INSTITUTIONALIZING THE INFRA-

DEVELOPMENT
PLAN OF BARANGAY SAGANA,
SANTIAGO CITY

By

RICO G. EDURESE
 A Policy Paper Presented to the

FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

Philippine Christian University

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree

Master in Public Administration

 Abstract
This policy paper was prepared with the intention
of exhorting the Barangay Council of Brgy. Sagana,
Santiago City to create a 15-year infra-development
plan for reasons extensively given elsewhere in this
work.
The study was developed using a conceptual
framework based on a social constructivism
perspective. As such, the subject barangay is treated as
if it were a body composed of different organs. The
organs symbolically refer to the stakeholders concerned
in the preparation of the development plan that is
hereby being proposed.
 The researcher used approaches based on the so-called
grounded theory of qualitative research. For this reason no
statistical data have been presented in the form of tables showing
measures of central tendency; and the results and
recommendations offered in this work have all been based on
observed and archived data, and based on the personal
perspectives of the researcher.
This study ends with the conclusion that the 15-
year infra-development plan being proposed can be
formulated, given a co-operative effort by the stakeholders.
Complimenting this conclusion is the recommendation that
the Barangay Captain of Brgy. Sagana create a composite team
that will be tasked with the formulation of the 15-year infra-
development plan being proposed in this study.
 Chapter I
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Brgy. Sagana is an urban barangay of the City of Santiago.

With an updated population count of 5,153 and a land
area of 5.46 sq. km. (546 has.), the barangay has a very
high relative population density of 943 persons per
square kilometer. The ideal relative density of population
is 50-100 people per square kilometer. This density is
likely to become aggravated as more and more people
take up residence in the barangay.
Statement of the Problem

Toward this goal, the problems that confront the

barangay officials are the following:

1. Is there a need for a so-called infra-development plan? Why?

a. What are the advantages of having an infra-devlpt plan?
b. What are the consequences of not having the plan?

2. What infra should be prioritized for the barangay?

3. How many years should the plan be intended? Why?
4. Who should participate in the formulation of the plan?
Significance of the Study

The significance of the study lies in the fact that it will push the
barangay officials into formulating a 15-year infrastructure
development plan for Brgy. Sagana, Santiago City.
Formulating such plan will be tantamount to formulating a
purposeful guide toward progress for the barangay.
Failure to do so, on the other hand, could relegate the economy of
the barangay into stagnation; congestion could potentially
become a breeding ground for hoodlums and criminals; and, over
time, the cultural and moral fiber of the community will be
eroded.
Scope and Limitation

The scope of this paper is within the sphere of convincing

the barangay officials to sit together and consider drafting an
infrastructure development plan for the barangay.
In other words, this paper is concerned mainly with
rationalization rather than execution. It is for this researcher to
initiate convincing reasons why a development plan is necessary; it
is for the stakeholders to initiate the actual burden of planning.
As a result, this research is limited to interviewing selected
persons in the community, gathering archived data from the
barangay hall, and observing actual situations in the barangay with
respect to matters concerning infrastructure.
 Chapter II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Conceptual Framework of the Study

The design of this study is based on a social

constructivism perspective. The barangay is treated at
a macro level orientation, which is a broad focus on the
social structures that shape the community as a whole.
The barangay is the “body,” while the stakeholders
are the “organs” that work together to maintain a healthy
body.
This paradigm is better illustrated in the graphical
presentation in the next slide.
 Chapter III
METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The intended end result of this paper is to get the

stakeholders of Brgy. Sagana to create a 15-year infra-
development plan.
Thus, the researcher used the qualitative research
design, in the process heavily depending upon interviews,
analysis of archived data, ocular observations, and
personal perceptions in order to develop the central
objective of this study.
Participants

The participants in this study included the barangay

officials, the Purok leaders, members of the Lupon,
members of the barangay police force, the RIC, leaders
of the different religious denominations in the place.
Also included were the teachers in the barangay, some
NGO members, some engineers and a lawyer
(practicing their professions privately), and a health
official from the LGU of Santiago City.
Other residents of the barangay also participated in
the casual interviews done by the researcher.
Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher roamed around the barangay several

times, he himself being a resident of the place. He
casually asked their opinion on what infrastructure are
needed in the barangay. The responses were carefully
noted and summarized to come up with a short list for
use in this paper.
Data Analysis
As is standard procedure in a qualitative-based research,
the data gathered were subjected to arbitrary analysis,
and were interpreted according to the personal
perspectives of the researcher.
Chapter IV
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Need for an Infra-development Plan

There were 4 reasons given why there is a need for the plan.

1. The barangay officials need a clear guide in deciding what

infrastructure to establish every year according to the
capacity of their 20% infra development budget.
2. The barangay officials need a clear guide in calendaring
projects, when one should be started, programmed, and
when expected to be finished.
3. The barangay officials need a clear guide in establishing standards of quality
for all undertaken projects.
4. An infra-development plan will serve as a compass, showing
a clear direction that the future of the barangay should have.

