New leaders, continuing challenges:
Financing, Accountability, and Prospects for Barangay Governance

New set of elected leaders, but old sets of problems. What are lingering issues in barangay governance? How can barangays, as the smallest unit of government, become more effective in performing its designated functions? This working paper approaches these questions in two levels. First, this paper discusses the continuing issues in barangay government financing, covering the inequities in the distribution of barangay IRA, and the challenges in creation and subsequent funding of barangays. And second, this analysis looks into issues of accountability of barangay officials and provides initial recommendations for policies that target structural and behavioral changes. As a concluding note, the paper situates the barangay governance issues into the greater decentralization and devolution issues confronting local governance today.

Download full paper here.