Research Title : Awareness and Adoption of Parliamentary

Procedure in the Local Government Units of the

5th District of Camarines Sur: Basis for Extension
Program

Name of Proponents : April V. Zaballa-Luzon

Instructor I

Address : Sitio Minuro, Sagrada Familia, Buhi, Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Nabua, Camarines
Sur

Background of the Study

The solution to many of our most serious problems lies in good citizenship and

responsible government. Citizens must know their rights and duties and those entrusted

with power must appreciate and respect democratic processes if we are to maintain and

strengthen our free society.

In our barrios today, we are establishing barrio councils and assemblies because we

realize and understand the indispensability of popular support to democratic government.

Increased state attention is being directed to the countrysides to develop among the people

confidence in their capacity to achieve objectives in their best interest.

Nor is this desire for deeper consciousness of democratic rights limited to national

governments. People all over the world recognized it in the establishment of the United

Nations to serve as a forum for the settlement of International conflicts by peaceful means.

With the fast-paced development in the country as well as in the rest of the world,

the need to strengthen the concept of Parliamentary Procedure is a necessity.

Meetings and conferences of people where issues of public concern are discussed

and threshed out must be conducted in accordance with accepted norms if they are to

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provide the basis for responsible government. The will of the people is sovereign, as what

democracy speaks for thousands of decade.

The need to present in a scientific yet understandable way the rules and procedure

is one among the clamor of new public servants that should govern in a deliberative groups.

It will bring into focus the potentiality of group opinion for shaping larger decisions in any

organization whose authority emanates from the will of the majority. Simply stated, in

establishing the background of parliamentary law, in no doubt, will make the understanding

of rules of order easier for everyone.

As the people awaken to their rights in our society and as government strives to

adjust itself to the temper and condition of a changing world, parliamentary law assumes

greater significance. All segments of society become one in the realization that the

attainment of the people’s aspiration and the preservation of all that is being cherished lies

in the understanding of reason and in the manner in which the government and the people

employ it. The alternative will be a society in decay or a world torn apart by recriminations

if not destroyed by nuclear might.

The Local Government Units of Nabua is the identified project locale of the study

since the College is located in the Municipality of Nabua. The researcher believes that

before we can spread the concepts of parliamentary procedure to the rest of the Rinconada

area, it should start first to the locale where the college is mandated to serve. Only after it

has transformed the governance of both municipalities can it spread its wings to the rest of

the municipalites and to the lone city in the 5th District of Camarines Sur known as

Rinconada Area.

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 This research proposal will help in the guiding of diverse views along constructive

channels and in the formation and crystallization of opinion on vital issues. It will serve

its purpose of reinforcing democracy in our country.

Review of Related Literature

In general, governance refers to the task of running a government, or any other

appropriate subset of the government entity whether the national, regional, provincial,

city and local for that matter. It is the sound exercise of political, economic, and

administrative authority to manage a country’s resources for development. As defined

by ADB (1995) and noted by Sto. Tomas and Mangahas (2002), governance involves

the institutionalization of a system through which citizens, institutions, organizations,

and groups in the society articulate their interests. In recent years, the concept of

governance has gained attention and momentum in the academic circle and has

diversified its meaning into a very dynamic concept. This paper presents the views of

selected academics on transparency and participation in the basic political unit (BPU)

of the Philippines (locally known as the Barangay). Transparency in operation is

regarded as central to good governance leading to the attainment of maximum

participation of the community. As the core principle in governance, transparency

links how the local residents and BPU officials are held accountable for their actions

and decisions in relation to their roles in the community in which they live. Studies

dealing with views of academics on local governance could be insightful for practical

recommendations in promoting transparency and maximizing participation vis a vis

the management of higher education institutions (HEI) with their academic programs

and other stakeholders on public administration, leadership and governance.

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 According to Delica (1999) the key elements of good local governance is

transparency in operation, accountability to the people whom elected officials vowed

to serve and commitment to citizens maximum participation. Good local governance

must depict an image that is acceptable to the local people and positive role expectations

to the general public. For instance, Dy (2001) revealed that the image of the Philippine

government as an information and technology (IT) employer is far from the ideal

because the ratings given by IT professionals were either negative or low positive,

showing an unfavorable image. Further to this, Claustro (2001) discovered that factors

contributing to the positive image of the government were political influence, social

recognition, and job security. In contrast, physical working conditions, public exposure,

interpersonal relationships, career advancement, meaningful work and compensation

contributed to the negative ratings.

