Brgy. tasked to create residents’ data base

February 21, 2021 Metro BLISTT

Councilor Isabelo Cosalan, Jr. has passed an ordinance mandating all the barangays in the city to create and maintain an updated database of their constituents.
“The barangay is the primary source of basic information of its citizens. The reliability and credibility of the needed data is of primordial concern,” Cosalan stressed. The data collected through the Disaster Form 200 of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the identification of beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program shall form part of the barangay database.
According to Cosalan, the data stored and updated in the barangay database shall be useful in various government programs and transactions. The barangay database shall aid government units in their policy formulation, planning, and program implementation.
Furthermore, the database is expected to improve the efficiency of the issuance of certificates, clearances, reports, and other documents by the barangay. The ordinance stated that the collection and storage of personal data shall be in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
The ordinance shall task the barangay council to create a committee to look into the implementation of information technology programs that will ensure the establishment of the database. The Special Services Division (SSD) and the Management information and Technology Division (MITD), both under the City Mayor’s Office, shall provide technical assistance to the barangays in the setting up, operation, and maintenance of the barangay information system (BIS). The BIS shall be part of the network of the city government’s management information system.
To ensure success in the continuous operation of the BIS, Information trainings on Information and Communication Technology at least twice a year with 24 total training hours or more shall be conducted by the combined efforts of the City Mayor’s Office and the Liga ng mga Barangay- Baguio Chapter. The training fund shall come for the annual appropriation of the SSD.
The implementation of the ordinance shall be in phases as may be determined by the MITD to ensure that the barangay personnel are properly trained for the task. The barangay shall include in their annual budget the procurement of appropriate hardware while the city government shall provide the necessary software.
Upon the approval of the ordinance, the SSD shall coordinate with the City Budget Office, the City Treasurer’s Office, the City Planning and Development Office, the Liga ng mga Barangay- Baguio City Chapter, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the ordinance. The IRR shall be in consonance with the Smart City Program of the city.
The ordinance has been forwarded to the City Mayor’s Office for approval.
Earlier, the city council passed Resolution 267-2020 encouraging all barangays in the city to maintain a digital database of all their inhabitants who have been profiled through the DSWD Disaster Form 200 which shall serve as protected centralized databank.
Jordan G. Habbiling/ABN