Local Governance Programs Contents 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 32 34 35 The Galing Pook and its Partners Message from His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III Turning Localities into Progressive and Stable Units DILG Secretary Mar Roxas Innovative Programs that Lead to Strategic Gains GPF Chair Ma. Lourdes C. Fernando Sparks of Hope and Optimism PHLPost Postmaster General and CEO Ma. Jose ina M. dela Cruz Fostering a Spirit of Relevant and Earnest Aid LANDBANK President and CEO Gilda E. Pico From Arms to Farms Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte Affordable Homes for the Urban Poor Quezon City Profitable Public-Private Partnership Legazpi City Towards Effective Urban Renewal Dipolog City A Thriving Night Market Tagum City Coupons for Free Medical Services Quezon Province Providing Quality Eye Care to Indigents Tarlac Province A Pioneering Health Clinic Quezon City Pooling Resources for a Sanitary Landfill South Cotabato Province Large-scale Mangrove Replanting Quezon Province 2014 Galing Pook Awards Finalists 2014 National Selection Committee Galing Pook Foundation Board of Trustees and Secretariat Galing Pook Hymn Cover design, magazine layout, and articles by Tomahawk Publications • References supplied by LGUs • Cover photo supplied by Kauswagan LGU • Photos courtesy of LGUs and GPF Files 2 • Galing Pook 2014
T he Galing Pook awards is a pioneering program that recognizes innovation and excellence in local governance. It started in October 21, 1993 under the joint initiative of the Local Government Academy-Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Ford Foundation, and other individual advocates of good governance from the academe, civil society and the government. More than 280 programs from at least 165 local government units have already won recognition, including the current batch of 2014 awardees. The Galing Pook winners are chosen each year from a wide array of programs from local governments after undergoing a rigorous multi-level screening process. The winning programs are selected based on positive results and impact, promotion of people’s participation and empowerment, innovation, transferability and sustainability, and efficiency of program service delivery. Vision We are a leading resource institution that promotes innovation, sustainability, citizen empowerment, and excellence in local governance. Mission We promote excellence in local governance through recognition, sharing of information and support of efforts to replicate best practices at the local level. We encourage partnerships among civil society organizations, private sector, and government agencies at local, national and global levels to improve quality of life. The Partners FORDFOUNDATION Galing Pook 2014 • 3
MANILA My warmest congratulations to the awardees of the 2014 Galing Pook Awards and the 2nd Jesse Robredo Leadership Awards. Local governments, being the most in contact with our communities, are in the best position to uphold the welfare of our countrymen and rally the entire populace to contribute to our collective advancement. In order for us to realize our vision of an equitably progressive Philippines, it is imperative that we create more self-sustaining, dynamic, and ef icient localities. The Galing Pook and Jesse Robredo Leadership Awards recognize those who have helped bring us closer to this goal. They are bestowed upon outstanding local government units and leaders whose initiatives were crucial in alleviating poverty, spurring economic development, and empowering people in their respective areas. By recognizing their achievements, we provide valuable examples for other local government units to replicate in other parts of the country. My administration remains steadfast in instituting reforms, initiated by the late Sec. Jesse Robredo, that will help foster an ideal environment where local government can succeed and lourish. It is my hope that, through these measures, we can bring to fore higher standards of governance at the grassroots level and help create more effective partners in nation-building. Again, congratulations to all the awardees. BENIGNO AQUIN N Q BENIGNO S. AQUINO III MANILA 21 October 2014 THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES 4 • Galing Pook 2014
I would like to congratulate the 2014 Galing Pook awardees for their outstanding achievements. The same goes to the officials and members of the Galing Pook Foundation for their zeal in recognizing the exemplary performances and programs of model local government units (LGUs) throughout the country. The Foundation continues to motivate and bring out the best in LGUs as it highlights their capacities in providing effective and efficient services to the public. It also shows their important role as partners of the national government in pursuing progress and development. Recognition such as the Galing Pook Awards (GPA) proves that our local governments are capable of introducing innovations and best practices in governance. To the awardees, may your shining examples inspire other local governments to come up with feasible programs and policies that will address the plight of our true bosses – the Filipino people. The DILG looks forward to establishing a more active and dynamic partnership with the Foundation. Together, let us work hand in hand to transform every locality into progressive and stable units, as we continue our journey towards the “Daang Matuwid” governance of this administration. Again, congratulations to all the winners! MAR ROXAS Secretary Department of the Interior and Local Government Galing Pook 2014 • 5