On the requisites of good local governance, Etemadi (2004) speculated that

sustained non‐ governmental organization or NGO advocacy and participation produces

better results and promotes inclusive governance. Participation as a vital element in

governance provided the avenues of consolidated popular support from the local people

without the aid of mutually rewarding ties, a strong political machine or a monopoly of

power. The experience of a city local government official in Bicol Region, Philippines

who secured the maximum term of office and improved the lives of his constituents

by setting a new standard in governance. An e‐Governance report (see Robredo 2006),

note that a strong local commitment to transparency, accountability and participation (as

hallmarks of good governance) can transform the use of information and

communication technology (ICT) from being conventional management tools to

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effective instruments for engaging ordinary citizens. This is an instance that the

principle of transparency through ICT becomes a tool to empower citizens toward

attainment of the goals and objectives of local government units (LGU). Several

initiatives on local governance explored the engagements (or participation) of Philippine

civil society at the local (sub‐national) level of governance, that primarily facilitated by

the advent of the decentralization law in the Philippines in 1991(Abros 2003).

The Barangay is the basic political or administrative unit in the Philippines,

totalling to about 42,000 all over the archipelago (Abros 2003). All levels of local

government in the Philippines exercise the following general functions and powers on

efficient service delivery, management of the environment, economic development, and

poverty alleviation. Republic Act No. 7160 or Local Government Code of 1991)

provides empowerment for BPUs (see Villarin et. al 2002). Success in local governance

can be measured as to how LGU or BPU officials reduce the incidence of poverty.

ADB (2005) claimed that the absence of good governance is the reason why third world

countries continue to fail in their efforts at poverty reduction and in their quest for

economic and human development. Similar reports underscored the strong link between

the transparency in governance and poverty (UNDP‐HABITAT 2004).

The various concepts, insights and notions on BPU governance elaborated

some criteria of good governance and the components of BPU governance. The review

gave us a clear view on the nature, characteristics and qualities of governance as it

relates to the notions of transparency, accountability, participation, and adherence to

the rule of law. Thus, this inquiry involved the selected academics (both academic

teaching and academic service faculty) to elicit from them perspectives on local

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governance of BPU and community development that followed a qualitative approach

of lively conversation.

Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991

was signed into law on October 10, 1991. Chapter 3 of this Code discusses Local

Legislation and as such, Section 48 defines the Local Legislative Power. The Local

legislative power shall be exercised by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for the Province;

Sangguniang Panlungsod for the City; the Sangguniang Bayan for the Municipality; and

the Sangguniang Barangay for the Barangay.

The presiding officer as defined under Section 49 of the same Code discusses that

the Vice Governor shall be the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan; the City

Vice Mayor, of the Sangguniang Panlungsod; the Municipal Vice Mayor, of the

Sangguniang Bayan; and the Punong Barangay, of the Sangguniang Barangay. The

presiding officer shall vote only to break a tie. Moreover, in the event of the disability of

the regular presiding officer to preside at a Sangguniang session, the members present and

constituting a quooum shall elect from among themselves a temporary presiding officer.

He shall certify within ten (10) days from the passage of ordinances enacted and resolutions

adopted by the Sanggunian in the session over which he temporarily presided.

The Internal Rules of Procedure lays down that: a) On the first regular session

following the election of its members and within ninety days (90) thereafter, the

Sanggunian concerned shall adopt or update its existing rules or procedure; b) the rules of

procedure shall provide for the following: (1) The organization of the sanggunian and the

election of its officers as well as the creation of standing committees which shall include,

but shall not be limited to, the committees on appropriations, women and family, human

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rights, youth and sports development, environmental protection, and cooperatives; the

general jurisdiction of each committee; and the election of the chairman and members of

each committee; (2) The order and calendar of business for each session; (3) The legislative

process; (4) The parliamentary procedures which include the conduct of members

during sessions; (5) The discipline of members for disorderly behavior and absences

without justifiable cause for four (4) consecutive sessions, for which they may be censured,

reprimanded, or excluded from the session, suspended for not more than sixty (60) days,

or expelled: Provided, That the penalty of suspension or expulsion shall require the

concurrence of at least two-thirds (2/3) vote of all the sanggunian members: Provided,

further, That a member convicted by final judgment to imprisonment of at least one (1)

year for any crime involving moral turpitude shall be automatically expelled from the

sanggunian; and (6) Such other rules as the sanggunian may adopt.

