CEBU CITY – To be able to solve big problems, think small and start in the barangays.

LAWYER Goyo Larrazabal (left) and Beaver Lopez discuss the platform of Partido sa Bagong Pilipino party-list in a press conference on Monday, March 31. (Calvin Cordova)

Partido sa Bagong Pilipino (PBP), a party-list organization advocating for grassroots development, will be taking this approach as it seeks a congressional seat in the upcoming May elections.

PBP first nominee, former Commission on Elections Commissioner Atty. Goyo Larrazabal, and second nominee, Beaver Lopez, vice president and a member of the Board of Adviser of Rockwell Land, laid down their plans during a recent visit to Cebu.

Larrazabal and Beaver said PBP’s platform is anchored on “Barangay ang Panalo” which underscores its commitment to uplifting marginalized communities, particularly in coastal and rural areas, through strategic legislation that prioritizes clean water, healthcare, roads and access, and electricity

Addressing the persistent water crisis, PBP is pushing for the establishment of a Department of Water Resources to oversee policy implementation and institutional reforms.

The party also proposed legislative measures to encourage barangay-level rainwater harvesting and stronger partnerships with NGOs to provide potable water.

"We have several proposed bills to help the LGUs and help the barangays access water, utilize their water resources, and more importantly, or equally important, protect their water resources," Larrazabal said.

PBP has started distributing water filtration systems in various parts of the country ahead of the campaign period.

Recognizing the lack of medical professionals in many barangays, PBP is pushing for the enhancement of the Department of Health’s Doctors to the Barrio program.

Proposed legislation includes the expansion of DOH’s medical scholarship programs and ensuring at least one doctor per town, with focus on highland and coastal areas.

"It's important because we need to have a robust healthcare system in the barangay, because that's our first type of defense. That's what will prevent the clogging and overwhelming of our hospitals and clinics all over the Philippines," said Larrazabal.

PBP is advocating for digitized healthcare to improve disease management and accessibility.

"There's a lot of medical centers now, but not everybody has the opportunity, that everybody has the resources, to go from their barangay to the population. We propose a bill to digitize the healthcare system in the Philippines in support of universal healthcare. What that does is it allows the government to better track disease management, to better track health problems of the different areas of the Philippines," Larrazabal said.

"What it also does, since it's a centralized database, it will allow somebody, a barangay healthcare worker, to cross-check my data if I'm in Iloilo, and if I go to Davao, they can still access, they can still verify my health records," he added.

PBP is also supporting the Doctors to the Barrio program.

"Doctors to the Barrio is an ongoing program already, but it needs recharging due to some constraints like red-tagging, and lack of benefits. You need to re-evaluate and add more benefits to encourage the healthcare professionals to be in that program. That's through legislation," Larrazabal said.

Understanding political roadblocks in local governance, PBP assured local government units of collaboration in implementing development projects.

"I think the areas that we've been able to visit and talk to, I think there's relationships already. That's why when we tell them that we're here to help, when we win, you win, who wins, the community wins. Because it's not just the LGUs, but the party list that came here will also help. So, I think that's a welcome to any of the LGUs, to be able to come in," Lopez said.