Chapter 1

Introduction

Project Context

Barangays are the smallest units of governance in the Philippines and play a vital
role in providing essential services and addressing community needs. To improve the
efficiency of barangay operations, a system called ePrisinta: Barangay Volunteer System
has been proposed. This system aims to encourage community participation by inviting
volunteers to contribute their time, skills, and knowledge for the benefit of the barangay
and its residents.

Many barangays heavily rely on a limited number of officials and staff to carry out
various tasks and serve the community. However, the increasing demands and challenges
faced by barangays highlight the need for more people to meet the needs of the residents
effectively. Recognizing the importance of community involvement, the Barangay
Volunteer System aims to recruit willing volunteers from the community to address this
need.

There are several problems that highlight the need of Barangay Volunteer System:

1. Not enough people: Barangays have a limited number of officials and staff to
serve the community, which makes it challenging to meet all the needs and
demands of residents.

2. Poor management of volunteers: Current volunteer management methods are

inefficient and time-consuming. Paper-based records, coordination issues, and
mismatched tasks reduce the effectiveness of volunteers.

3. Communication and coordination problems: It's difficult for barangay

officials, volunteers, and residents to collaborate and communicate effectively.
The lack of a centralized platform leads to confusion, delays, and missed
opportunities for cooperation.

4. Inefficient resource allocation: Without a structured approach to volunteer

management, it's challenging to identify volunteers' skills, availability, and
interests. This results in inefficient use of resources and missed opportunities
for community development projects.
5. Difficulty in scaling volunteer programs: As barangays grow and their needs
change, Without a standardized approach, it becomes hard to engage new
volunteers and keep them involved in the community.

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 By tackling these issues through the establishment of a ePrisinta:Barangay
Volunteer System, barangays may overcome these obstacles and harness the potential of
community participation. The system will expedite volunteer administration, improve
communication and coordination, improve accountability and tracking, optimize resource
allocation, and enable scalable volunteer programs. Ultimately, this will result in more
efficient and effective service delivery and an empowered community that actively
contributes to the development and well-being of the barangay.

Purpose and Description

The ePrisinta: Barangay Volunteer System aims to make it easier to engage and
manage volunteers in the barangay. The system will replace manual volunteer
management methods, which have limitations, with a more efficient and effective online
platform. The goal is to increase community participation in the barangay's development
and well-being. By using this system, the barangay can make better use of volunteer
resources, improve communication and coordination, and ensure that work assignments
and monitoring are done more efficiently. Ultimately, the aim is to create a vibrant and
empowered community where residents actively contribute their skills, time, and
expertise to improve the barangay.

The ePrisinta: Barangay Volunteer System simplifies the process of registering

volunteers and enhances communication, coordination, and monitoring among volunteers,
barangay officials, and residents. It promotes accountability and encourages the
community to get involved in volunteer activities. The system is web-based, making it
accessible and user-friendly for volunteers, barangay officials, and residents to
collaborate and contribute to the barangay's development. It also includes reporting and
analytics features that generate reports on volunteer activities, resource usage, and the
effectiveness of volunteer projects. These reports help barangay authorities assess the
impact of the volunteer program, identify areas for improvement, and make informed
decisions to maximize community development efforts.

Objectives

1. Simplify Volunteer Management: The Barangay Volunteer System aims to

make managing volunteers easier. It simplifies the process of registering
volunteers, matching them with suitable tasks based on their skills and
availability, and keeps all volunteer information in one place.

2. Better Communication and Coordination: The system improves

communication and coordination between barangay officials, volunteers,
and residents. It provides a platform for constant updates, announcements,

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 and allows volunteers to connect, share ideas, and work together on
projects.

3. Efficient Task Assignment and Monitoring: The system helps assign tasks
to volunteers more efficiently. Barangay officials can assign tasks based
on qualifications, interests, and availability. They can also monitor task
progress to ensure timely completion and effective use of volunteer
resources.

4. Accountability and Reporting: The system tracks volunteer actions and

promotes accountability by keeping records transparent. Barangay officials
can monitor volunteer activities, track volunteer hours, and evaluate the
impact of their work.

5. Encourage Community Engagement: The system encourages community

involvement by providing opportunities for locals to actively contribute to
the development of the barangay. It allows residents to use their skills,
time, and knowledge to support projects that benefit the community.

6. Support Sustainable Volunteer Programs: The Barangay Volunteer System

provides an organized and scalable approach to support the long-term
sustainability of volunteer programs. It helps barangays increase
volunteerism, find new volunteers, and maintain ongoing community
involvement. By simplifying volunteer management processes, the system
ensures the continuity and growth of volunteer projects in the barangay.

Scope and Limitation

The purpose of this project is to develop a Barangay Volunteer System that

improves volunteer management, communication, and community engagement within
the barangay. The project's scope includes a single barangay or a group of barangays
located in Zamboanga City. The system will be tailored to meet the specific needs and
requirements of the chosen barangay(s). We will focus on creating a web-based
system that residents in the selected area can access.

The primary users of the ePrisinta: Barangay Volunteer System are:

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  Barangay Officials: These officials will have administrative rights and will be
responsible for managing volunteer registrations, assigning tasks, and
overseeing the system.

 Volunteers: These are residents of the barangay(s) who are willing to

contribute their time, expertise, and knowledge to local projects. The system
will allow volunteers to sign up, create profiles, and participate in work
assignments.

 Residents: They may have limited access to the system, mainly to read
notifications, learn about upcoming events, and explore volunteer
opportunities in their barangay(s).

The ePrisinta: Barangay Volunteer System, we will utilize modern web technologies
such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and server-side programming languages like PHP.
We will also use a relational database management system like MySQL or Apache's
phpMyAdmin to store and retrieve data. The web application will be hosted and run
using web servers like Apache.

Significance

The Web-based ePrisinta: Barangay Volunteer System holds significant

benefits for various beneficiaries, including community, volunteers, and future research
and development:

1. Community: The system empowers community residents by providing

opportunities to actively participate in the development and well-being of the
barangay. They can contribute their skills, time, and knowledge, fostering a sense
of ownership, empowerment, and engagement within the community.
2. Volunteers: The concept helps volunteers by giving them a planned platform to
participate in community projects. It enables communication and teamwork with
other volunteers, connects their abilities and interests with relevant tasks, and
improves their overall volunteering experience. Through their services, volunteers
can have a real impact on their neighborhood and experience a sense of
fulfillment.
3. Future Research and Development: Future researchers and developers can use the
data and insights produced by the system to learn more about community
involvement, volunteer management techniques, and the efficacy of technology-
driven systems. It is an invaluable resource for analysis, development, and
research into novel volunteerism and community engagement strategies.