Congress urged to institutionalize 'Purok System'
BACOLOD CITY -- Sangguniang Panglungsod Member Jocelle Batapa-Sigue along with SP Member Wilson Gamboa Jr. recently passed a resolution requesting both Houses of Congress of the Philippines to consider and study threafter, to institutionalize the Purok System and its equivalent, empower the Purok Officials, provide mechanism for the giving of honoraria and/or other benefits to purok officials and for such other purpose, in order to guide the local government unit vis-a-vis on the purok system and in aid of future legislation.
Batapa-Sigue noted that the population of the purok nowadays have grown in number and even equal the population of the barangays. "These puroks do not in any way diminish or weaken the barangays, instead compliment, supplement and even assist their operations and functions," Batapa-Sigue added.
The barangays which are considered the smallest political units of the Philippine Government are subdivided into puroks and these puroks have their own jurisdiction and leadership, whether effective or appointive.
SP Member Gamboa, co-proponent of this resolution, also noted that the purok system has been in existence and functioning for a long period of time and the purok officials have been in the frontline of delivering basic services to the people in the community, yet it has still no legal basis to stand on and no direct support from both the local and national government.
Batapa-Sigue further said that the purok officials assume responsibilities, use their personal resources and even risk their lives for the welfare of their constituents in the spirit of volunteerism, bayanihan and even civic-mindedness.
She believes that the instituonalization of these puroks and the empowerment of purok officials will further strenghten the system of local government and provide channels for the delivery of basic services from the national and local government down to the grassroots or lower spectrum of society.
Batapa-Sigue during their last session formally endorse that it is but proper that the national government will recognize the role of the purok system in nation-building, empower the purok by making them persons with authority within their territorial boundary and provide mechanisms for the giving of honoraria and/or other benefits.