compassion and with devotion to human rights and the rule of law. It is also a chance to punish the erring BSKE officials.

The results of the BSKE and the eventual winners would also have a role to play in the selection of two ex-officio members each for all the 1,485 municipal councils, 149 city council and 82 provincial boards. Federations of SBs and SKs would be selecting these municipal and city councilors and “bokal.” Yes, the BSKE would have a lasting consequence nationwide.

Those who are interested in paving the way for changemaking outcomes in 2025 and 2028 cannot turn a blind eye on the consequential 2023 BSKE. The BSKE could be a petri dish or a laboratory for tactics and strategies of “new politics” and the “politics of change,” and also a necessary step in building a new national political constituency.

Those who believe in the power of elections have an obligation to directly participate in the BSKE. Those who believe their politics is correct should seize this new chance to test the correctness of their beliefs. Non-participation cannot be an option, especially for those who dream big in national elections.