The COVID-19 pandemic has placed barangay officials on the spotlight, becoming frontliners in their respective communities and the go-to persons of residents for guidance and action on their safety and other support services.
They were the ones who implemented the nationwide curfew; screened and qualified those eligible for the quarantine pass; maintained peace and order within their communities; and handed out relief goods that come in through the Department of Social Welfare and Development or local governments.
They were also the first to check if an individual manifests symptoms of the virus, after which they would call representatives of the Department of Health should hospitalization of the symptomatic person is needed.
The role of leaders at the barangay level cannot be overemphasized, and to help them navigate this crisis situation, the very first and most comprehensive manual for barangay officials has been released by REX, the country’s leading learning solutions provider.
Titled Barangay Handbook for Leadership and Management, the five-volume book set is designed to aid barangay officials as they perform their duties, and arm them with the proper wisdom and skill to implement laws and issuances, both national and local.
The handbook was created in partnership with the Center for Local Governance and Professional Development to address the lack of courses and publications that deal with administering public service at the barangay level.
“Many of our barangay officials, including the Punong Barangay, land on their feet running as soon as they get the job, which is when they are elected,” said REX Chief Executive Officer Don Timothy Buhain.
“They are dedicated to their people and genuinely want to perform their duties to the best of their abilities, but they learn things as they go along their work. Not many have mentors who can help or prepare them. There is very little documentation to guide them along the way. When they do need to brush up on the laws that they have to implement, they still have to scramble for resources. Our Barangay handbook will give them everything they need to know and hopefully excel in their post.”
There are at least 75 reference materials and books related to barangay government, but there is no one source compiling these materials.
The Barangay Handbook has eliminated that problem and compiled everything—from laws and implementing rules and regulations to program activity references and legal opinion.
The handbook set covers the entirety of local governance through different modules: barangay governance and administration; barangay fiscal processes and budgets; social services; justice and judicial procedures; security, environment, and disaster preparedness; accountability of public officials to their constituents; and the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act) Law and its relevance to taxpayers.
It also includes a barangay calendar and journal that barangay officials can use as a guide to monitor and implement their daily activities.
To learn more about the Barangay Handbook on Leadership and Management, please contact REX at (02)2510479 or e-mail orders@rexestore.com.
