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Barangay Tanods as Agents of Peace and Development

As provided in section 387 of Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, specifies that the composition of officials and officers to include the Barangay Tanods at the barangay level.

The Barangay Tanods are the front liners in maintaining peace and order, protection and security of life and property, and preservation of crime scene. In addition, they are also summoned to aid with the implementation of programs, projects, and activities of the barangay especially in peace keeping and in addressing crimes.

The Department, in collaboration with other member agencies of the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC), sees the importance in  undertaking strategic interventions to enhance the capabilities of the barangay tanods in the performance of their duties with skill, commitment, and integrity. Hence a national and regional roll out training was conducted.

Organization of Barangay Tanod

The barangay tanod is a community brigade composed of civilian volunteers duly appointed by the Punong Barangay upon recommendation of the Barangay Peace and Order Committee (BPOC). The LGC provides a maximum of twenty (20) tanods in each barangay.'

The Barangay Tanod shall be supervised by the Punong Barangay. The Punong Barangay shall also designate a Chief Tanod/Executive Officer among them to head the group. The Tanod can be organized into teams composed of a Team Leader and two (2) to five (5) members, or as deemed appropriate.

Qualifications of Barangay Tanod Members

• A Barangay Tanod shall meet the following qualifications:

a) A Filipino citizen;

b) Must be a resident of the barangay where he is appointed;

c) At least 18 but not more than 70 vears old:

d) Can read and write

e) Of good moral character and Physically and mentally fit

• Retired government employees, police or military personnel / officers may be appointed as Barangay Tanod

• Barangay Tanod members who have been appointed before the effectivity of this Memorandum Circular must meet the qualifications provided. However, exemptions may be granted to barangays where there is a lack of qualified volunteers.

• To promote gender equality, women empowerment, and participation, itis highly encouraged to recruit women to serve as Barangay Tanod. Moreover, recruitment should not be discriminatory as to the gender and sexuality of the volunteer

Confirmation of Appointment

A Barangay Tanod member shall be appointed by the Punong Barangay upon recommendation of the Barangay Peace and Order Committee (BPOC) and with the concurrence of the majority of all the Sangguniang Barangay Members. A Barangay Resolution shall be passed for the purpose.

Term and Renewal of Appointment

• The status of the appointment of a Barangay Tanod member shall be a co-terminus with the appointing authority. Nevertheless, their appointment may be revoked for a valid cause, such as:

a) Violation of law (Revised Penal Code and Special Laws)

b) Commission of a crime involving moral turpitude

c) Gross neglect of duty

d) Voluntary resignation

e) For other causes that the BPOC may determine

• The process of renewing the appointment shall be similar to the confirmation of appointment as indicated in Item

• In case of any replacement due to the expiration of appointments, voluntary resignation, or for other causes, the BPOC shall submit the name of the replacement to the Punong Barangay for approval subject to the concurrence of the majority of all the members of the Sangguniang Barangay.

• While it is the prerogative of the Punong Barangay to appoint or replace Barangay Tanods, it is worth considering that the incumbents were already provided training and gained sufficient experience in the performance of their duties.

Deployment

• The basic operational area of the Tanod is within their barangay. However, the Barangay Tanod may be deployed outside their area of responsibility when requested to assist other barangays. The request and the granting of such will be done between the Punong Barangays concerned in writing.

Equipment

• In the performance of their duties such as conducting night patrol, it is necessary that they can protect themselves from the threats and dangers of criminal elements and natural calamities. Hence, it is highly encouraged, subject to the availability of resources of the barangay, that the Barangay Tanods shall be equipped with the following, but not limited to:

Uniform - jeans, white t-shirt or any barangay prescribed shirt, barangay vest, cap, rubber shoes, and Tanod ID.

Paraphernalia

a) Baton with belt and holster

b) Tear gas 

c) Two-way radio

d) Handcuff with holster (or loop lock as an alternative)

e) Whistle

f) Flashlight

g) Raincoat

h) Rain boots

i) Notepad and pen

j) First aid kit

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the barangay officials in the prevention of crime and the promotion of public safety;

• Conduct patrol/ronda within the barangay;

• Report to the concerned barangay officials, or through Hotline 911/local hotline the occurrence of any crime, fire, accident, public disturbance, environmental degradation activities, and other untoward incidents in the barangay;

• Monitor the presence and or activities of suspicious persons, criminals, and other lawless elements within their jurisdiction and report the same to the proper authorities or through Hotline 911/local hotline;

• Conduct surveillance on crime breeding areas within the barangay/purok and report their observations/findings to the proper authorities, or through Hotline 911/local hotline;

