Barangay Sta. Ana: Where Good Governance, Environmental Sustainability and Innovations Meets

A narrative report of Barangay Sta. Ana's Best Practices


byJohn Tobit Cruz

Barangay Sta. Ana

The Sangguniang Barangay of Sta. Ana located at the heart of the Municipality of Taytay, Rizal has been one of the largest populations in the municipality, covering the controversial area of Lupang Arenda which a lot of officials think is a political burden, despite its emerging potentials. The new set of barangay officials, however, sees this population issue as an advantage, provided that they’d be able to involve the people with projects that directly and indirectly affect them. With this is mind, the Sanggunian with the help of the people, had been able to launch several projects that are first of its kind to the barangay and to the municipality as well.

On Good Governance and Anti-Corruption Initiatives

Transparency and accountability through genuine people’s participation has been a highlight of the Sangguniang’s Good Governance and Anti-Corruption initiatives which are as follows:

1. Kapihan sa Barangay – Conducted two times a month, Kapihans are literally coffee sessions involving different sectors or street residents, that aims to consult the public of their issues and concerns in their area or within their sectors. The Sanggunian provides free coffee and bread as residents, surprisingly offers their free spaces for the activity. From its initial launch, it has already produced several legislations adopted and enacted in the Sangguniang Barangay and Sangguniang Bayan as a concrete output of the community consultation. Today, the Kapihan sessions are already conducted to the rest of the Barangays through the assistance of the ABC and of the Office of the Vice Mayor.
2. Street Sessions – With the target of reaching every purok in Floodway areas, Street sessions aim to show transparency in the proceedings of the barangay as it also provides a venue for the people to air their concern through the privilege hour allotted for them. An open forum is also conducted at the end of the sessions to ignite discourse towards realistic and sustainable ideas and projects.
3. Mainstreaming of the Citizen’s Charter Published after conducting several public consultations, the Citizen’s Charter is placed in conspicuous areas around the barangay. Also, copies of it may be found online through the Barangay’s blogspot (http://barangaystaana.blogspot.com/) or through its facebook account, making it accessible to all the residents and a model to the rest of the municipality.
4. Legislations- With the goal of magnifying its Good Governance initiatives, a resolution has been passed expressing the call for moral and ethical leadership to all Local Government Officials and its Employees and a draft ordinance on the creation of a Barangay Development Council which shall serve as the Barangay’s transparency and accountability mechanism.

On Human Development and Poverty Reduction

With the people being the primary concern and priority, the Sanggunian created ways of empowering its people through programs that aims to uplift the dignity of their lives:

1. Establishment of the Barangay Informal Settler’s Affairs Office (BISAO)- With the growing number of informal settlers and with the issue of EO 854 afloat, the Sanggunian through an ordinance, created the BISAO which monitors and mediates in the settlement issues of residents, particularly in the area of Lupang Arenda. It also conducts consultation with regards to the possible resettlement of those people living in danger zones and at the same time, spearheads the planning of future actions that shall decrease or even eliminate the number of informal settlers. The BISAO is a first in the municipality and it is now being proposed in the Sangguniang Bayan through the Office of the ABC that all the barangays shall be mandated to establish their own Informal Settler’s Offices.
2. Capacity Building for Employees- To empower its employees and its purok leaders, they are required to undergo a series of seminars that tackles good customer orientation and servant leadership with the end goal that they may pay it forward to the rest of the barangay whom which they are serving. A module has been designed for easy replication.
3. Seminars on Livelihood and Cooperatives- In partnership with national agencies and some private sector, the barangay conducts regular livelihood trainings such as masonry and carpentry (in partnership with the AFP), Bokashi ball making (through CFCA), establishing of cooperatives (with the help of ________) and many more. Participants are screened and those who are really in need are prioritized.

On Economic Development: Competitiveness

Maximizing its human resource and its limitless potential for economic growth, Barangay Sta.Ana manages to maintain its funds despite the challenge of an outstanding loan left by the previous administration through the following mechanisms:

1. Environmental Fund Raising Campaigns- To aid some of the expenses of the barangay and at the same time help save the environment, the Sanggunian has been implementing income generating campaigns for the environment such as the plastic bottle drive and the creation of eco-bags made from the tarpaulins used by the barangay, which are sold also in support of the plastic regulation drive. A partnership with the public schools is also being forged for the adaptation of the Eco-Saver’s Club to be started next academic year.
2. Census Update vis a vis Tax Mapping- Since the update, the Sanggunian increased the number of tax payers for at least 40% for the first two quarters of this year.
3. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)- After a resolution had been passed regarding the enhancement of PPPs, several projects had been launched successfully with the help and support of private entities and individuals. These projects include the Save Maningning project and the improvement of the flood control system of the barangay. By creating a strategic plan armed with a feasibility study and public consultations, the private sectors uninhibitedly shares their resources and skills towards the project’s effectiveness and success.

On Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management

With the Environment being a priority project, several short and long term programs has been launched with its success attributed to the participation of the people, some national agencies and some private sectors. Among these programs are the following:

1. Save Maningning Project (SMP)- Supported by the DENR-EMB, NGOs, POs and some private entities, the SMP aims to rehabilitate the barangay’s main stream (Maningning Creek)  that could be a source of livelihood along with its promise to solve the perennial issue of flooding within the area. Aside from regular clean ups with thousands of volunteers from the aforementioned partner organizations, engineering solutions has also been prepared to make the solution effective and sustainable.
2. Luntiang Barangay Project- This project took effect to help mitigate the effects of global warming and to train the people of reducing their own carbon footprints. It includes the regulation of plastic, mandated planting of trees upon securing of housing permits and a regular tree planting drive which to date reached more or less 2,600 trees planted. A proper waste segregation scheme is also distributed to the residents regularly.
3. Community Planning and Training for Disaster Risk Reduction Management- With the assistance and participation of purok leaders a community evacuation strategy has been created that shall be strictly followed in the unlikely event of natural or manmade disasters. Volunteers are also trained with the help of RECAT and through the initiative of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

On Security, Justice and Peace

Envisioning a peaceful and just society, the Barangay is on full force in implementing projects that are truly humane and holistically empowering:

1. Women’s Desk- Being the only barangay with a women’s desk in the municipality, the office of the women’s desk has been a refuge for abused women and children from all over Taytay. Aside from the legal assistance it provides, a group of Psychology major students has been established to help provide para-counseling and debriefing to the abused women and children. An ordinance has been filed to the Sangguniang Bayan to establish a women’s desk in the remaining four barangays of Taytay through the example and assistance of the barangay’s women’s desk representatives.
2. Lupon Trainings and Seminars- To empower its Judiciary branch, the Lupon Tagapamayapas are sent to trainings and seminars with specific focus on enhancing their mediation skills and adding counseling interventions to their craft. By inviting other barangays in these activities, they had been able to establish a Liga ng mga Lupon on which they learn from each other’s experiences guided by a centralized procedure.
3. Resolving Juvenile Delinquency Issues- Having some minors involved in most crimes, the Sanggunian made ways of resolving this issue and help the youth be on track. A resolution has already been forwarded to the Provincial Government in request for a Juvenile Facility that shall house and rehabilitate the minors. A series of Anti-Drugs campaign is also on-going through the help and assistance of PDEA and the two High School institutions within the barangay. # 

written by: John Tobit Cruz