Province to emulate Bohol’s purok system

CEBU, Philippines — The provincial government is eyeing to institutionalize a purok system of governance in Cebu.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said he plans to discuss with the legislative department to pass an ordinance which will institutionalize the system.

The purok system is a community framework composed of 20 to 50 households based on the proximity of their geographical location to promote grassroots development, self-reliance and people empowerment.

In a leaders' summit organized by Mega Cebu last week, the purok system was the center of the discussion. The system of the province of Bohol was featured as an example.

“We would like to replicate Bohol’s purok system and right now we are heading to that direction. I will take it up with Vice Governor Agnes Magpale and the Provincial Board to have an ordinance institutionalizing the system,” Davide said.

He sees that the purok system is an effective sounding board for government officials to know the needs of the people, especially in the grassroots level.

He added that it can provide an effective feedback mechanism on the kind of projects and interventions the people want the Capitol to implement in their respective areas.

In this system, the people are empowered since they will be consulted and given a venue to help identify projects, programs and activities.

“It is important that we align our projects to the wishes of these communities. If we strengthen the purok system, we strengthen the barangays, the municipalities and the province,” the governor said.

At present, the Capitol has partnered with the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) for the barangays to put up puroks.

There are at least 2,553 existing puroks in the Metro Cebu area, according to Evelyn Nacario-Castro of MCDCB.

Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto, for his part, said that in order for the system to work, members should see it not only as a cluster of households but also as “a living community in itself."

He cited that some people’s organizations will work on something when funding is still there. But once the funding is stopped, they will be gone.

He emphasized that the members of the purok should not be just a recipient of aid and assistance.

Chatto is considered as among the pioneers to adopt the system in Central Visayas. He pushed for the institutionalization of puroks in 2011 through a provincial ordinance.

The system aims to facilitate participatory governance for efficient delivery of programs and services to the grassroots level. Some of these are maintaining peace and order and disaster preparedness. —/GAN (FREEMAN)