Philippine cities shine in local governance

Five cities comprise the biggest batch of awardees in the recent 2007 Gawad Galing Pook. The cities of Marikina, Naga, Cebu, Las Pinas, and San Carlos emerged with other five winners from municipalities and provinces that were recognized for their innovations in local governance. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo conferred the awards on February 28, 2008.  

Starting them young in Marikina  

The Marikina City’s Eco Savers Program is a simple yet efficient way in educating the city’s constituents about waste segregation activities by starting them young. Students in the city’s 18 elementary schools are required to bring along their recyclables from their homes to their schools on their designated Eco Day.  
 
Each recyclable material earns them aa point in their eco pass books. The more points a student gets, the bigger the value the student can exchange with school items available in the Eco Savers Mobile Store, which roams around the schools twice a month. It carries books, dictionaries, school supplies, and toys to the delight of students.  

But Marikina City is even more pleased to know that through the program, 238,000 kilograms of waste were diverted from disposal, which is equivalent to Php 1.3 million in money value. This waste would have occupied space and also could have contributed to water and air pollution.  

Securing the country’s future through its Youth program in Naga  

For 18 years, Naga City’s Preparing Future Leaders program has served 689 of the city’s youth population. This internship program is open to 45 city youth leaders with various positions at stake from the executive (city youth mayor) to the legislative (city youth vice mayors and councilors) among others.  
 
From April-May annually, the proud passers get to experience and manage local government operations like they were elected officials. They are also required to conduct projects that will spur youth participation particularly those who are out-of-school. In 2006, the program was also opened to out-of-school youths. Today, four of the 30 city deparment offices are now headed by the alumni of this program.  

Cebu city’s peace councils trailblaze in building community ties  

Meanwhile, a movement in Cebu City is showing the country that the justice system can work at the grassroots. In July 2003, the peace councils of the 80 barangays in this Queen City formed The League of Peace Councils, a non-stock, non-profit organization aimed at strengthening the barangay justice system. This pioneering program earned the Gawad Galing pook recognition  

The League coordinated its efforts in resolving community conflicts. The members undertook trainings and developed competencies, cross visits, and generated funds to support and sustain their programs. The 962 trained village mediators became trusted, authority figures within their localities  

Between 2004 to 2006, the League resolved six out of ten cases through amicable settlement either by negotiation, mediation, and persuasion between the conflicting parties. This effort is expected to de-clog cases in courts.  
 
In a country where the Poor rarely afford a day in the court, the city’s League of Peace Councils proved otherwise by settling disputes, gaining the people’s trust and building harmonious relationships among its people in the city. Cebu City has also been saving up to Php 10,000 for every case settled at the barangay level.  

Empowered beneficiaries in the housing project in Las Pinas City  
 
In 1995, Las Pinas City faced the big challenge to build homes of its 36,710 urban poor families. It was ‘noble yet unrealistic’ but with firm resolve, the city government pursued the task.  
 
Today, 23,128 of these families have secured their land tenure. Community-based organizations were formed and accredited as homeowner’s associations which are tasked to plan and implement projects and maintain peace and order. The once informal settlers are also now paying real property taxes which further enhances the city’s provision of basic services.  

The city government believed the housing beneficiaries themselves should be at the forefront of fullfiling their dream to have a decent home. This is of course done with the support of other sectors – private sectors, non-government organization.  
 
Community organizing was the primary work. It paved way for the establishment of 136 different community-based organizations (CBOs), composed of the family-beneficiaries.

These families were eager to update their social and economic profiles which became bases for the city to prioritize urgent needs in the ongoing housing project.  

After the city acquired the land, many sectors contributed to develop further their communities by providing them the drainage system, electricity, and even road concreting. The CBOs designed a strict collection mechanism to ensure regular payments are made. Most of them have already paid their land equity. 

The experience of Las Pinas demonstrates that effective LGU programs should involve its stakeholders and make them appreciate, claim ownership, and sustain their program in the long run.  

Caring for the watershed to secure the city’s future  

This also holds true with San Carlos City which encouraged its residents to pay 75 centavos per each cubic meter of water consumed as a levy for watershed development. Worried about the degradation of its watershed covering 5,017 hectares, which is the main source of the city’s water, San Carlos City developed the San Carlos Development Board (SCDB), a consortium of multisectoral groups, to implement projects that will develop and utilize the watershed.
 
Every year, the 75 centavos that are collected becomes 1.2 million pesos which then goes to a SCDB Trust Fund. Many projects ro rehabilitate and protect the watershed have been a initiated. This includes the provision of suitable livelihood among residents in watershed and upland areas, nursery planting and maintenance, and community organizing. Integrated forest land use has also been observed.  

Since 1995, the city has planted 211,348 trees. More residents recognize the project and some landowners even set a portion of their land for watershed areas totaling 140.8 hectares.