Grassroots Governance and Delivery of Mandated Services in Catarman, Northern Samar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20760035Keywords:
barangay governance, competence, grassroots governance, mandated services, RA 7160, service deliveryAbstract
This study assessed grassroots governance and the delivery of mandated services in selected barangays of Catarman, Northern Samar. Specifically, it examined barangay profiles, demographic characteristics of barangay officials, competence levels, severity of challenges, mandated service delivery performance under Republic Act No. 7160, and the relationships among these variables. A descriptive-correlational research design was used. Respondents included 158 barangay officials from 17 selected barangays and 85 residents who served as external evaluators of service delivery performance. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire validated by experts and analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, weighted mean, Pearson product-moment correlation, comparative tests, and moderation analysis. Findings showed that the selected barangays varied in land area, population, National Tax Allotment, and geographic accessibility. Most barangay officials were middle-aged, male, married, Sangguniang Barangay members, college graduates, and had attended governance-related trainings. Officials demonstrated high competence across planning, program knowledge, implementation skills, monitoring/reporting, and accountability/leadership, with accountability and leadership obtaining the highest mean. Challenges were rated major overall, with resource and staffing constraints as the most severe. Mandated service delivery was generally rated good by both officials and residents, with Katarungang Pambarangay and health/social welfare receiving the highest performance ratings. Significant relationships were found between selected demographic variables, competence, and service delivery performance. Competence dimensions were also significantly related to service delivery outcomes. Moreover, challenges significantly moderated the competence-performance relationship, showing that severe operational and institutional barriers weakened the positive influence of competence on service delivery.
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