ADMU and ULAP conduct EIPM for Education Round Table Discussion
The Ateneo de Manila University Political Science Department and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) conducted a Lessons Learned Session and Round Table Discussion on Evidence-Informed Policymaking (EIPM) in Education on November 9, 2015 at the Faber Hall Conference Room, Ateneo de Manila University.
The event was attended by a total of 64 participants from the Ateneo, ULAP, project partner sites of Nueva Vizcaya and Samar (including the municipalities of Aritao, Bayombong, Villaverde, Calbiga, Motiong, and Pagsanghan), and representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Central Office and the DILG-Local Government Academy (LGA). Among the attendees were ADMU School of Social Sciences Dean Fernando T. Aldaba, Ph.D., Mayor Ronelie Valtoribio of Villaverde, Vice Mayor Aldwin Langi of Motiong, Division Superintendent Dr. Gorgonio Diaz Jr. of DepEd Samar, Chief for SGOD Claire Menda of DepEd Samar, Division Superintendent Dr. Samuel Soliven of DepEd Nueva Vizcaya, and Engr. Edgardo Sabado of Nueva Vizcaya PPDO.
Through the LLS for the municipal project sites, locally elected officials, DepEd local officials, and planning officers shared their local strategies in applying EIPM in the implementation of their education programs. The representatives also noted how EIPM became applicable their planning and budgeting processes, forged stronger partnerships between the LGU and the local DepEd, and raised monitoring and evaluation into the consciousness of local stakeholders.
A panel on mainstreaming EIPM at the national level was also conducted alongside the lessons learned session of the implementers at the provincial level. Among the panelists were Sabado, Menda, Anne Candelaria Ph.D. of the ADMU Political Science Department, Dir. Manuel Gotis of the Bureau of Local Government Supervision of DILG, Girlie Zara (Chief of DILG Local Governance Performance Management Division), and Daphne Purnell (Chief of Research and Policy Development Division of the DILG- LGA). Through the joint panel, DILG identified avenues for EIPM operationalization in local and national governance. LGA also identified the need to capacitate local chief executives and human resources of the local government not only in gathering data but more importantly in translating and managing the data into a language that decision-makers and planners can understand and use as a basis of policymaking.
The Round Table Discussion was conducted as a capstone event of the project “Capacity Development for Evidence-Informed Education Policymaking in Sub-National Government Level in the Philippines” co-implemented by the Ateneo de Manila University Political Science Department and ULAP, through a grant support from UKAid and the International Network for the Availabil
ULAP facilitates Technical Working Group Meeting for Migration and Development
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines hosted the first meeting of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for Migration and Development last October 23, 2015 at the 8th Floor Conference Room of DILG NAPOLCOM. Executive Director Estrella Mai Dizon-Anonuevo of Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiatives Inc., Sec. Imelda Nicolas of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Executive Director Carmelita Nuqui of Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW), Cielo Cabalatungan of DOLE- Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, Director Chona Mantilla of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), Director Robert Larga of POEA, Joy Cervero of Landbank, Regional Director Rene Brion of DILG IV-A, Teofista Garcia of Department of Agriculture IV-A, and Julie Fabian of OWWA IV-A were among the participants of the meeting. Representatives from the central offices of Department of Agriculture- Agricultural Training Institute, DFA- OUMWA, DILG, DOLE, DSWD, NRCO, PCW and CFO, as well as the CALABARZON offices of DILG, DTI, DA, and TESDA were also present in the event. Private institutions such as SIDC and NATCCO were also represented in the event.
The TWG aimed to map out and harmonize the existing programs and services of different stakeholders- such as national government agencies, local government agencies, private sector, and civil society organizations-- for overseas Filipinos and migrant families. Mapping out the program sites of the represented agencies brings the body one step closer to facilitating the sharing of financial, technical, and human resources in mobilizing migrant investment for the development of the migration stakeholders, linking local government units to other stakeholders, and facilitating convergence towards mainstreaming migration initiatives.
The TWG meeting also became a venue for the represented agencies to forward policy recommendations that will enable them to strengthen and replicate localized implementation of programs into other LGUs, which will be forwarded to the Sub-committee on International Migration and Development, under the National Economic Development Authority.
The TWG meeting was conducted under the “Scaling Up Initiatives in Mobilizing Migrant Resources towards Agricultural Development” project, which is co-implemented by ULAP and Atikha through a grant support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
ULAP conducts Design Thinking Workshop and Consultation in Abra
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), in partnership with Making All Voice Count (MAVC) and HIVOS International, conducted a Design Thinking Workshop and Consultation on October 12-13,2015 at the Provincial Capitol of Abra.
A courtesy call with Abra Governor Hon. Eustaquio Bersamin was conducted before the workshop started on October 12, 2015. Governor Bersamin was oriented on what will happen during the workshop and the support needed from the province in order to follow through with the workshop outputs.
The first day started with Technical Officer Norbert Peter Indunan welcoming 30 participants from the municipalities of San Isidro and Langiden as well as some representatives from the province.
The workshop utilized the design thinking process to develop technology-based platforms at the provincial level to improve relationships and increase opportunities for feedback loops between citizens and governments, with the OpenBuB portal as the basis for reporting, monitoring, and feedback of local BuB implementers and partners.
The Design Thinking Process requires participants to empathize with the beneficiaries, define the problem, ideate solutions, prototype projects/programs and test the prototypes.
