mb.ph/why-run-for-barangay-position/What’s in a barangay position? by Czarina Ong October 26, 2013 (updated) barangay hall, Manila Bulletin. Manila, Philippines – What’s in a barangay position? A monthly salary, some perks, and a lot of opportunity for public service. Those rewards of being elected as barangay captain or kagawad are perceived to be the reasons why people are fighting for the jobs, sometimes so bitterly, resulting in death. As of now, police have recorded over 100 deaths as related to the barangay elections. Most of the killings happened in the provinces. Salaries. The maximum monthly honorarium for a barangay captain is P23,000, and for a kagawad, P14,000, according to Leocadio T. Travela, director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-National Barangay Operating Office (NBOO). Those are the maximum amounts for the compensation of the positions, even if the barangay has a higher Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) or Real Property Tax (RPT).“A barangay captain cannot receive a monthly honorarium higher than P23,000, and a kagawad cannot receive anything higher than P14,000,” stressed Travela. “If they have extra budget, barangays often hire more health workers, tanods, or sweepers.”A barangay in an area which has a lower IRA offers a lower salary scale – as low as P1,000 monthly for the barangay chairman, and only P600 for the kagawad, he said. Special Perks. Barangay officials do have special perks – free hospitalization in a government hospital and free tuition in state universities and colleges for their dependents. Meanwhile, the officials can opt for to have their leave benefits in cash, plus they also receive bonuses. Integrity, not money. Although there is a popular perception that those who run for barangay posts are attracted by the opportunities to make mmoney, Travela was quick to defend the integrity of barangay officials. He said it is very hard for officials to pocket government money. “The Commission on Audit (COA) rules are very tight,” he said. “Barangays are required to submit a monthly report of their expenses, and they are also required to comply with the Full Disclosure Policy.” Barangay’s Revenue. Travela explained the three major sources of barangay revenue. These are local funds, IRA, and RPT. 1.LOCAL FUNDS. The local revenue comes from taxes on stores or retailers with fixed business establishments and yearly gross sales of P50,000 or less in cities and P30,000 or less in municipalities. The rate is not exceeding one percent of gross sales. Some of the income comes from fees for the use of barangay property or facilities, barangay clearances, charges for billboards, sign boards, neon signs, and other outdoor advertisements, fines for the violation of barangay ordinances; and many others. 2.IRA.The second source of barangay revenue is the 20 percent of the total Internal Revenue Allotment of the local government unit. The amount of each barangay’s IRA is determined by two elements – its population (60 percent) and equal sharing (40 percent). 3.RPT. The third source of revenue is the Real Property Tax – 25 percent of a province’s RPT collection go to the barangay where the property is located. Also, 30 percent of the proceeds of the city’s and municipality’s RPT are distributed among the barangays where the property is located. Fifty percent shall go to the barangay where the property sits, while the other 50 percent will be distributed equally among all the barangays of the city or municipality.He said the incomes of a barangay vary greatly depending on their IRA and RPT. He cited Barangay Bel-Air in Makati City and Barangay 167, Zone 15, District 1 in Caloocan City as examples.In 2012, Barangay 167 had higher IRA (P13,374,325) than that of Barangay Bel-Air (P10,932,987), he said.The biggest chunk of their incomes came from RPT – Barangay 167 only received P2,132,696.86 while Barangay Bel-Air got a whopping P126,886,152.38. Out of a barangay’s total income, 55 percent goes to personnel salary, while 45 percent goes to their operations and projects.Highest IRAs. The NBOO revealed the top 20 barangays with the highest IRA in 2013. The Top 10 are : Barangay 176 in Caloocan topped the list with P89,781,904, followed by Barangay Commonwealth in Quezon City with P68,815, 209 and Batasan Hills in Quezon City with P55,734,012.The rest are: Pinagbuhatan in Pasig with P55,734,012; Payatas in Quezon City with P44,140,120, San Jose in Rodriguez with P40,313,270, Poblacion in Muntinlupa with P38,308,990, Holy Spirit in Quezon City with P37,680,505, Barangay 178 in Caloocan with P36,102,162, and San Juan in Cainta with P35,764,337.The other barangays in the Top 20 list are from Taytay, Valenzuela, Antipolo, Mandaluyong, and Parañaque. “There is no barangay in Makati which made it on the top 20 list,” noted Travela. The country’s capital, Manila, also didn’t have a barangay included in the list. 4.Other Funds. Aside from the sources of income indicated above, there are other ways a barangay official can generate income.This is when a resourcefulness of barangay official comes in, Travela said. He can coordinate with the city or municipal mayor in helping him maintain the order and cleanliness of his area or modernize their health facility. Barangay officials can also solicit donations for the salaries and “snacks” of tanods, barangay sweepers. For Prestige. But for all the hype surrounding the barangay elections, Travela actually believes that becoming a barangay official is an “abala” (nuisance). “It’s hard to raise a family based on those salaries,” he said. “Instead of focusing on their regular jobs, they have to give time to the whole barangay.” “Meron sa meron,” he said of the notion that some run for barangay posts because of what they can get. “But not everybody is like that. Some do it for the honor or the prestige. People like to become role models, and being a government official is one way of bringing glory to the family name.” Barangay Functions. Travela of the NBOO believes that barangays play an important role in society, as they are the “go-to” political unit of the people. For every problem that arises in the barangay, it is the barangay chairman who will try to find a solution. If he can’t, he is responsible for seeking the help of the city or municipal mayor. Barangays are in charge of agricultural support services, which include planting materials distribution system and operation of farm produce collection and buying stations. They also maintain the upkeep of health and social welfare stations, as well as services related to general hygiene and sanitation.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 04:55:40 +0000
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