L et us celebrate this year’s harvest of good local governance programs as we witness promising innovations in our country. We are much honored to put forward and recognize the new set of local development models for the 2014 Galing Pook Awards even amidst the backdrop of perturbing events happening almost everywhere in the world. This year’s good governance examples undoubtedly have positively transformed the lives and communities in our country. Yet these programs that we are recognizing are uncomplicated. Surprising in their simplicity, they can readily be adapted in barangays, municipalities, cities and provinces by the local public officials with their constituencies and development partners. There are two winners this year who garnered two awards each. One is the Provincial Government of Quezon with its massive mangrove propagation sustaining the protection and rehabilitation of its marine environment; and its health program that provided accessible, efficient and quality health care from the provincial capital to its farthest barangays. Second is Quezon City with its creative solutions to fund its socialized housing that is affordable and does not displace the poor while addressing urban blight; and its sundown clinic that improved access for the mostly neglected clients to avail of quality health services in a stigma-free and nondiscriminatory environment. In Davao del Norte, Tagum City established the night market to organize and improve the lot of its many ambulant vendors while improving the income generation of the local government that the latter uses to finance its public services and its other development programs. Finally in Zamboanga del Norte, Dipolog City transformed the degraded mostly coastal areas for recreation and appropriate economic activities and provided low-cost housing and alternative livelihood for displaced families to ensure a better and more decent living condition for them. The 2014 Galing Pook winners offer us interesting studies on high finance ventures with the most minimal capital outlay from LGUs but with greater short term, long term and strategic gains for the constituents, communities, the local government itself and the latter’s development partners. There are also winning programs where we see local governments lean more on soft initiatives that have far more development impacts for people and communities than the hard infrastructure projects favored by most politicians. The winners and finalists of the 2014 Galing Pook Awards prove true the good news of continuing innovation in local governance. Indeed, may the tribe of Galing Pook LGUs be sustained and keep increasing. Mabuhay ang Magagaling na Pook! The Provincial Government of Tarlac with its Linaw Tingin program is able to provide adequate and accessible quality eye care services for the prevention and reduction of avoidable blindness, visual impairment and the increasing incidence and prevalence of sight loss and visual problems with special consideration for its marginalized and poor constituents. Legazpi City in the Bicol Region boasts of its modern integrated land transport terminal that is safe, accessible, and efficiently managed transforming the landscape and bringing positive changes in the lives of the stakeholders while generating sizeable revenue increases for the city government enabling the latter to provide further benefits for its people and communities. Mindanao delivered four models of good governance in the roster of winners for the 2014 Galing Pook Awards. In South Cotabato, its Provincial Government ventured into the sanitary landfill project with its constituent local government units contributing resources, effectively utilizing its services and equitably sharing its benefits. The Municipality of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte gave us its unique peace promoting initiatives integrating local economic development projects in its From Arms to Farms program. 6 • Galing Pook 2014 MA. LOURDES C. FERNANDO Chairperson Galing Pook Foundation
W ith utmost felicitations, let me congratulate this year’s recipients of the Galing Pook Awards. Through the course of its existence, Galing Pook Awards has been a beacon of excellence in search for outstanding government programs that thrive in promoting innovative practices in the local governance arena. As you join the roster of good governance champions, your winning program has become an instrumentality for genuine reform, public accountability, and transparency. This recognition will serve as an inspiration among government officials to harness their creative minds and available local resources so as to cultivate novel ideas and developmental programs responsive to the needs of their constituency. Further, this will spark hope and optimism at the grass-roots level amid a number of controversies in the country’s political landscape. We at PHLPost are honored to be a part of this endeavor that mirrors the same ethos that we are espousing in the corporation. We value efforts geared towards innovation, solving problem, and making a difference, in the same way that this year’s outstanding local government programs had pioneered transformation, addressed problems and made an impact in the society. Let this achievement lead you one step closer to a more meaningful journey of arousing other communities to replicate your winning program in their locale. Truly, the hope for a better tomorrow, a better future, and a better Philippines, is within reach as Galing Pook Awards Program and award- ees jointly smooth the path to a road marked with opportunities, progress and growth. Again, speed! congratulations and God MA. JOSEFINA M. DELA CRUZ Postmaster General and CEO Philippine Postal Corporation Fostering a Spirit of Relevant and Earnest Aid C oming together as one family with a singular vision of sustainable prosperity for the countryside, we extend our warmest regards to the awardees of this year’s Galing Pook Awards, guests, partners as well as the men and women of the Galing Pook Foundation. The capacity to create lasting social and economic