A MULTI–STAKEHOLDER FRAMEWORK FOR CITIZEN INPUT INTEGRATION IN BARANGAY LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Democratic governance around the world have recognised the importance of citizen participation. There is, however, reports of limited meaningful policy influence of citizen inputs at the barangay level in the Philippines. Complicating this scenario is the emergence of digital communication channels. This study fills this gap by examining the occurrence of citizen engagement at the grassroots level of governance and addressing inconsistencies through designing an institutional framework. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from five urban and five rural barangays in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya through semi–structured interviews, observation of a Barangay Development Council (BDC) meeting, and collection of pertinent documents. Findings reveal that participation operates through a hybrid system, combining formal mechanisms with informal, often technology–based, channels. However, citizen input integration is constrained by centralised decision–making processes, institutional capacity gaps, socio–economic and digital inequalities, and political dynamics. In response, the study proposes a Multi–Stakeholder Citizen Input Integration Framework consisting of four components: citizen voice, processing, outputs, and citizen audit. The framework emphasises the integration of physical and digital channels in the participation process, and the active involvement of multiple stakeholders. It advances a more inclusive model of barangay governance using technology–enabled participatory systems in decentralised contexts.