The first day of the workshop was designed for the first two steps. The participants were requested to share experiences of what worked and what did not work in the BuB reporting process. Grounded by their experiences, they were then asked to define the problem through an idea/problem map to identify the root causes of the problem.
Day 2 was focused on seeking innovative solutions and developing prototypes to solve identified problems. The participants had the opportunity to give feedback and improve their ideas during the workshop. It ended with a presentation of 2 proposed solutions, one for BuB planning and implementation and another one for BuB reporting.
ULAP conducts Design Thinking Workshop and Consultation in Surigao del Norte
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), in partnership with Making All Voice Count (MAVC) and HIVOS International, conducted a Design Thinking Workshop and Consultation last October 8-9,2015 at the Philippine Gateway Hotel, Surigao del Norte.
Executive Director Czarina Medina-Guce welcomed 40 participants from 20 municipalties and 1 city invited to attend the workshop. Also present during the workshop were: Governor Sol Matugas, Mayor Christine Arcillas, Mayor Lalaine Dominos, and Mayor Carlos Egay.
The workshop utilized the design thinking process to develop technology-based platforms at the provincial level to improve relationships and increase opportunities for feedback loops between citizens and governments, with the OpenBuB portal as the basis for reporting, monitoring, and feedback of local BuB implementers and partners.
The Design Thinking Process requires participants to empathize with the beneficiaries, define the problem, ideate solutions, prototype projects/programs and test the prototypes.
The first day of the workshop was designed for the first two steps. The participants were requested to share experiences of what worked and what did not work in the BuB reporting process. Grounded by their experiences, they were then asked to define the problem through an idea/problem map to identify the root causes of the problem.
Day 2 was focused on seeking innovative solutions and developing prototypes to solve identified problems. The prototypes were then presented to the Local Chief Executives (LCEs) who in turn shared their thoughts and committed to support the prototypes.
ULAP shares local government roles in creating and scaling shared value initiative in Singapore
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, represented by Executive Director Czarina Medina-Guce, shared the role and considerations of local governments in creating and scaling shared value initiatives with the private sector, in the “2015 Sharing Value Asia Summit: Delivering Impact with Scale”, held in Singapore on October 1.
In the opening plenary, Executive Director Medina-Guce shared the panel with Chester Twigg (VP Customer Business Development of Procter & Gamble; also the keynote speaker), and key executives from Habitat for Humanity International/Asia-Pacific, CARE Pakistani, and Hewlett Packard, and Swiss Re International. The session was moderated by BBC News presenter and producer Sharanjit Leyl.
In the discussion, ULAP’s experience with advocating Text2Teach for mobile-based education, and the lnnovative Solutions to Open Government Partnership initiative were shared. Executive Director Medina-Guce said that local governments are platforms to make impact happen, being in the frontline of service delivery to communities catered to by shared value programs of the private sector.
She also emphasized that there is an inevitable dimension of politics in implementing and scaling shared value programs. There are local dynamics among stakeholders, and local champions are needed to shape engagement. She added that projects that are sustained in the subnational level are inclusive in processes, and not dole-out in implementation.
Photos are from the official summit gallery: http://sharingvalue.asia/gallery-the-2015-sharingvalueasia-summit/.
DILG, ULAP, DTI and DOST-ICTO Conduct Last Leg of the Island Wide LGU ICT Forum in Iloilo City
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), along with DILG, DTI and DOST-ICTO spearheaded the Visayas Leg of the Island Wide LGU ICT Forum at Punta Villa Resort, Iloilo City last September 22, 2015. Approximately 250 participants attended from the list of LGUs who completed the streamlining of business permits processes, identified as compliant to the Business Permit and Licensing System (BPLS) standards and deemed one of the E-ready LGUs by the DOST-ICTO survey.
With this year’s theme: Strengthening LGU Capacities through ICT: “Innovation, Competitiveness and Transparency”, the ICT Forum generally promotes the importance and use of technology in the local government unit systems and operations to address the demand, deliver the needs of their constituents and strengthen the practices on transparency and accountability. It specifically offers an avenue to:
1. Update LGUs on the current programs and policies of national government in creating a business enabling environment through the use of technology.
2. Showcase LGUs best practices in maximizing the use of technology in their operations, system and structure for better performance.
3. Apprise LGUs on the different and available system application that they can be used and adopt to create innovation and transparency in their operations and effective delivery of services.
4. Enable LGUs to choose superior technology that fits their needs and meet the demand of their constituents especially in making and doing business.
ULAP Executive Director Ms. Czarina Medina-Guce discussed the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the Third OGP Action Plan Commitment during the Lightning Talks. National President of the Philippine Councilor’s League and ULAP Public Relations Officer Hon. Maybelyn Dela Cruz- Fernandez Abrenilla also delivered the call for action remarks on behalf of the LGUs.
During this third and last leg, ULAP was also in collaboration with Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI), USAID E-PESO, and National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) with the support of the private companies –Microsoft Philippines, PLDT Alpha, Canon, Felta, WSI, Bizbox, Ng Khai, DBP-DCI and American Technologies. These partners showcased available innovative solutions for LGUs who can partner with them in upgrading their operations. Raffle items were also given away during the event from the generous sponsors.
This event is part of the continuing partnership of the Innovative Technologies for Open Government Partnership Coalition (ITOGP), in which DILG, Microsoft and ULAP sit as co-chairs.
