CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

When the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they found

the Filipinos having a civilization of their own and living in well-

organized independent villages called barangays. The name barangay

originated from balangay, a Malay word meaning “sailboat”.

Historically, a barangay is a relatively small community of around

50 to 100 families. Most villages had only thirty to one hundred houses

and the population varied from one hundred to five hundred persons.

Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, several ancient barangays were

combined to form towns. Every barangay within a town was headed by the

cabeza de barangay (barangay chief), who formed part of the elite ruling

class of the municipalities of Spanish Philippines. The post was at first

inherited from the first datus who became cabezas de barangay, but then

was made into an elected one after the Spanish regime. The primary job

of the cabeza de barangay was to collect taxes, or tribute, from the

residents. The datu was primarily in charge in the maintenance of peace

and order within the balangay.

As history shows, the Philippines had its own unique way of

community policing. While we adopted in the past various community

policing systems, such as Koban of Japan and Singapore Police Force,

nevertheless, we have to resort to our homegrown policing system anchored

on the community partnership called bayanihan.

Bayanihan answers the need for the whole neighborhood to get

involved in policing and law enforcement. The community relies upon the

police to “serve and protect” and the police, in return, rely upon

community support and cooperation in order to be effective.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution, particularly in the Declaration

of Principles and State Policies, states that the prime duty of the

government is to serve and protect the people. The Government may call

upon the people to defend the state and all citizens may be required,

under conditions provided by law, to render personal, military or civil

service.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) recognizes the role of

Barangay Tanods, Bantay Bayan, CVOs, Barangay Auxiliaries, NGOs and

people’s organizations as Force Multipliers in the fight against

criminality/insurgency/terrorism. These organizations are also valuable

partners of government in community development.

 With the implementation of the JIRR as provided by EO 546, the PNP

will have an active role in ISO. Complementing the AFP Strategy of Shape-

Clear-Hold-Support, the BPAT as the sectoral equivalent of the CTM will

limit if not prevent the access of the insurgents to cleared barangays.

In the support phase, the BPAT will metamorphose into an effective

neighborhood security and public safety organization supporting the

consolidation and development activities of the civil government.

As such, it will perform not only crime prevention functions but

also implement anti- insurgency, disaster mitigation and community

assistance programs. Moreover, this organization shall foster closer

relationship between law enforcers and the general public to enhance the

credibility of the PNP and promote wide public acceptance of BPAT. This

is part of the effort to assimilate the police organization into the

community itself, thus epitomizing the adage, “The community is the

police and the police is the community”.

([Link]

Let’s face it, crime is inevitable. The economical status of our

country right now increases the risk of securing life and property and

maintaining Peace and Order. Our policemen can hardly cope in reducing

the rate of criminal activities. That’s when the Barangay can help

policemen through providing supplementary force in deterring crimes in

the community/barangay level. Barangay Tanods are at the forefront in

maintaining Peace and Order in every Barangay. They are composed of

civilian volunteers who serve as an effective and essential instrument

that ensures peace and order in the Barangay especially in areas where

police are scarce.

The Philippine National Police reported an increase in total volume

of crime in the month of April 2018 compared to January in the same

year. According to the data from the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation

and Detective Management (DIDM), the month of January has a total number

of 35,252 while the month of April has a total number of 38,752. The PNP

has been criticized for the surge in crime the past few months, until

now - from summary killing/Extra-judicial killings.

In Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be

called the children of God”. Peacekeeping is the basic function of the

police. And police visibility is one of the main foundation of the

peacekeeping activity together with police patrolling. Without this, it

would be very difficult to maintain peace and order (The Bible, King

James Version).

Police visibility may not work in all times of situation in

achieving its objectives in addressing criminality. That’s is why the

community should take a shared responsibility for fighting crimes and

ensuring peace and order. Community cooperation and support is vital.

In fact, the mission of PNP expressly states that peace and order and

public safety can only be assured only with the active involvement of

the community.
 Tayug is a third class municipality in the province of Pangasinan

with a total land area of 51.3 square kilometers (5,130 hectares) as of

2019. It is composed of twenty one (21) Barangays. According to the

latest census, it has a population of 38,803 people as of 2015

([Link]

municipalities/tayug/). Historically, Tayug was established on February

4, 1817, as a Municipality of the province of Nueva Ecija. Its first

gobernadorcillo was Don Lorenzo Bernardo. Tayug got its name from a very

tall tree that once grew in the heart of the town. The Bacayao tree was

so tall that in Ilocano they call it “Layug”. Due to the difficulty of

the people to pronounce the letter “L”, they changed it to the letter

“T” by common usage. Hence, the name TAYUG came about.

On March 17, 1817, Fray Escobar officiated over the town’s first

religious festival. The patron saint from its foundation was St. Patrick

of Ireland. Don Lorenzo Bernardo was Tayug’s teniente absoluto from May

10, 1817 to 1819. Under his administration a church was established. On

October 31, 1817, another Catholic missionary order, the Dominican took

over, with Father Mathias Pelaez as the first parish priest.

Later in 1851, Tayug was taken back by Nueva Ecija as its town;

not until 1864 when Tayug finally became part of Pangasinan. In 1870,

after 53 years, the church of Tayug was completed together with its

convent, by forced labor. It is believed that the early settlers of the

town came from the neighboring province of Ilocos and the Caraballo

Mountains. The town was then grassland of cogon and talahib, around the
18th century. Soon it was converted into an agricultural community as

the settlers were mostly farmers. ([Link]

It is for the cause that the researcher contemplated to find out

the extent of the effectiveness of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team

in maintenance of peace in the different barangays of Tayug.