• Assist the law enforcers in the execution of warrants and other judicial processes such as tracking the whereabouts of missing persons, arresting fugitives, and recovery of stolen properties;

• Coordinate closely with the barangay officials and police/local authorities in the drive against all forms of crimes such as terrorism, smuggling, carnapping, drug trafficking, and pushing, illegal gambling, child abuse, crime against women, and all forms of vices and syndicated crimes;

• Coordinate with home-owners association officials or any identified community leaders to ensure organized and proper implementation of their programs and activities;

• Assist in the institutionalization of the Hotline 911 program;

• Assist in the implementation of the Fire Code of the Philippines;

• Detect all forms of fire hazards and other public safety hazards/violations and institute corrective measures within their capability;

• Assist in facilitating the smooth flow of traffic; and

• Perform other functions as may be directed by the Punong Barangay.

Tasks of Barangay Tanod during Emergencies or Disasters

• Assist in the implementation of the Community-based Early Warning System

• Conduct Search and Rescue operations

• Conduct first aid treatment of victims

• Assist in the clearing of debris and rehabilitation of roads, airfields, railway systems, ports, and other key areas

• Assist in the conduct of preemptive and/or forced evacuation of individuals, groups, communities, and livestock

• Help in disseminating information and advisories to the public regarding evacuation and other measures in mitigating damages.

• Maintain public morale

• A Barangay Tanod may be a member of the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) and therefore must be able to perform the following roles and responsibilities to assist in curbing the pandemic outbreak, particularly the COVID-19:

A Barangay Tanod may be a member of the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) and therefore must be able to perform the following roles and responsibilities to assist in curbing the pandemic outbreak, particularly the COVID-19: 

• Equipped with personal protective equipment, conduct home visits to every person arriving from a country with a COVID-19 confirmed case;

• Ensure that visits are taken carefully and carried out in a very discreet and courteous manner;

• Immediately initiate contact tracing as it is a critical component of response activities to limit the spread of diseases;

• Require arriving resident/s to check and record their body temperature three times daily for the duration of the voluntary quarantine period;

• Check on the condition of the arriving residents daily from a distance of not less than one meter;

• If symptoms are observed, immediately isolate and confine the arriving resident;

• Place the rest of the household under the required period of isolation;

• If no symptoms are observed after the required period of voluntary quarantine, report to the Punong Barangay; and

• Report daily to the Punong Barangay the condition of the patient under investigation including all measures and actions taken.

• The above duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the advice of the Department of Health though proper issuances

Roles of the Barangay Tanod in Complaints Involving Women

It is preferred that a woman Tanod handles cases/complaints involving women and performs the following functions :

• Respond to gender-based violence cases brought to the barangay.

• Assess the situation by getting information that can determine present and possible risks.

• In case of an emergency, secure the victim in a safe place away from the place of incident and immediately contact the local social welfare

and development officer.

• If a third party is reporting the incident, check the completeness and correctness of data and for safety reasons, ask the assistance of the PNP.

• In case of violence against women and their children (VAWC), inform the victim-survivor of her rights, the solution, and remedies available to her, and the process involved in her quest for justice.

• Assist victims of VAWC in securing Barangay Protection Order (EPO) and accessing necessary needs.

• Coordinate with and refer cases to the VAW Desk Officer or directly to the local social welfare and development.

• Assist in the advocacies for the elimination of VAW in the community.

• Observe confidentiality at all times.

Roles of the Barangay Tanod in Cases/Complaints Involving Children

Frequently, the barangay is the nearest place where a child victim or witness of child abuse may run to and seek assistance. When receiving a report, the barangay must observe the following :

• Enter the report in the barangay blotter through the BCPC member on duty or the VAW Desk. A separate blotter exclusively for child abuse and domestic violence cases must be kept confidential at all times;

• If the reporter is not the victim, interview the reporting person about the incident;

• If the report is made by a child victim, do not interview the child except for his/her circumstances and the necessity of referring him/her to immediate medical attention;

• Immediately contact DSWD or LSWDO and transfer the case to the social worker for validation of complaint and assessment;

• If the main request is assistance in case filing, refer the child to the police for the conduct of a proper police investigation. Any arrest of the alleged perpetrator shall be in conjunction with the police;

• If needing immediate medical attention, refer to the Women and Children Protection Unit (WCPU), the medical-legal officer, or the city or municipal health officer;

• Depending on the situation, contact the child's parents/legal guardians. When a child reports incest or abuse by guardians, notifying the parents or guardians should be left to the sound judgment of DSWD/LSWDO;

• Do not conduct any mediation or conciliation relative to the case and advise the parties that child abuse cases cannot be the subject or any compromise agreement