Specifically, under Section 51 of RA9160 identifies that the Sangguaniang

Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Bayan, Sannguniang Panlungsod or the Sangguniang

Barangay shall identify the parliamentary procedures which include the conduct of

members during sessions.

Parliamentary Procedure now comes into play how the elected Sangguniang

members will effectively participate in the legislative process in the province, city, town

or barangay they intend to serve.

Theoretical Framework

The concept of postmodernism in politics could be an appropriate framework as

well as the paradigm of postmodern critical theory (Lindlof & Taylor 2002, Rowling

2008).
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 Considering the fact that Philippine politics is in a transition state, history

indicates that politics has operated within the institutional parameters that often limited

and shaped interactions to factions of the elite, who had always held on tightly to the

reins of power (Simbulan 2007). It seems that it would certainly require a

postmodernist framework both in politics and critical theory in order to address a

multitude of needs in the dynamic Philippine society. There is no “real representation

and participation” that exist for the people, as stressed by Simbulan in a work on

contemporary politics in the Philippines (Arao et al. 2007)

In postmodern critical theory, it is recognized that social problems are politicized

“by situating them in historical and cultural contexts, to implicate themselves in the

process of collecting and analyzing data, and to relativize their findings” (Lindlof &

Taylor, 2002, p. 52). Meaning itself is seen as unstable due to the rapid transformation

in social structures. This is the reason why this inquiry was centered on local

manifestations rather than broad generalizations. Subscribing to Rolling’s (2008)

critical work, we attempted to characterize BPU governance by the notion of “crisis

in representation” which rejects the idea that a researcher’s work is considered an

“objective depiction of a stable other” (Lindlof & Taylor 2002). In most postmodern

reports, scholars have adopted “alternatives that encourage reflection about the ‘politics

and poetics’ of their work”.

Finally, this inquiry subscribed to the body of thought that events are governed

not by universal laws of cause and effect, but instead, by human intentions and by

multiple concurrent and interacting influences., The meaning of these events can be

understood only within their context; and that the detailed descriptions of the full range

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 of these interactions and dynamics are the only way to accurately represent these events

and their meanings (Bolster 1983; Stake 1978). Human knowledge tends to store their

own knowledge in narrative form (Bruner 1985; Connelly & Clandenin 1990), that

narratives capture life in the way that it is experienced. This study therefore,

emphasized on the personal stories of the academics with experiences in various

programs and projects (P&P) in the barangays, and those who are knowledgeable

about the local governance setting within and outside the Barangay whose stories can

gain the attention to practitioners, researchers and policy makers on local governance

and community development.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual paradigm as illustrated in Figure 1 illustrates the System Approach

of the study – Input, Process, and Output.

As illustrated, the input are the profile of the respondents in terms of age,

educational qualification, occupation/profession and number of years elected in the service.

It will also take into account the level of awareness of the elected officials on Parliamentary

Procedure and the extent the elected officials adopt the Parliamentary Procedure.

The process includes the data gathering through questionnaire which will be

substantiated by questionnaire, informal interview and documentary analysis; statistical

treatment of the data and the formulation of recommendations.

The output will be the proposed intervention program to enhance or improve

awareness and adoption of Parliamentary Procedure among elected barangay officials in

the Municipality of Nabua.

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Statement of the Problem

The researcher intends to measure the degree of awareness and adoption of the

Parliamentary Procedure among the Sangguniang Barangay in the Municipality of Nabua,

5th District of Camarines Sur. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of the following:

a. Age

b. Educational Qualification

c. Occupation/Profession

d. Number of Years elected in the service

2. What is the level of awareness of the elected officials on Parliamentary

Procedure?

3. To what extent do the elected officials adopt the Parliamentary Procedure?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and the

level of awareness and extent of adoption of the elected officials on

Parliamentary Procedure?

