BARANGAY POPULATION THRESHOLD IN HB 6747 TO IMPROVE LOCAL GOVERNANCE, ADDRESS DISTORTIONS
* Bilang ng residente kada barangay, ‘di dapat sosobra sa kinse-mil
* Mga barangay na sobra sa 15,000 ang populasyon ‘matik na hahatiin
Rep. Salo supports the recommendation of PNP to limit the population of BARANGAY POPULATION THRESHOLD IN HB 6747 TO IMPROVE LOCAL GOVERNANCE, ADDRESS DISTORTIONS
* Bilang ng residente kada barangay, ‘di dapat sosobra sa kinse-mil
* Mga barangay na sobra sa 15,000 ang populasyon ‘matik na hahatiin
Rep. Salo supports the recommendation of PNP to limit the population of barangays to 15,000, as expressed by PNP Spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac.
This is contained in House Bill No. 6747 which Rep. Salo filed in the House of Representatives.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some weaknesses of our barangay system. We have barangays with populations which are so huge that their effectiveness and efficiency at responding to their residents urgent needs have been severely compromised,” Rep. Salo said.
“Having mega-barangays has created other distortions aside from disproportionate ratio between local officials and residents,” Rep. Salo added.
Rep. Salo notes in the explanatory note of HB 6747 that “certain barangays, especially those in highly urbanized cities, have become too large that their funding, including IRA share, has surpassed those of many municipalities.”
Some mega-barangays have become too large that they have had disproportionate influence on city operations, budgets, and elections.
Congress must address these distortions and level the governance field.
POPULATION THRESHOLD
In the 1987 Constitution, there is a 250,000 population limit for congressional districts. When a district become too large, at least one new district is created. the population census guides Congress on this. The new Census is scheduled to be conducted this year.
With House Bill 6747, we seek to apply the same constitutional approach so barangays get ample attention from their local officials.
Recognizing the current predicament at the barangay level and in order to prepare our barangays for future pandemics, other outbreaks, and calamities which may either be natural and manmade, a population threshold for the barangay must be put in place through a legislative measure that will automatically reapportion a barangay and create a new one, once this population threshold is breached.
Under this proposed measure, a barangay whose population shall exceed 15,000 as certified by the PSA shall automatically be reapportioned, thereby creating a new barangay. Further, all existing barangays, the population of which already exceeds 15,000 shall also be automatically reapportioned in accordance with this bill. (END)
to 15,000, as expressed by PNP Spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac.
This is contained in House Bill No. 6747 which Rep. Salo filed in the House of Representatives.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some weaknesses of our barangay system. We have barangays with populations which are so huge that their effectiveness and efficiency at responding to their residents urgent needs have been severely compromised,” Rep. Salo said.
“Having mega-barangays has created other distortions aside from disproportionate ratio between local officials and residents,” Rep. Salo added.
Rep. Salo notes in the explanatory note of HB 6747 that “certain barangays, especially those in highly urbanized cities, have become too large that their funding, including IRA share, has surpassed those of many municipalities.”
Some mega-barangays have become too large that they have had disproportionate influence on city operations, budgets, and elections.
Congress must address these distortions and level the governance field.
POPULATION THRESHOLD
In the 1987 Constitution, there is a 250,000 population limit for congressional districts. When a district become too large, at least one new district is created. the population census guides Congress on this. The new Census is scheduled to be conducted this year.
With House Bill 6747, we seek to apply the same constitutional approach so barangays get ample attention from their local officials.
Recognizing the current predicament at the barangay level and in order to prepare our barangays for future pandemics, other outbreaks, and calamities which may either be natural and manmade, a population threshold for the barangay must be put in place through a legislative measure that will automatically reapportion a barangay and create a new one, once this population threshold is breached.
Under this proposed measure, a barangay whose population shall exceed 15,000 as certified by the PSA shall automatically be reapportioned, thereby creating a new barangay. Further, all existing barangays, the population of which already exceeds 15,000 shall also be automatically reapportioned in accordance with this bill. (END)
