A Case Study on the

Productivity and Quality of Taguig City Public Library Staff

I. Introduction

Background of the study

Before Taguig came to be, there was this settlement under the Kingdom of Tondo with a
population counting 800 farmers and fishermen, believed to be mixed with Chinese settlers as
revealed by archaeological artifacts like glasses, cups, porcelain plates and utensils bearing
Chinese characters dug in the area.

Spain subjugated the islands in 1571, and in 1582, the Spanish rulers formally recognized
the settlement as a part of the Encomienda delTondo and placed it under the headship of an
Alcalde Mayor, Captain Vergara, who ruled it up to 1583.

On April 25, 1587, the settlement, already known as Taguig, and comprising of nine (9)
barrios, was decreed a pueblo or town of the province of Manila and placed under Kapitan Juan
Basi.

On March 29, 1 900, General Order No. 4 proclaimed Taguig as an independent

municipality. It was subsequently incorporated as part of Rizal Province on June 11, 1901. Two
years after, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and Pateros were merged by virtue of Philippine Commission
Act No. 942 with Taguig hosting the seat of the municipal government. The merger lasted but a
month as Muntinlupa was separated from it and made part of Binan by virtue of Act No. 1008
enacted in November 25, 1903. It was merged with Taguig and Pateros again in March 22, 1905
with the promulgation of Act No. 1308. On February 29, 1908, Taguig, with Pateros, was
declared an independent Municipality through Executive Order No. 20. On January 1, 1918,
Taguig and Pateros separated and became independent municipalities of Rizal Province.

In the 1970s, Taguigs political subdivision was changed to eighteen (18) barangays
following the nationwide implementation of the Integrated Reorganization Plan.

On November 7, 1975, P.D. No. 824 carved out Taguig from the province of Rizal and
made it part of the National Capital Region. On December 8, 1998, Republic Act No. 8487 was
enacted which converted the Municipality of Taguig into a Highly Urbanized City. A plebiscite
was conducted the following year which showed that the citizens were against it. A petition
seeking for a recount was granted by the Supreme Court on February 19, 2004. The recount
showed that majority of Taguigs voters favored converting the Municipality of Taguig into a
City. Subsequently, Taguig officially became a City on December 8, 2004.

In 2008, the Taguig City council enacted City Ordinances Nos. 24-27, 57-61, 67-69, and
78, Series of 2008 which created ten (10) new barangays, carving them out from the initial 18
barangays. Hence, in December 2008, after a successful plebiscite, Taguig was politically
subdivided into 28 barangays.
Where does Taguig came from? The original 800 farmer-fishermen settlers of the area were good
at threshing rice after harvest. Hence they were referred to as mga
taga-giik, and their settlement as pook ng mgataga-giik. Spanish friar Fray Alonso de
Alvarado, together with conquistador Rey Lopez de Villalobos who crossed Pasig River to reach
Taguig in 1571 found taga-giik difficult to pronounce, and could only produce the word
sounding like tagui-ig. So many mispronouncements later, tagui-ig was shortened to the
present day Taguig.

The total population of Taguig City is 613, 343 (as of August 2007 census) with a
population growth rate of 3.82% from 2000-2007.

Short but meaningful words from the Taguig City Mayor Lanie Cayetano and Taguig City
Public Library Officer in charge Joselito P. Carpena:

Now, all public schools in Taguig City will have a library of its own.

The Taguig City Public Library (TCPL) has received a large donation of pre-owned
books from an international organization, an event that is seen to benefit schoolchildren and wipe
out the deficiency of libraries in the citys public school system.

A total of 19,926 volumes of pre-owned books in Math, Science and English, as well as
General References have been turned over to Joselito Carpena, Jr., officer-in-charge of the
Taguig Public Library, for distribution to all 34 of Taguig Citys public elementary and high
schools.

The donation was made by Children International Philippines, Inc. (CIPI), an

international non-government organization promoting the welfare of children, and had the
primary objective of promoting among schoolchildren the love of reading.
The books arrived in Manila from Kansas City, Missouri inside a 40-ton container last
December.
 The formal turnover of the books was held in a simple ceremony held at the Taguig City
Council Hall last February attended by principals and school officials in Taguig City, and by
Mayor Lani Cayetano, who was also one of the guest speakers and witnesses to the donation.

In Taguig City, our priority is education. We can leave no better legacy to our children
than inculcating among them the value of a good education and the importance of the pursuit of
knowledge, said Mayor Lani Cayetano.

We therefore express our appreciation to this laudable gesture from CIPI. We thank you
for the gift of knowledge for our youth, Mayor Lani added.

The TCPL sought for the donation of the quality hardbound books under CIPIs Book
Donation Program primarily to help the student populace of various public and elementary high
schools in Taguig City to start and have their own libraries.

Carpena said when he was appointed OIC of the TCPL, Mayor Lani tasked him to
alleviate the sorry state not only of his own office, but that of public school libraries as well.

Parallel to seeking donations for quality books, he said the TCPL held a two-day Basic
Librarianship Seminar for teacher-librarians in August last year.

The seminar was attended by 62 participants from all of the 34 public schools in the city.

Carpena likewise said the books donation effectively wiped out the deficiency in libraries
among public schools in Taguig City.

Before this administration, only six out of the 34 public schools in Taguig have their
own libraries. Now, all of them will have their own, Carpena said.

He said that the books are now being distributed to all 34 public schools with a minimum
of 500 books each.

The number of books to be distributed will be according to the size and needs of the
school, Carpena said.

The donation is also envisioned to populate barangay libraries as well.

The donation will help jumpstart the institution of libraries in public schools where there
are none. Eventually, we hope that all of our schoolchildren will have access to their own
libraries at their schools, Mayor Lani said.
 In Philippines, public libraries are not a priority of the government (Carbonero 2008).
Totanes (2006) stated that the biggest challenge facing public school libraries in the Philippines
today is the thought that there is no money to pay for the improvements that need to be made.

In USA, Academic and public libraries spend an average of 1.26 percent of total payroll
on staff development and training, according to data collected for the ALA Survey of Librarian
Salaries, 2001. Academic libraries in four-year colleges provided the largest amount (1.53
percent) of payroll on staff development and training. Large public libraries serving more than
one hundred thousand patrons spent the least (.98 percent) of payroll on staff development and
training. Generally, academic libraries spent more than public libraries. (Lynch, 2001)

II. Analysis of the Case / Problem

This study is sought to determine the weaknesses of Taguig City Public Library

specifically on the lack of professional staff and limited budget for the trainings of their

personnel.

III. Conclusion

Taguig City Library is just one example of the numerous public libraries in the Philippines that is

being left behind by all the innovation and advancements that a library must possessed. Support

and attention by the city officials are highly needed. The abilities and potentials are present in

this library, but the poignant truth is that the neglecting of the responsibility of the government

officials is present.

IV. Recommendation

Taguig City Library should focus in giving training and seminars to their current staffs

for them to be much aware regarding the works done in the library. This can be done by
allocating their budget properly and settle a right proportion of the budget for the cost in the said

trainings. Subsequently, Taguig City Library should also increase the workforce by hiring more

professional staffs, preferably Library Science graduate that are knowledgeable in this field.

V. References

http://www.ala.org/research/librarystaffstats/librarystaffstudies/spendstaffdevel