5. What intervention program ca be proposed to enhance or improve awareness

and adoption of Parliamentary Procedure among the elected officials

Significance of the Study

This study will be deemed beneficial to the following:

Sangguniang Barangay Members. The result of the study will identify areas of

improvement and intervention programs to the Sangguniang Barangay Members to

effectively legislate laws and participate in the legislative proceedings of the Local

Government Units.
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 Constituents. The constituents will be assured that their elected Sangguniang

Barangay members can actively participate in the legislative process of their local

government units and as a result can legislate ordinances to the benefits of the masses.

Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges. The result of this study can be used by the

College as a researched-based extension program to the Local Government Units of the 5th

District of Camarines Sur.

College of Education, Arts and Sciences. This can be a platform program of the

social science department to bring to the community the concept of effective governance

and service to the community as mandated in the Constitution.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are conceptually defined based from the Parliamentary Rules

and Concepts by Antonio Orendain III to leverage understanding.

Parliamentary law refers to that body of generally accepted rules, precedents, and

practices commonly employed to regulate the proceedings of deliberative assemblies,

hence, the term parliamentary procedure.

Elected Officials are the Sangguniang Barangay Members and the Punong

Barangay duly elected in a barangay election for a period mandated by law

Ordinance are local legislations adopted by the barangay council as a result of

careful deliberations and considering the local needs and interests of the barangay.

Meeting denotes a gathering or assembly of the members of an organization for

any length of time during which there is unbroken deliberation except perhaps for

occasional and brief period of recess.

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 Session denotes either a single meeting or a series of meetings which may last from,

and to, any length of time.

Quorum is that number or proportion of the members of an organization which

must be present at a particular meeting for the organization to legally transact business.

Debate is a discussion on any subject for the purpose of elucidating the truth or

influencing action.

Scope and Delimitation

This study will delved into the level of awareness and adoption of Parliamentary

Procedure among the selected barangay officials of the Municipality of Nabua in the 5th

District of Camarines Sur. Out of the 42 barangays in the Municipality of Nabua, 30% or

13 barangays shall be considered as subject of the study including those barangays with

existing Memorandum of Agreement shall be prioritized as subject of the study. The study

will take into account the profile of the elected barangay officials in terms of age,

educational qualification, occupation/profession and length of service elected in the

position. It will also look into the level of awareness and adoption of the elected barangay

officials on the practice of Parliamentary Procedure and local governance.

Methodology

This section includes the research design, population of the study, data gathering

instrument and statistical treatment.

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 Research Design

The study will use the descriptive method of research. This will be used to describe

and analyze the existing situation on the level of awareness and adoption of the barangay

officials on the concept of parliamentary procedure and local governance.

Population and Sample

Out of the 42 identified barngays in the Municipality of Nabua, 30% or 13 shall be

considered as subject of the study including those barangays with existing Memorandum

of Agreement. 100% of the Sangguniang barangay shall be the respondents of the study

and shall be given a questionnaire but only those the retrieved questionnaires will be used

in this study.

Questionnaire

In order for the researchers to collect pertinent data for the study, the researchers

will use a questionnaire and documentary analysis. Furthermore, interview will be

conducted for clarification of some data on the questionnaire, if necessary.

Preparation of the Questionnaire. The questionnaire will be the main instrument

in gathering the data. The questionnaires will be composed of several parts pattered after

the identified problems. The questionnaire will be prepared to secure varied responses for

certain statement. The statements are intended to obtain factual information about the

problem.

Administration of the Questionnaire. The researchers will distribute the

questionnaire thru its enumerator and likewise retrieve them.

Interview. Interview will be resorted to further clarify and validate responses of

he respondents on the questionnaire.

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 Statistical Treatment

In order to attain the objectives of the study, the following statistical tools will be

used: Percentage Technique for Item No. 1; Weighted Mean for Item No. 2 and 3; and

Pearson Product Moment Correlation for Item No. 4.

Working Bibliography

The Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), effective January 1,
1992

Abros, A. 2003. Civil Society Engagements in Local Governance: The Case of the
Philippines. Retrieved F e b r u a r y 1 2 , 2 0 1 7 from
http://www.ipd.ph/logolinksea/resources/SEA%20Regional %20Paper5.pdf.

ADB (Asian Development Bank).2005. Country Assessment on Governance:

Philippines. Retrieved on F e b r u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 7 from
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/CGA/pga‐feb‐2005.pdf..

