NowUKnow: Barangay

How much do you know about the smallest political unit of the country?

The barangay hall is the seat of local government of a barangay
(credits to: zamboanga.com)

The word, barangay, comes from the term, "balangay" a kind of boat that was used by ancient Malay to travel and migrate to the Philippines.

Before the Spanish came in the Philippines, there was an organized and independent villages, consist of 50 to 100 families called "barangay". The system of government is somewhat similar to city-states. A datu acts as the head of the barangay and was the chief executive, legislator, judge and military commander.

During the Spanish period, these smaller barangay comprises a town. Each barangay was headed by a cabeza de barangay, whose duty is to collect taxes from the residents for the Spanish Crown.

When the Americans came, the barangay became the "barrio". However, in 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 86, creating Citizen's Assembly  in the barrios followed by Presidential Decree No. 557 in 1974 that declares all barrio as barangay.

Under Section 384 of the Local Government Code of 1991, it states that, "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 registered voters of a barangay elects one barangay chairman and seven members of Sangguniang Barangay on the last Monday of October for a term of three years. A barangay chairman serves as the chief executive of the barangay whose powers and functions includes enforcement of laws and ordinances within the barangay, maintain peace and order and conduct the annual palarong barangay. On the other hand, the Sangguniang Barangay serves as the legislative body of the barangay. Each member of the Sangguniang Barangay known as Barangay Kagawad heads a committee such as Education, Health and Tourism.  As basic honorarium, a barangay chairman receives P1,000 a month while the members of the Sangguniang Baranggay would each receive P600 a month. They are also entitled to additional benefits such as Christmas bonus, medical care, insurance coverage and free tuition in state colleges and universities located within the city or province to which the barangay belongs.

Statistically, there are 42,028 barangays throughout the Philippines with Ilo-ilo having the most barangay in a province (1,901) and Manila having the most barangay in a city (897).

In the history of Philippine politics, the only president who was once the head of a barangay was Emilio Aguinaldo. He became a cabeza de barangay at the age of 17.

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