Conceptual Framework

This research focuses on the effectiveness of Barangay Peacekeeping

Action Team (BPAT) in maintenance of peace and order in the community

specifically in Tayug.

The main function of BPAT is to receive a mantle of responsibility

from PNP and its role is to preserve peace and order inside its respective

Barangay. They are civilian volunteers who undergo trainings and

seminars. They are the ones who appointed to secure life and property,

maintain and control the security of every citizen inside the Barangay

especially in areas where police are scarce.

In the Community Oriented Policing System (COPS), the barangay is

the heart of the policing system. The precincts are located within the

community where policemen and people interact as partners in promoting

crime prevention and the maintenance of peace and order. The Philippine

National Police has framed the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT).

The creation of BPAT is so designed to give a rightful strategy for COPS

where the PNP leads an empowered community to lay the groundwork against

the prevalence of criminality in their area. The aspirations of BPAT is

aimed to address the peace and order issues of the country, and it shall

start from and within the community who campaigns to become part in

building a road towards development and a peaceful community.

 Executive Order No. 546 authorizes the PNP to deputize the barangay

tanods as force multipliers in the implementation of the peace and order

plan subject to the concurrence of the appropriate Local Chief Executive

through the Local Peace and Order Council (LPOC). Executive Order No.

546 authorizes the PNP to deputize the barangay tanods as force

multipliers in the implementation of the peace and order plan subject

to the concurrence of the appropriate Local Chief Executive through the

Local Peace and Order Council (LPOC). More recently, with EO 773, it is

incumbent upon the PNP to enhance its operational procedures on community

safety and security system in order to address criminality, ISO and

terrorism problems by establishing Neighborhood Support Groups (NSG)

through BPAT operatives, peace partners, and friends to achieve peace

and order throughout the country. The Barangay Peacekeeping Operations

(BPO) and its implementors, the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPAT)

are examples that the PNP does not stop at giving our countrymen the

best possible policing system.

In Article II, section 3 and 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,

stated that Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the

military and the prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect

the people. And all citizens may be required, under conditions provided

by law. In which the BPAT are the chosen citizen to do the job in

maintaining the peace and order of the community.

The conceptual paradigm of the study shows the whole process of

the study. The first block is the input, which pertains to the level of
effectiveness of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in Tayug, Pangasinan

as perceived by the respondents in terms of Law Enforcement, Community

/ People’s Organization, Disaster / Rescue/ Mitigation / Relief,

Environmental Protection and the significant difference between the

perceptions of the respondents on the level of effectiveness of Barangay

Peacekeeping Action Team in the same terms.

To process the input of the study, data and information will be

gathered through survey questionnaire which will be the basis of

interpretation to determine the level of effectiveness of Barangay

Peacekeeping Action Team in Tayug and the significant difference. The

questionnaire is in a form of checklist for BPAT members, Barangay

Officials, and PNP Officers, to respond to.

 The output of the study will be the recommended measures to improve

the performance of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team in Tayug.

Input

1. The level of 1. Determining the

effectiveness of level of
Barangay Peacekeeping effectiveness of
Action Team (BPAT) in Barangay
the Municipality of Peacekeeping
Tayug as perceived by Action Team
respondents. Proposed measures to
(BPAT) in Tayug as
improve the
perceived by
performance of
respondents.
Barangay
2. The significant Peacekeeping Action
difference between 2. Determining the
Team.
the perceptions of significant
the respondents on difference between
the level of the perceptions of
effectiveness of the respondents on
Barangay Peacekeeping the level of
Action Teams. effectiveness of
Barangay
Peacekeeping Action
Teams.

Output

Process

Figure 1

Paradigm of the Study

Statement of Problem

The study aimed to determine the level of effectiveness of the

Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in the Municipality of Tayug.

Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:

1. What is the level of effectiveness of Barangay Peacekeeping

Action Team (BPAT) in the Municipality of Tayug as perceived by

respondents in terms of;

a. Law enforcement

b. Community/People’s Organization

c. Disaster, Rescue, Mitigation, Relief

d. Environmental Protection
 2. Is there a significant difference between perception of the

respondents on the level of effectiveness of Barangay

Peacekeeping Action Teams in terms of:

a. Law enforcement

b. Community/People’s Organization

c. Disaster, Rescue, Mitigation, Relief

d. Environmental Protection

3. What measures may be proposed to improve the performance of

Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams?

Null Hypothesis
 Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY

This chapter will consist of the research design, population and

locale of the study, data gathering tools and procedure and statistical

treatment of data which will be utilize by the researchers in conducting

this study.

Research Design

The researchers will the descriptive method of research. It

involves the collection, organization, interpretation and presentation

of data in order to test the hypothesis or to assure the questions

concerning the status of knowledge. According to Kohler (2000),

descriptive method is concerned with the developing and utilizing

techniques for collection and effective presentation of numerical

information. And it is supplemented with the written questionnaires.

Population and Locale of Study

The study is about the effectiveness of Barangay Peacekeeping

Action Team in the Municipality of Tayug, Pangasinan. It will conducted

in the selected Barangay in Tayug. And it only covers Law Enforcement.

Community/People’s Organization, Disaster, Rescue, Mitigation, and

Relief, and in Environmental Protection. The Barangay

Conflict/Resolution is excluded.
 The research was conducted in Municipality of Tayug in the Province

of Pangasinan.

Figure 2

Locale of the Study

Data Gathering Procedure