Barangay

A barangay (Brgy. or Bgy.; Filipino: baranggay, [baaaj]; also pronounced the same in
Spanish), formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines
and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In colloquial usage, the term often
refers to an inner city neighbourhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood. The word barangay
originated from balangay, a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian peoples when they
migrated to the Philippines.

Municipalities and cities in the Philippines are subdivided into barangays, with the exception of
the municipalities of Adams in Ilocos Norte and Kalayaan, Palawan which each contain only one
barangay. The barangay itself is sometimes informally subdivided into smaller areas called purok
(English: zone), barangay zones consisting of a cluster of houses, and sitios, which are territorial
enclavesusually ruralfar from the barangay center. As of June 2015, there were 42,029
barangays throughout the Philippines.

When the first Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, they found well-organized
independent villages called barangays. The name barangay originated from balangay, a Malay
word meaning "sailboat".[2]

The first barangays started as relatively small communities of around 50 to 100 families. By the
time of contact with Spaniards, many barangays have developed into large communities. The
encomienda of 1604 shows that many affluent and powerful coastal barangays in Sulu, Butuan,
Panay,[4] Leyte and Cebu, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasig, Laguna, and Cagayan River were
flourishing trading centers. Some of these barangays had large populations. In Panay, some
barangays had 20,000 inhabitants; in Leyte (Baybay), 15,000 inhabitants; in Cebu, 3,500
residents; in Vitis (Pampanga), 7,000 inhabitants; Pangasinan, 4,000 residents. There were
smaller barangays with less number of people. But these were generally inland communities; or
if they were coastal, they were not located in areas which were good for business pursuits.[5]
These smaller barangays had around thirty to one hundred houses only, and the population varies
from one hundred to five hundred persons. According to Legazpi, he found communities with
twenty to thirty people only.

Traditionally,[6] the original barangays were coastal settlements of the migration of these
Malayo-Polynesian people (who came to the archipelago) from other places in Southeast Asia
(see chiefdom). Most of the ancient barangays were coastal or riverine in nature. This is because
most of the people were relying on fishing for supply of protein and for their livelihood. They
also travelled mostly by water up and down rivers, and along the coasts. Trails always followed
river systems, which were also a major source of water for bathing, washing, and drinking.

The coastal barangays were more accessible to trade with foreigners. These were ideal places for
economic activity to develop. Business with traders from other countries also meant contact with
other cultures and civilizations, such as those of Japan, Han Chinese, Indian people, and Arab
people.[7] These coastal communities acquired more cosmopolitan cultures, with developed social
structures (sovereign principalities), ruled by established royalties and nobilities.

During the Spanish rule, through a resettlement policy called the Reduccin, smaller scattered
barangays were consolidated (and thus, "reduced") to form compact towns.[8][9] Each barangay
was headed by the cabeza de barangay (barangay chief), who formed part of the Principala -
the elite ruling class of the municipalities of the Spanish Philippines. This position was inherited
from the first datus, and came to be known as such during the Spanish regime. The Spanish
Monarch ruled each barangay through the Cabeza, who also collected taxes (called tribute) from
the residents for the Spanish Crown.

When the Americans arrived, "slight changes in the structure of local government was effected".
[10]
Later, Rural Councils with four councilors were created to assist, now renamed Barrio
Lieutenant; it was later renamed Barrio Council, and then Barangay Council.[10]

The Spanish term barrio (abbv. "Bo.") was used for much of the 20th century until 1974, when
President Ferdinand Marcos ordered their renaming to barangays.[11] The name survived the 1986
EDSA Revolution, though older people would still use the term barrio. The Municipal Council
was abolished upon transfer of powers to the barangay system. Marcos used to call the barangay
part of Philippine participatory democracy, and most of his writings involving the New Society
praised the role of baranganic democracy in nation-building.[12]

After the 1986 EDSA Revolution and the drafting of the 1987 Constitution, the Municipal
Council was restored, making the barangay the smallest unit of Philippine government.

he modern barangay is headed by elected officials, the topmost being the Punong Barangay or
the Barangay Chairperson (addressed as Kapitan; also known as the Barangay Captain). The
Kapitan is aided by the Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council) whose members, called
Barangay Kagawad ("Councilors"), are also elected.

The council is considered to be a Local Government Unit (LGU), similar to the Provincial and
the Municipal Government. The officials that make up the council are the Punong Barangay,
seven Barangay Councilors, and the chairman of Youth Council or Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).
Thus, there are eight (8) members of the Legislative Council in a barangay.[13]
The council if in session for a new solution or a resolution of a bill votes, and if the counsels and
the SK are at tie decision, the Captain uses his/her vote. This only happens when the SK which is
sometimes stopped and continued. In absence of an SK, the council votes for a nominated Barrio
Council President, this president is not like the League of the Barangay Councilors which
composes of barangay Captains of a municipality.

The Barangay Justice System or Katarungang Pambarangay is composed of members

commonly known as Lupon Tagapamayapa (Justice of the peace). Their function is to conciliate
and mediate disputes at the Barangay level so as to avoid legal action and relieve the courts of
docket congestion.[14]

Barangay elections are non-partisan and are typically hotly contested. Barangay Captain are
elected by first-past-the-post plurality (no runoff voting). Councilors are elected by plurality-at-
large voting with the entire barangay as a single at-large district. Each voter can vote up to seven
candidates for councilor, with the winners being the seven candidates with the most number of
votes. Typically, a ticket usually consists of one candidate for Barangay Captain and seven
candidates for the Councilors. Elections for the post of Punong Barangay and barangay
kagawads are usually held every three years starting from 2007.

The barangay is often governed from its seat of local government, the barangay hall.

A tanod, or barangay police officer, is an unarmed watchman who fulfills policing functions
within the barangay. The number of barangay tanods differ from one barangay to another; they
help maintain law and order in the neighborhoods throughout the Philippines.

Funding for the barangay comes from their share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) with a
portion of the allotment set aside for the Sangguniang Kabataan. The exact amount of money is
determined by a formula combining the barangay's population and land area.