12 ARGUMENTS WERE LAID OUT AS ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A PLAN.

1. Barangay planners will have a ready blueprint to follow year

after year.
2. Infrastructure facilities will one by one be provided to the
barangay constituents as the years go by and funds allow.
3. More feeder roads will be constructed; an improved water
system will be established; garbage disposal will be systematized;
additional school buildings erected; playgrounds well laid out, etc
4. A clear, simple and orderly zoning can be instituted and correctly
implemented.
5. Peace and order in the neighborhood will be greatly enhanced.
6. The infra-development plan will serve as additional document when
soliciting funds.
7. An infra-development plan will show the barangay officials which
projects can be undertaken in one go, and which can be undertaken
progressively every year as funds become available.
8. An infra-development plan will encourage a more intelligent socio-
political management of the barangay.
9. Governance in the barangay will be greatly facilitated, ordinances
well-implemented, cooperation among constituents obtained, etc.
10. An infra-development plan will have a positive overall impact on
the socio-economic progress of the barangay.
11. Residents will live in a progressive, pleasant, healthful and vibrant
environment.

12. A well-implemented infra-development plan might encourage

tourists to temporarily stay in the barangay if some barangay-
funded facilities, such as a good hostel, are erected.

AT LEAST 8 DISADVANTAGES WERE ENUMERATED FOR NOT HAVING A PLAN

1. Barangay officials will have no guide, and undertaking infras-
tructure projects will be haphazard and disorganized.
2. No priorities will be established. This could stymy projects,
leaving one project unfinished because another one has been
unwisely started.
3. Accounting of funds can be problematic, a situation that could
lead to corruption.
4. Overall progress could be very slow because no one will have
the initiative to plan and start a project all by himself, even if
the idea might be very good.
5. Roads could be neglected, and practically no additional ones
constructed. This will lead to very poor mobility within the
barangay.
6. Other important aspects in the barangay could be neglected,
such as sanitation, environmental management, etc.
7. The constant influx of migrants into the barangay, when
unabated and mismanaged, could lead to crowded
neighborhood. A crowded neighborhood within an
economically depressed area could breed criminality.
8 Overall economic progress of the barangay will be greatly
slowed and stunted.
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED AND TO BE PRIORITIZED
In the researcher’s perspective, the following infrastructure should be needed and
prioritized in Brgy. Sagana:
1.HARD INFRASTRUCTURE
1.1 Additional farm to market roads; improvement and/or repair of
existing roads
1.2 Gutters and canals alongside roads for rainwater overflow
1.3 A talipapa under a barangay-funded open-type building
1.4 More Elementary and High School buildings
1.5 A playground in every Purok, and a park in the barangay
1.6 One public toilet in every Purok equipped with water-sealed bowls
1.7 Enough waiting sheds for passengers waiting for tricycle
1.8 Construction of potable water supply and 2 units of 50,000 gallon
over head tank and rehabilitation of existing water system.
1.9 Another covered court, complete with structurally worthy bleachers
1.10 Posts bearing street names at every corner
1.11 House plate numbers
1.12 Street signage and informational posters made of permanent
materials for public guidance and information
1.13 Intricate drainage system by sewers
1.14 One garbage-collecting truck (not necessarily a compactor)
1.15 Mobile patrol tricycles, one unit for each Purok
1.16 One covered truck for hauling people and commodities in
emergency cases and disasters.
1.17 One ambulance.
1.18 One birthing clinic with complete clinical facilities
1.19 One small fire truck.
1.20 One strong, reliable siren installed at the Barangay Hall and
used to sound alarms during calamities.
1.21 A dog pound.
1.22 A disaster relief and evacuation center.
A TOTAL OF 8 SOFT INFRASTRUCTURE WERE ENUMERATED.
2. SOFT INFRASTRUCTURE
2.1 Zoning within the barangay
2.2 New ordinances appropriate to the changing socio-economic, socio-
cultural and socio-political transformations in the barangay
2.3 Well-planned garbage management and disposal system
2.4 A fire brigade composed of Purok volunteers
2.5 A Reaction Team that can be instantly mobilized for civilian
defense purposes and during calamities and disasters
2.6 One Bayanihan Team to do community service when occasion so
demands
2.7 One resident physician and at least two resident nurses whose
salaries are locally funded. These personnel should be in the
barangay clinic daily.
2.8 Barangay-funded budget for relief operations and supplies for
ready distribution to assist fire victims and victims of natural
calamities. This without waiting for assistance coming from
outside the barangay.
Time Frame for the Infra-Development Plan
It is the position of this paper that the infra-development plan should be
calendared for a fifteen-year period.

Participants in the Formulation of the Plan

The formulation of the infra-development plan should be led by the

barangay captain himself. He should create a composite team with the stakeholders
already mentioned earlier as participants.
Chapter V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Summary

This policy paper was prepared to suggest to the Barangay Council of Brgy. Sagana,
Santiago City to create a 15-year infra-development plan for reasons already enumerated in this
work.
This paper is a concept based on a social constructivism perspective, which means
that the barangay is treated at a macro level orientation, with broad social structures that shape
the community as a whole; and the constituents treated at a micro level orientation, with
specific roles as “organs” that constitute a healthy “body” (which is the barangay).
 The researcher used approaches based on the so-called grounded theory of
qualitative research. For this reason no statistical data have been presented in the
form of tables showing measures of central tendency; and the results and
recommendations offered in this work have all been based on observed and archived
data, and based on the personal perspectives of the researcher.

Conclusion
From the perspective of the researcher, the conclusion arrived at in this study
is: that creation of a 15-year infra-development plan is feasible and can be prepared
successfully with the co-operation of the Barangay Council and the constituents.

Recommendation
In the light of all the foregoing, it is hereby recommended that the Barangay
Council of Brgy. Sagana, Santiago City create its own 15-year infra-development plan
as soon as possible.

T h e E n d