Geospatial Direct-Address Videos As Alternative Participatory Governance Device For Community Problem Identification And Decision-Making At A Subdivision In A City Located In Laguna, Philippines

Abstract

This study, by way of a thematic analysis, strived to determine the perspectives of barangay decision-makers and of residents of a subdivision in a city located in Laguna on a series of geospatial direct-address videos as an alternative participatory governance device for community problem identification and decisionmaking using VeneKlasen and Miller’s (2002) distinctions about power and Tufte and Mefalopulos’ (2009) participatory outcomes. The community problems/issues identified by the residents in the direct-address videos were embedded in a digital map of the subdivision so that they can be located geospatially. From the results, Power Over, Power With, and Power Within were observed in some of the residents’ insights, plus Increased Feelings of Ownership and notions that run counter to Actual Influence on Institutions. Put together, they evoke the residents’ proactive efforts, and pride, in resolving their own problems. But also, Power Over, because of instances when their powerlessness as residents was implied in community-level decision-making. As for the barangay decision-makers’ insights on the videos, the most observed was Power Over, which expresses their adherence to the hierarchical ways with which they respond to community problems/issues. As for the participatory outcomes, the most observed, next to N/A, was Improvement of Competencies and Capacities, implying that the barangay decision-makers understand the benefits of using the geospatial direct-address videos as alternative participatory governance device.