opportunities is a challenge that all able institutions must be willing to embrace. For it is in the strength of others that our marginalized brothers and sisters can start to build on their own abilities that will help them steer their own paths to success. It is with this knowledge that LANDBANK fuels its own commitment to the valuable causes and efforts of our LGUs and entities such as the Galing Pook Foundation. Your endeavors alongside the thrusts of LGUs across the country have allowed for the remarkable development of rural communities for more than two decades. Hand in hand is the hope of bringing in more partnerships and programs that will foster a spirit of earnest aid, both relevant to the changing times and needs of the marginalized sectors. As you celebrate the rewards of your noble efforts, may you further strengthen the foundations of your hard work, inspire and widen your areas of social and economic inclusion, and remain true to your core of ushering excellence in local governance. GILDA E. PICO President and CEO Land Bank of the Philippines Congratulations once again to all the winners and the Galing Pook Foundation, and more power to your future enterprises. Galing Pook 2014 • 7
among the municipalities with a high poverty incidence rate—as high as 79%, in 2009. Massive displacement and dislocation of communities led to deterioration in health, education and economic measures. Worse, the situation created an atmosphere of mistrust between the Muslims and the Christians. A change in the local leadership in 2010 brought with it much needed local reforms. The new LGU leadership began to implement a participatory approach in the governance of the municipality as a means to entice rebels to return to the fold of the law. The municipal LGU began pursuing the program “From Arms to Farms.” Peace building measures such as Peacepath workshops were pursued in collaboration with the communities and with the assistance of local NGOs and POs and even the religious foundations. Even the military helped in organizing the rebel returnees into socio-economic associations. Project planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation was done through a bottom-up approach, with the communities and rebel returnees identifying projects and activities that are relevant to their needs. The Department of Agri8 • Galing Pook 2014 Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte From Arms to Farms culture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) financed some of the programs and activities identified by the communities, and helped train the farmers in organic farming methods. The new LGU approach led to a 40% improvement in farmer incomes. Within two years, more MILF rebels began to participate in the socio-economic activities. Four MILF commanders and 100 of their men returned to the fold of the government, laid down their arms and reemerged as farm entrepreneurs in organic farming. They planted various crops, raised livestock and managed fishponds. Pretty soon, these former rebels were earning good incomes. At present, there are nine commanders participating in the program. The positive impact of the program is quite evident. Poverty incidence decreased from 79% in 2009 to 47.5% in 2013. The peace and order situation also improved; the guns and cannons became silent, and crimes such as cattle rustling were eradicated. A significant contribution of the program was cultivating entrepreneurship among the farmers and rebel returnees. The LGU provides an initial capitalization assistance to the rebel returnees under a cost recovery scheme. The funds are paid back without interest by the rebel returnees as soon as they have gained enough economic power. This way, the assistance can be rolled-out to other farmers, fisherfolk and rebel returnees. This also ensures the sustainability of the program. Education and training played a vital role in enhancing the capacities of the farmers. It improved the confidence of the younger generation to engage in farming entrepreneurship. So much so, that there was a noticeable increase in the scholarship beneficiaries and enrolment in the Doña Laureana School for Practical Agriculture in the municipality. The school is a product of the Public-Private Partnership for Justice, Peace and Development between the LGU and the Assisi Development Foundation, Inc. The school introduced methodologies that encouraged the students to pursue entrepreneurial farming through organic agriculture. The school training reshaped the thinking of the MILF rebel returnees and convinced them to pursue organic farming. LGUs from other cities and municipalities have begun visiting Kauswagan to learn how the significant changes and transformations brought about peace and bridged the gap that divided the Christians and Muslims. Many of the visitors also want to know how the program increased incomes and reduced poverty. The answer lies in the commitment and perseverance of the LGU in ensuring community participation in all the aspects, from project conceptualization, through implementation, and up to monitoring and evaluation. The approach is simple but it requires patience and perseverance. CONTACT T he municipality of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte has been at the receiving end of large scale death and destruction for several decades due to armed clashes between warring forces—between the Blackshirts (Maranao fanatics) and the Ilagas (Christian fanatics) in the early 70s and between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government armed forces as recent as in 2008. Mayor Rommel C. Arnado Email: rommelarnado@yahoo.com
participatory approach in the implementation of the program increased incomes and reduced poverty incidence, and enticed rebel returnees. Galing Pook 2014 • 9
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