Aguas, J.J.S. 2001. Postmodernism and Philippine Politics. Ad Veritatem, 1(1): 81‐99
(October).

Aguirre, A.G.M. 2005. Local Governance, Children and the Physical Environment:
The Payatas in the Philippines. Children, Youth and Environments, 15(2), 2005.

Arao, D.A., Gealogo, F.A., Manalansan Jr., E.H., Rivera, T.C., Simbulan, R.G.
2007. Oligarchic politics: elections and the Partylist System in the Philippines. Edited by
B.M. Tuazon. Policy Studies, Publication and Advocacy (PSPA), Center for People
Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG).

BDC of Lawaan, Gingoog City. 2002. Strengthening Cooperativism & Partnership

Towards Good Governance in Barangay Lawaan Appeared in Balay Mindanaw Foundation,
Inc. Website. Presented during the 1st Mindanao CAPP‐SIAD Partners and Implementors’
Conference, 16‐17 January, Cagayan de Oro City. Available at
http://www.balaymindanaw.org/bmfi/breakthroughs/past/lawaan.html.

Robredo, J. 2006. Naga’s i‐Governance Program: Empowering Citizens towards

effective Water Resources Management. Mayors’ Asia‐Pacific Environmental Summit
(MAPES) 9‐12 May 2006 Melbourne, Australia.

Simbulan, R.G. 2007. Contemporary politics in the Philippines: the configuration

of Post EDSA I political parties. In: Arao et al. 2007, pages 22 ‐ 46, Oligarchic Politics:
Elections and the Partylist System in the Philippines, B.M. Tuazon (ed.). Policy Studies,
14
 Publication and Advocacy (PSPA), Center for People Empowerment in Governance
(CenPEG).
Villarin, T., Castillo, C., Perpetua, M. and Chavez, E. 2002. Balangay: A Resource
for Barangay Governance (3rd edition). Institute of Politics and Governance (IPG): Quezon
City.

Manpower Requirement. The researcher shall seek the help of Enumerator, Encoder,

Editor, Statistician and Adviser to complete the study.

a. Enumerator (1)

b. Encoder (1)

c. Editor (1)

d. Statistician (1)

e. Adviser (1)

Expected Output/Deliverables

The study expects to identify the level of awareness and extent of adoption of

barangay officials of Parliamentary Procedure. After identifying such problem, the

researcher expects to produce a Work Instruction to localize the teaching of Parliamentary

Procedure to barangay officials to help them in the legislation and governance of their

affairs. Said output shall be used in the Extension Program to increase their level of

awareness and at the same time improve their skills in law-making and public

administration.

Budgetary Outlay

LINE ITEM BUDGET

2 Semesters ( 1 Year )

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Awareness and Adoption of Parliamentary Procedure in the Local Government
Units of the 5th District of Camarines Sur: Basis for Extension Program
Maintenance And Other Operating Expenses

1. OTHER SERVICES
- Enumerator/Statistician Php 4,000.00
- Encoder 2,000.00

2. TRAVEL EXPENSE
This Includes but not limited to the following items
- Distribution and retrieval of questionnaires 3,000.00

3. COMMUNICATION 2,000.00
This Includes but not limited to the following items
- Courier fee/mailing expense
- Long Distance Calls

4. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

This Includes but not limited to the following items
- Reproduction of questionnaires 1,000.00
- Computer Ink 1,000.00
- Bond Paper 1,000.00
- Binding 1,000.00

TOTALS Php 15,000.00

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Work Plan

Work Plan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Submission of Research
Proposal
Revision of Research
Proposal
Request to conduct Study
Administration of the
Questionnaire
Retrieval of the
Questionnaire
Tallying
Interpretation
Completion of the Study
Submission of the Research
Output

Credential of Personnel Involved

April Z. Luzon is an advocate of good governance. She finished Bachelor of Arts

in Political Science in University of Saint Anthony in 2005 and pursued College of Law

thereafter. Her failure in the Bar examination prompted her to pursue another career and

continued her professional advancement. At present, she is currently designated as the

Planning Officer-designate of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges and is currently

pursuing her PhD in Public Administration at Bicol University as a CHED Kto12 Scholar.

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