Tinglayan BEGINS 2024 Search for Healthy Barangay

Tinglayan, Kalinga – The municipality of Tinglayan begins its 2024 search for healthiest barangay, a competition of barangays whose prize or award is given in the form of community development projects.

Said search is held annually and is now in its sixth year. It was launched in 2018, halted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and resumed in 2021. It is aimed at promoting ecological solid waste management in the municipality.

This year’s edition started with the visitation and assessment of 20 barangays by a group of evaluators. The first stop was in Barangay Ambato-Legleg.

The evaluators are composed of representatives from various local government offices and national-line agencies, such as the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

The evaluation phase requires them to personally visit the locality’s 20 barangays and grade them in terms of good governance indicators and service delivery indicators. The first indicator equates to 36 percent while the other is equivalent to 64 percent.

As explained by Information Officer Larae Lactao, the good governance indicator pertains to the presence of plans, budget support for social services and infrastructure, implementation of the full disclosure policy, and availability of functional barangay-based organizations or committees, which include the availability of an established BLGU office, crafted and implemented ordinances, and best practices of the BLGU. These shall be checked through documentation made by the barangay.

As to the service delivery, the evaluators shall look into the availability of water supply, sanitary toilets with waste disposal systems, income generation, peace and order, public safety, availability of health services, health practices implementation, nutritional status of the population, maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates and the provision of services to its constituents.

In a statement, Mayor Sacrament Gumilab, encouraged the participation of the community in the search as their support to the activity plays a significant role in the achieving the overall aim.

The winners of the search shall form the list of choices to become the entry of Tinglayan to the provincial search of healthiest barangay in Kalinga.