Baguio Insider

I came upon this article at http://www.TruthForce.info about LGU Projects for the common good. Volt Contreras features Filipino local government units that have come up with creative solutions to their problems, that may be emulated by our own local government if they put the collective minds to it.

“Pooling funds together, five neighboring municipalities in North Cotabato province bought their own heavy equipment and built unpaved yet functional farm-to-market roads at about P30,000 per kilometer — not as much as P1 million if the project were handled by the government and private contractors.”

You see, good governance is not a contest of how many concrete structures a local government can put up. It’s all about knowing the building on the strengths of the community, and converting any weaknesses into strengths (overpopulation can mean a strong volunteer organization, for example). It’s coming up with cost-effective projects that will benefit the whole community, and not just line the pockets of the politicians.

“In Bindoy town, Negros Oriental, a “health insurance program for the poor” made medicines and hospital services more affordable to 73 percent of the households. A covered home was required to pay a “counterpart” premium of only P120 per year, the rest being shouldered by the government.

If the family can’t immediately pay in cash, it can pay “in kind” or render community service.”

Effective governance means delivering basic needs first, and then moving on to bigger endeavors. It’s not about complicating the lives of the citizens. It’s about harnessing the energy of populace and not alienating it by legislating vehicles unto themselves. It’s about inspiring the citizens, not frustrating them. It’s about working together for everybody’s sake, and not about creating a political-economic elite.

Bayanihan is a concept that is becoming alien to the Philippines these days, except for Gawad Kalinga and the projects mentioned in the Truth Force article.

One time, I had land cleared in Benguet for planting and my neighbors insisted that ‘bayanihan’ would be in order. At that time, 4 years ago, it meant paying minimum wage for double the number of days it would take half the workers to complete the job — and I had to feed them, pay for the gin and the Philip Morris.

Rest assured I was totally dismayed.

I suggest you go read it so you may be inspired, and who knows, maybe Baguio can win an award next year!