Ma. Lourdes N. Tiquia
THE first glimpse or impression Filipinos had of the notion of government was the barangay, the lowest political unit of the country. Said to be non-partisan, the barangay of centuries ago were better than today. The barangay officials were respected individuals in the area— si Kapitan ginagalang. Their work was voluntary and they did not receive any incentive from the national government. They worked because they loved and cared for their communities. As a senior citizen would say, “sila yung ginagalang at matatakbuhan.”