Labor of Love

Narcisa Dagdagan Paraso is the first woman Barangay Chairperson in the history of her barangay. Before becoming a Punong Barangay, she once served the Catholic Church as a Barangay Pastoral President. In 2010 she became the first barangay councilor, and she was elected as Chairwoman in 2013.

Aside from other activities in barangay, she is also involved in organizing assemblies that helps her barangay to be more active in community development. She does this in democratic way where she encourages her subordinates and the people involved to participate in brainstorming, organizing and making decision. She acts as facilitator in the group. This way she lets the people decide, initiate and be more active participant in the community.

Before, their barangay is a flood-prone area, and the road, during rainy season is mud-filled while during dry season is dust-filled. But when Kalahi-CIDSS came in their barangay, Capt. Paraso saw a glimpse of chance for their barangay, for Kalahi-CIDSS had given them a better perspective in life. She then made her community people see that they can still do something to improve the current status of their barangay. They can be the one to identify and at the same time solve the problem in their community. She then became a better leader because of Kalahi-CIDSS.

Capt. Paraso exudes the eagerness to involve the people in any activities especially during barangay assembly. She makes sure 80 percent participation of household present in the assembly. She gives the people the importance of involving themselves as residents of their barangay reminding them that they have the right to know what is happening in their place. And she clearly states that this is not just to comply with the 80 percent participation but to include the resident in decision making. This is to see to it that the majority of people know the status of the program or project in barangay such as: updates, finances, IRA and other matter.

During the assembly, Hon. Paraso inclusively encourages her residents to be more participative in the meeting, and she always welcomes the people’s suggestions and recommendations in the improvement of good governance. She has made sure that the people involved play great role in barangay, and she insures that they do their task given to them.

Capt. Paraso is an overseer, facilitator, and encourager; she is also an active doer or player; she is a type of leader who does not only tell people what to do but she demonstrates how to get things done. Just this last typhoon Lando she tied up with the different NGOs and other church organizations to provide her people immediate needs with this time of crisis. According to the community volunteers, the nominee is the most supportive chairwoman that the Barangay has ever had with regard to the activities, meetings, trainings in community development. They also mentioned that she does not just support them morally but also financially, and lastly they added that they feel the captain’s motherly love in all her dealings.

These characteristics of her was inspired and development from her moral values, and the additional learnings from the Program Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP. For all the above mentioned labor and effort, she and their community is recognized as the Best Local Executive office on National Bayani Ka Awards last February 9, 2016 among all the barangays in the Philippines covered by the program. But most importantly, they now have a road of 5mx1.136 km with sectional concreting of .3 km and cross drain. ###