By: Joe Sprite

Last December 21 was the awarding of the most outstanding barangay officials of Jagna. There was almost a perfect attendance. Awards were given to the outstanding barangay councils, kagawads, secretaries and treasurers. The awards were most deserving. It took most of their time to serve their constituents far and beyond the call of duty. it needs more than ordinary determination to lead or serve an apathetic, indifferent and recalcitrant people.

Barangay service is not a joke. It needs patience, determination and dedication to a thankless job with low pay indeterminate hours and with a chance to be haled before the courts for nonfeasance, misfeasance and malfeasance. Any barangay official from the barangay captain to the lowest tanod can be asked to respond to any form of duty. Although they know that office hours are from eight to five with a break from twelve to one in any working day, constituents sometimes demand service during off hours because they need the document early in the morning if not immediately. Sometimes, they demand that their problems be attended to because they too have work on office hours.

Not only that; there are reports to be submitted to various offices of the local government. The workhorses of a barangay are the barangay captain, secretary and treasurer. Sometimes a kagawad or two may be drafted to help out. The barangay captain calls the shots in the day-to-day barangay operations. He has to preside over sessions and he has to enforce ordinances. Sometimes a barangay captain just throws the work to a first kagawad or any person who is willing to accept the extra function.

The hardest hit of all is the barangay secretary. He keeps the minutes of the sessions. If he only knows a few words in the English language, he has to keep the minutes in Visayan or any vernacular. If he is cognizant in Ludabi, well and good. If not, who ever reads his minutes will have a hard time to make the heads and tails out of it. Then he has to write down the resolutions or ordinances proposed by the kagawads. Sometimes the kagawad gives him only the title of the proposed resolution or ordinance and let the secretary supply the correct verbiage. If he can.

In any time of the day and in any time of the night, the secretary issues certificates, lupon summons and clearances. Then he writes down the minutes of the barangay justice hearing but before that, he determines the kind of violation the accused has committed so he can place in the summons the nature of the violation. Then he reports to the MCTC on the number and nature of cases handled. Oftentimes, the secretary has also to function as a kagawad.

The treasurer, if she follows the procedures in barangay accounting, has an easy job. Sometimes, she tosses the printing jobs to the secretary, when she does not know how to type. However, sometimes she has to fend off demands of any barangay personnel requesting credit or cash advance and is threatened with removal if she does not come across. Sometime overzealous barangay accountants and budget personnel make things hard for her by changing the forms of the document. What was previously accepted last year is not accepted now.

A barangay salary cannot be relied to support a family or even an individual. It is good only for those with adequate income. Some become barangay officials because of ego. Some sticks to the job because of camaraderie. Some stick to the job because there is no other income. No matter what reason, a barangay captain, secretary and treasurer deserved the recognition they get. However, there are also those who merely go through all the motions barely achieving the minimum requirement. Most kagawads never had it so good. Some of them goes to sessions, sits through them and try to look wise. All they do is second any motion and move for adjournment. Well, that is all there is to it so why complicate lives?