Boholanos want purok power’s noble mandate

Many Boholanos want the province’s poverty reduction approach through the Countryside Development Program: Purok Power Movement (CDP-PPM) achieve its noble goals.
Many of the Local government unit (LGU) leaders down the barangay level support the “deep-penetrating” integrated development program of Gov. Edgar Chatto precisely because it is fundamental to his mandate.
In Pilar, Mayor Wilson Pajo readily welcomes the fielding of additional “Prosperity Teams” or ProTeams which set the pace of the multi-agency, multi-sectoral involvement in purok empowerment.
He was happy that ProTeams were pulled out of Carmen because they were sent to serve his grassroots-based constituents.
Carmen Mayor Conchita de los Reyes earlier ordered the development workers’ pullout in an act widely perceived as a prelude to her rumored bid against the incumbent governor in next year’s election.
The ProTeams have community organizers from the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development, Provincial Health Office, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Office of the Provincial Veterinarian, members of the Philippine Army from the 2ndSpecial Forces Battalion, and Bohol Provincial Police Office.
Barangay captain Exequiel Bahalia, Jr. of Katipunan, Carmen felt his barangay missed an opportunity, since it was already the province itself sending people right to their doorsteps- to talk to them on essential concerns affecting their welfare.
Optimistic of the many goods that CDP-PPM could deliver, the barrio leader could only hope for the best terms to ensure later between the capitol and LGU.
The municipal government informed beforehand the barangays that the ProTeams were already coming to the barrios after they coordinated with the LGU, according to the barangay officials.
LEGAL BASES
The ProTeam mission pursues the involved agencies’ institutional programs that fit exactly into the multi-agency, multi-response CDP-PPM.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the province have programs with similar characters addressing essential grassroot concerns, including peace and order which are crucialprosperity ingredients.
Areas for Pro-Team interventions have been prioritized based on poverty levels and other factors like their being former grounds of the insurgents.
Even the peasants who were then rebel sympathizers have welcomed the innovation of the government in reaching out to them.
The soldiers themselves have become civil agents of rural development, although “there are still men and women in power who demean them as task forces for private ends.”
Commander of the 802nd Brigade, Col. John Bonafos, cited the Internal Peace and Security Plan ((IPSP)-Bayanihan which is an AFP development campaign to address peace concern.
The PNP has its “Pulis sa Barangay Program” which is a part of the 10-Point Action Plan of the current national PNP leadership, according to Bohol Provincial Police Director Constantino Paul Barot, Jr.
CONFLICT WITH MAYOR
The ProTeams were also escorted by Carmen cops as part of the security component, but De los Reyes reportedly scolded the town police chief, telling him “to take orders from her and not from the Bohol police head.”
The law defines the role of the local chief executives on police matters as the mayors are just deputized by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to a certain level.
The CDP-PPM at the same time serves the intention of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which requires Integrated Area Community Public Safety Plan (IACPSP) from the LGU.
The province launched the CDP-PPM on Bohol Day on July 22, 2011 while enabling Provincial Ordinance 31 was enacted and Executive Order 36 issued also last year to streamline its implementation.
The local chief executives, including barangay officials, were trained on development planning and peace and development program execution.
Mayors were not bypassed since they were present in planning workshops attended by vice mayors, police chiefs and municipal local government operations officers.
Mayors and agencies were informed of the various issues and concerns raised by the barrio people in dialogues facilitated by the ProTeams so that they can spearhead in addressing them with the concerned agencies.
As they listened to the concerns of especially the lowly constituents, the ProTeams will also deliver medicines, livestock for livelihood dispersal, water pumps and even water-seal toilet bowls.
The ProTeams frontline the horizontal action of the CDP-PPM since there is a vertical component that will strengthen the purok system in all towns engaging the municipal, provincial and national agencies and private sector.
By this time, impact projects like essential infrastructures are delivered as identified by the rural communities themselves with the support of their LGU officials.
The CDP-PPM and its prosperity teams as intervenors actually pursue a mandate that is opposite “to an autocratic leadership, the latter being disadvantageous to the community and, as a consequence, prone to suppressing people’s voice.”,it was gathered.
Unlike in Carmen, the LGUs of the other barangays where Pro-Teams were previously dispatched, recognized the value of their mission to the people.
A sensitive part in planning process, getting the problems, issues and concerns of the community should not be misconstrued as an intrusion into the leadership, according to some mayors.
It is getting to know how and where the agencies will come in to help or facilitate the delivery of programs and services.
Thinking, tactful and capable of getting right things done, Chatto has adhered to development planning that starts with reality checks and assessment of needs.
The governor said the CDP-PPM in fact complements with the development efoorts of the LGUs because it intends to be a convergence of innovations for people’s good. (Ven rebo Arigo)