Friday, November 02, 2007 Mayor upset over public's lack of interest in barangay affairs By Grace L. Plata
COMMITMENT to pursue development in the barangays will have to be strengthened if Dabawenyos want to boost the standards of efficiency and effectivity in local governance, said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte has expressed disappointment over the public's lack of interest in barangay affairs.
The mayor said some of the works of the City Government should have been relegated to the barangays, but with the uncertainty in the capabilities of some barangay officials, this cannot be done.
The inability of most barangay councils to cater to the needs of their constituents proves a hindrance to the barangay's growth.
Former councilor Emmanuel Galicia Sr., during the 14th council, initiated legislation and taxation workshops for the barangays as several of the ordinances passed by barangay councils are not properly crafted.
"There are legal infirmities in the barangay ordinances they crafted because most do not know how to go about it in the first place," Galicia said in earlier interviews.
With these limitations, the barangay cannot make full use of its powers and fully serve its purpose. The barangay officials also cannot initiate the proper initiatives to widen their tax base.
According to Duterte, such is the result of the passiveness of barangay voters, which would have been prevented if the people would go out of their way to get involved by merely voting.
