More than 200 barangay officials in Zamboanguita town, Negros Oriental are expected to join the Barangayan sa Bagong Pilipinas Forum on Oct. 24.
Spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Barangayan is PIA’s newest grassroots communication program that aims to deliver accurate, relevant, and timely information at the grassroots level and address a prevailing issue of the community.
“The program aims to engage barangay residents and officials of concerned government agencies in a local forum or pulong-pulong to discuss the prevailing issue of the community and disseminate information on government’s programs to address it,” said PIA Negros Oriental Government Information Center Coordinator Maria Jenifer Tilos.
This is the second Barangayan in Region 7, with the first forum conducted in Barangay Cantao-an in Naga City, Cebu province that focused on informing the community on the hazards posed by the La Niña phenomenon.
This also serves as the launching of the Barangayan in Negros Oriental.
The Barangayan in Zamboanguita, which banners the theme “Sa Crime Prevention Magkahiusa Ta, Alang sa Malinawong Bagong Pilipinas,” will focus on peace and order and crime prevention.
Police Maj. Stephen Polinar, public information officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Oriental, disclosed in a recent Kapihan sa PIA forum that Zamboanguita has logged a significant increase in cases involving eight focus crimes.
Based on PNP records, there was a 17 percent increase of the eight focus crimes in Zamboanguita, from five cases between January and September 2023 to 21 cases recorded in the same period this year.
Aside from an exchange of information and open forum, the Barangayan will also feature a Serbisyo Caravan at the sidelines for the participants to avail of essential government services.
PIA has coordinated with the municipal police station and the municipal government of Zamboanguita to discuss their respective crime prevention efforts and programs and to extend essential government service to their constituents.
PIA also invited the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army to join the activity and share inputs on its security and anti-insurgency campaign.
Part of the services to be rolled out during the event are free medical and wellness services and livelihood demonstration. | NWI
