“If the barangays are doing okay, there is no reason that the municipalities and cities will be okay. If the municipalities and cities are okay, definitely the provincial governments will be okay. We have 81 provinces right now, and I think at least 70 provinces are doing okay, definitely the national government will be okay. It is about time that the national government should acknowledge that local government units play an important part in helping for the progress and development of our country,” said Agusan Del Sur Governor Edward Adolph Plaza in the “#ParaSaBayan: Pagtataguyod ng Makabuluhang Adhikain ng Pamamahalang Lokal” dialogue attended by governors and heads of the local government leagues from the CARAGA region.
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the umbrella organization of all the leagues and elected officials in the country, convened the governors and heads of the leagues in CARAGA Region, for the Regional Dialogues of the “#ParaSaBayan: Pagtataguyod ng Makabuluhang Adhikain ng Pamamahalang Lokal” advocacy in Almont Inland Resort, Butuan City on December 16, 2015.
Provincial Governors, and heads representing League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and the Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) gathered and attended the dialogue for the policy and program advocacies that draws national and local action towards realizing the principles of the Local Government Code.
The Code, passed in 1991, provided for local government autonomy, decentralization, meaningful devolution, and empowerment of local governments and their communities. In preparation for the 25th year anniversary of the Code in 2016, ULAP developed the #ParaSaBayan advocacy to open spaces for consensus-building and collaboration among local governance champions.
The #ParaSaBayan advocacy, through gathering commitments of the local government heads, pushes for the principle of performance measurements coupled with incentives and capacity-building; local fiscal reforms in key service delivery areas such as health, education, local economic development, and evidence-based policy making through technologies; and participatory governance.
Present during the dialogue are Gov. Edward Adolf Plaza of Agusan del Sur, Councilor Kirk Asis - ULAP Assistant Secretary General and President of National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL), Czarina Medina-Guce – ULAP Executive Director, Mayor Enrico Corvera of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, BM Benjamin Lim - LNB President of Agusan del Norte, Regional Director Lilibeth Famacion of DILG CARAGA, PPDC Merlinda Baure of Surigao del Sur (representing Governor Johnny Pimentel), Mr. CPDC Aprodecio Alba of Bislig City, Surigao del Sur (representing Mayor Librado Navarro) and Asst. City Budget Officer Mila Busico of Butuan City (representing Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr.).
The dialogue and consultation was followed by a ceremonial signing of the commitment to the #ParaSaBayan advocacy. The commitment, which is signed by the Governors and other participants, pushes for sustainable and institutionalized policies of the current administration on performance measurements and incentive system for local government units. Moreover, the local governments commit to conduct information dissemination of the advocacy down to their barangays, provide policy lobbying to the national government agencies and foster program partnerships with civil society organizations and the private sector.
During the press conference, Councilor Asis recognized the active role of the leagues, especially ULAP, and the local government units to conduct dialogues and consultations that will make sure that the voices of the LGUs will be heard, and the issues and concerns will be addressed. DILG Regional Director Famacion also expressed here support to ULAP in concretizing and giving meaning to the decentralization and devolution, after the 25 years of passage of the Code, from barangays to provinces. “This is the idea of the inclusive growth that we are advocating that even barangays, the smallest political unit of our country, will be also participating on this,” said Regional Director Famacion.
Mayor Corvera also said that the dialogue is a good avenue for the LGUs to help them deliver all the needs of their constituents and the communities. “We should give them what is the right program that they really need. And ULAP empowers us to have the right policies to help us with our duty of responding to these needs,” said Mayor Corvera.
The dialogue is the third of a series of consultations led by ULAP. The activities will cover all regions in the country, with the objective of translating the advocacy to commitments from the local governments, and response from national government agencies. The gains of the advocacy will be reported in the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Local Government Code in October 2016.
For more information and further details about the advocacy, please contact:
UNION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES
c/o Executive Director Czarina Medina- Guce
Unit 2803 Summit One Tower, 530 Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City
Tel: (02)718-1812, 717-1810, 534-6787
Fax: (02)534-6789
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Website: www.ulap.net.ph