MARIANO, LUIS SIDNEY N.

12-HUMSS 2 POSC
JANUARY 15, 2021

Where I Belong and Meant to Be

I have always believed that where I came from will impact the future I am going to make—
here in Barangay Dela Paz. It is with great joy to know and understand my heritage as a Filipino in
the community that extended their hands for me to pursue my passion in life. The people around me
set the bar high for different facets of community service, and for that, I learned to strive harder to
transcend the contemporary. The place I am living at is located at the top of the Pasig map with an
area of 199.79, a density of 65, and a population of 20,156. The geographic location of the community
is in the middle of Metropolitan Manila making it convenient for all sorts of errands. In this specific
place, I have found the community that would support me in my future endeavors in life.

First and foremost, on the barangay structure, there are specialized committees, committee
on peace and order and committee on health and sanitation, that ensure the safety and security of
the community. Barangay Tanods are situated on various entry points in the scope area. There are
ambulance and fire truck situated in the Barangay Hall’s parking. Another fire truck is also available
on the other part of the locality to ensure fast response during an emergency. The first aid personnel,

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firefighters, and drivers are trained by a series of seminars and practical activities. At the bottom part
of the Barangay Hall lay a Health Center for free medicines, vaccines, and check-ups. They have health
professionals assisting the people of the community with concerns regarding their well-being.

My definition of self-belongingness and identification is inclined on how I was taught by the

people around me. A community is not a community without objectives. One cannot also feel a sense
of purpose through a nonsense interaction with people. It is about achieving something together and
helping one another. The relationship is made around one person. The connection that is shared
between two or more people who love, encourage, support, and help each other. It is essential for
every human being to have a relationship with others to help them survive mentally and emotionally
in the community and life. It is about making deposits in someone else’s emotional bank account. This
is done through proactively doing things together to build trust in a relationship. The amount of
balance one provides to the other will determine how they can communicate and solve problems
together.

In legal respect, I am a member of the community because of barangay clearance, census, and
voter registration. Barangay clearance is a Philippine government-issued identification document
needed for business, job, or personal transactions. This is the testament that one lives within the
boundaries of the barangay. The residents must be part of the census of the national government that
seeks to know the conditions of the family members in the house. The census is the general
population of the country, and a part of that is our barangay. One is part of the community when they
are registered voters in the barangay. There are minimum residency requirements to be a bona fide
voter and member of the barangay.

Furthermore, the official seal of Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig City is what my community is
known for. In the outer circle of the seal, it manifests the description that said “Sagisag ng Barangay
Dela Paz, Lungsod ng Pasig.” There are four divisions on the inner circle that contains disparate
symbols. The one on the top is the patron saint Nuestra Señora Dela Paz, which is also the name of
the main church in the area. On the bottom part, the shaking hands with the year the barangay was
established. From the left to right part, it exhibits the industrial city and residential houses located in
the barangay. These symbolisms represent the greater community of our barangay. Beyond this is
the underlying stories that happen within our community.

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 I once supported my uncle Isidro “Taboy” Mariano Jr. and his party as he ran for barangay
captain in 2018. Thereupon, not only because he was family, he was the best candidate compared to
his opponent. It is significant since I fought for the foremost platforms and traits for the rest of my
fellow neighbors. I also attended the annual “Linggo ng Kabataan” of the Sangguniang Kabataan. It
was a seminar about the proposed projects and programs by the organization. As part of the
community, we were tasked to work together with other youths to formulate additional suggestions
toward education, health, security, and the environment. Back in 2020, I registered as a voter in our
barangay under the power of the Commission on Elections. On that account, I will be able to
participate in an actual Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. Thus, chipping my thoughts
and feelings in the appointment of public servants.

Recently, Sangguniang Kabataan provided Pamaskong Handog to the youth ages 15 to 30

years old. The Christmas package contained seasonal ham, half a kilo of hotdog, and a loaf of bread. I
received this as I am registered in their list of youth in our area. At the beginning of classes now “new
normal,” our Sangguniang Kabataan was active in distributing materials needed for online classes.
The E-Learning Kits consisted of a laptop table, earphones, and school supplies. This has helped me
throughout my academic journey this year. During the abundance of COVID-19 virus, local
government units are at the forefront of our safety as they supplied 800 snacks to the youth. The
assistance came from SK Pederasyon ng Pasig with over 400 packs; the additional 400 were put
together by our Sangguniang Kabataan. I was one of the beneficiaries of the project and had received
bread, biscuits, and juices. The celebration of Nuestra Señora Dela Paz on the 3rd day of May was
condensed into online competitions. Since the annual sports league is prohibited due to the Enhanced
Community Quarantine at the time. My uncle and I joined the “Lockdown Meal Challenge” and won a
tinkling 300 pesos.

Back then we had an annual Christmas and New Year concert in our covered court near the
Barangay Hall and to all the residents. There were bright-colored lights, loudspeakers, a line of
barricades, and a stage in the middle. It started at night up until midnight. The large court would be
filled with people from all across the barangay as time passed by. One can see different friends and
families regardless of their social statuses. Famous bands, actors, comedians, and hosts were present
to entertain the mass. On that day of the year, my community gathered to celebrate the end and the
beginning of the year. For me, it was jovial in a way that we forgot our standing in life for a moment
and struck up a conversation with our neighbors. In this kind of event, we got to know one another

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by having fun. We made short term friends and long term friends, and it is different. Having a
neighbor friend means having someone to rely on during our tough times and that we do not feel
alone in the community. That we feel belonged and fulfilled. It is essential because we got a chance
to reinvigorate the memories and relationships made every year.

The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections is profoundly paramount for me as an

aspiring politician. I am a big fan of elections here in our community, especially that my family is
literally involved in politics as my grandfather is the first barangay captain. His son, Isidro “Taboy”
Mariano Jr., the one I mentioned above is our current barangay captain, winning in the Barangay and
Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in 2018. Retrospectively, this is the first time I have ever been on a
real campaign with a conscious mind. I observed how candidates shook hands with the people of the
community, the support. I saw that in this season of division because there were two parties, the
community was healthily discoursing who was and what was the best for all of them. We weighed
the best of the best, not because we hated each other, but we believed in democracy and its countless
possibilities. People supported the one and the other, attended caucus from different puroks, and
took part in the last miting de avance. During these events, we got to loathe each other due to our
beliefs, but in the end, we came together as one community to face the challenges of tomorrow. This
is the essence of democracy, and it plays a major role in the community.

Just like what I cherish the most in my community, democracy, I look up to our government
and seldom criticize when needed. The place of my birth has impacted me in hundreds of different
directions leading to my self-actualization. I found the people who are going to be there when life lets
me down. Due to their constant service, I feel safe and secured, most important, I feel like I belong
and this is the place where I am meant to be. To give back, I aspire to represent my community’s seal
at the local, regional, national, or international level. That a part of me is because of the people who
built my identity and principles. I owe them an enormous debt of gratitude for giving meaning to my
life.