• Beyond the reporting stage, assistance may be extended to other parties directly involved in helping the child. The barangay may accompany the social worker during home visits and assist in monitoring the situation and safety of the child and the family and 

• Observe confidentiality at all times

Capacity Building for Tanods

• The barangay and the higher LGUs shall allot funds for the capacity of the Barangay Tanod

• NBOO developed a Guidebook on Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement  containing the following modules 1. Profile of a Barangay Tanod; 2. Gender Sensitive, Child-Friendly, IP Relevant Barangay Tanod; 3, Barangay Tanod as First Responders and 4. Barangay Tanod in Action

• The skills of a Barangay Tanod should possess as a first responder shall include the Program of Instruction in the conduct of First Aid and Basic Life Support Training :  

1. First Aid Orientation

2. Burn

3. Soft Tissue Injuries (wound)

4. Specific Body Injuries (eye injuries, nosebleeds, impaled objects)

5. Bandaging

6. Musculoskeletal injuries (strain, sprain, dislocation, fracture splinting, and muscle cramps)

7. Basic Life Support®

8. Emergency Rescue and Transfer (ERT)

National Training of Trainers (TOT) on Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement for Regional Training Teams

Information detail on estimates of yearly income and the total appropriations covering personal services, maintenance, and other operating expenses and capital outlay.

It shall be posted at the beginning of the specified fiscal year and shall remain posted for the entire period covered

The Department of the Interior and Local Government through the National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO) conducted a Training of Trainers on Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement (BTSE) Project which aims to capacitate training teams on the upcoming conduct of roll-out training within every region. The training was conducted last September 6 – 9, 2022 via zoom teleconference.

Attended by the following:

• DILG

• PNP

• BFP

• CHR

The training materials may be accessed through this link:

https://bit.ly/BTSENTOT2022materials 

Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement (BTSE) Training Roll-out for P/HUCs Training Teams

On September 6-9, 2022, the DILG Central Office conducted an online national training of trainers for a pool of trainers as part of the regional training teams on the role, responsibilities of Barangay Tanods.  Hence, on October 12, 2022, Usec Valmocina issued Advisory relative to the Implementation of the Roll-out Training Activities on Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement (BTSE) Project for CY 2022.  Section B of the Implementation Phase provides that a roll out training shall be conducted for the Provincial/HUC/ICC Training Teams

Thus, the DILG 10 Regional Office conducted the Barangay Tanod Skills Enhancement (BTSE) Training Roll-out for P/HUCs Training Teams on January 11-13, 2023 at the Apple Tree Resort & Hotel which aimed to capacitate the Provincial/HUC Training Teams in preparation for the barangay roll-out.

The Provincial/HUC Training Teams are composed of the following:

1. BUKIDNON

   • DILG, BFP, PNP, PDRRMD

2. CAMIGUIN

   • DILG, BFP, PNP

3. LANAO DEL NORTE

   • - DILG, BFP, PNP

4. MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL

   • DILG, BFP, PNP, LGU

5. MISAMIS ORIENTAL

   • DILG, BFP, PNP

6. CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

   • DILG, BFP, PNP, OCA, RTA

7. ILIGAN CITY

   • DILG, BFP, PNP

Whereas the resource speakers are the following:

1. PNP

   1. POLICE LIEUTENANT COLONEL ARCE V. YAM-OC (ROD)

   2. POLICE MAJOR FRANCISCO B. SABUD, JR (RCADD)

   3. POLICE EXECUTIVE MASTER SERGEANT JEROME G. DIOLANTO (COCPO)

   4. POLICE SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT JOSEPH B. ESTROBO (RIDMD)

   5. POLICE SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT ROLAND R. VALDON (RIDMD)

2. BFP

   1. INSP ROY SOLAMO, EMS COFD

3. CHR

   1. DR. EDWIN GERMAN P. SOLIS

4. NCIP

   1. ATTY. RICARDO V. MATEO

5. DILG

   1. MARVIN C. HERNANDEZ

The working folder may be accessed through this link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HpV2l-UaUaj5stL-sBYWGwexLp9yApum?usp=share_link

Legal Bases / References

• MC 2024 - 086 Omnibus Policy on the Administration and Strengthening Capacities of Barangay Tanods as Agents of Peace and Development 

• Advisory 2022.11.16 Extension of BTSE Roll-Out Training

• Advisory 2022.11.12 Implementation of BTSE Roll-Out Training

• Advisory 2022.08.26 National Training on BTSE Project Change of Schedule

• Advisory 2022.08.23 Invitation to the National Training on BTSE Project

• Barangay Tanod Guidebook 2020 version