DILG supports bill limiting the population of each barangay

Published May 10, 2020, 12:49 PM

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Sunday expressed full support to a House Bill that limits the population of each barangay to 15,000.

With the limited population, DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya stressed that this would allow for a more efficient and manageable delivery of public services.

Earlier, Surigao del Norte Second District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers filed House Bill 6686 which seeks to amend Section 386 of Republic Act No. 7160 or The Local Government Code of 1991.

Malaya in an interview over GMA News acknowledged Barber’s proposal considering the need for the state to provide easily and promptly to deliver the desired services to the people especially during distressed times.

“Panahon na para pag-aralan natin ‘yung size ng barangay as proposed by Congressman Barbers (It is about time to review the sizes of the barangays as proposed by Congressman Barbers),” Malaya said.

Malaya’s statement came on the heels of the more than 2,000 complaints of social amelioration program (SAP) related irregularities that have swamped the DILG Emergency Operations Center.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has sought for a 25-day extension on the May 7 deadline which was later moved to May 10 set by the DILG for the distribution of the cash aid to the qualified beneficiaries under the SAP.

She explained that the huge population of the city and some of its barangays makes it difficult for the locality to comply with the order without violating the social distancing protocol.

Malaya said that some barangays citing Barangay Silang in Caloocan City with large populations need to be divided while some barangays need to be merged.

However, Malaya said that this process is for the long term and cannot be implemented immediately.

He pointed out that the biggest challenge in implementing this proposed change is the political establishment.

Malaya said that there was a proposal to merge some barangays with small populations in Manila but it failed to push through due to the political implications of the merger.

“May mawawalan ng trabaho (There will be people who would lose their jobs),” Malaya said.

In the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 crisis, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año extended the deadline for the distribution of the emergency cash aid as some local government units with huge population cannot keep up.

House Bill 06686 was filed on Tuesday and still pending with the committee on local government.

SOURCE: https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/05/10/dilg-supports-bill-limiting-the-population-of-each-barangay/