Why the barangay elections is no small matter

In a few days time, Filipinos will yet again exercise one of the most basic rights of a citizen in a democratic society: suffrage or the right to vote. And while slogans of “vote wisely” and “no to vote buying” are themes as common as the latest TikTok dance craze during election season, it is always good to be reminded of these. In this day and age, however, a simple reminder might no longer be enough. What could count more, perhaps, is a review of why the elections even, or rather especially, at the barangay level is important—maybe even more so, from a certain perspective, than national level elections.

In its truest sense, the barangay is the basic unit of society, next only to the family (which, in the traditional social setup, is considered to be the most basic). As such, it is the level of government whose function most directly affects citizens on an everyday basis. For many, it is easy to overlook the barangay, since most concerns that occupy the public mind are of national and/or city level, in some cases even international: What is the state of fishermen in the West Philippine Sea? How are overseas Filipinos faring in Israel given the current conflict? Is there a window for number coding in Manila?

Very rarely do barangay level concerns reach the same attention. It is, of course, by design and by nature of barangay-level discourse that things are so, but it risks developing a certain apathy among citizens when it comes to the more “ordinary” concerns of the barangay: waste disposal, parking spaces in public roads, senior citizen benefits, indigent care, and so on. At most, the barangay is relegated to the yearly basketball liga or the annual fiestas.

But the barangay is so much more than just these. It is the most basic provider of a citizen’s needs. It is where local government resources are appropriated to ensure that society runs smoothly. It is not a part-time job, it is not only called upon when a new basketball court is required. The barangay is crucial for a democratic society to function and, as such, barangay elections are of no small importance.

For one, there is a budget allocated for every barangay, which is dependent on several factors determined by the local government and by the national tax allocation. In its simplest terms, the more developed a barangay is — in terms of income, population, etc. — the more budget is allocated to it. This budget is then allotted to barangay projects, salaries and/or allowances of barangay officials, and other expenses meant to better the lives of ordinary Filipinos. Even the Sangguniang Kabataan or SK has an allocated budget for its youth-oriented projects. Hence, voting for an SK chairman is no trivial matter either.

There is, therefore, a much needed vigilance from every Filipino when it comes to barangay-level governance, where politicking and corruption also exist, sometimes even more vicious and vehement than its national-level counterparts. And this vigilance starts at the barangay elections this coming Oct. 30.

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