The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) met with Gov. Ramil Hernandez of the Provincial Government of Laguna to discuss various projects on migration and development, education, and land titling and property rights, on February 9, 2015.
Laguna is one of the pilot sites of PINOY WISE (Worldwide Initiative on Investments, Savings, and Entrepreneurship) that ULAP implemented with Atikha in 2012. From 2015 onwards, the migration and development project will be scaled up with the support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to concretely mainstream migration in local economic development.
Laguna is also a target partner to implement K to 12 and last-mile projects of the Department of Education, and the implementation of the Residential Free Patent Act, which are projects supported by ULAP through its partnerships.

The 1st Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) Country Report was launched last February 3, 2015 at the Sofitel Hotel, Manila. The PH-EITI report contains financial disclosures of 30 large-scale metallic mining companies and six (6) oil and gas companies for the year 2012, covering a total of Php 52.7 billion in revenue. This also includes the shares of 33 local government units from national wealth coming from extractive industries within their localities. Moreover, taxes, royalties, transportation fees, custom duties, mandatory social expenditures and environmental fees, government shares, and payment to local government units were also part of the report.
Governor Alfonso Umali, Jr., the President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) gave a response to the report, representing the local government units. He congratulated the 15 provinces, 16 municipalities, 2 cities and 1 barangay that submitted to the audit and complied for the report. He encouraged the LGUs to strengthen their goal in attaining full fiscal transparency and reforms in governance of extractive industries. He also urged the “national government to work together to pursue the increase of the share of the local governments and speed up the transfer of the amounts allocated to the LGUs from the excise tax”.
EITI is a global standard ensuring transparency of revenues from natural resources. It is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the government, industry and civil society representatives. It provides a platform to systematically report on, review, and assesses what is being paid by companies and received by governments through a system of bilateral disclosures.
EITI is one of the nine commitments of the Philippines in its commitments to Open Government Partnership 2013-2015 Action Plan. President Noynoy Aquino signed Executive Order 147 on November 26, 2013 creating the PH-EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), the governing body for EITI implementation in the country. A Technical Working Group (TWG) was also created to help the MSG in the implementation and completion of the report.
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) is a member of both the MSG and TWG, representing the local government units.

he Provincial Government of Tarlac, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), Department of Budget and Management- Open Data Philippines, in partnership with Microsoft Philippines, conducted the first LGU-initiated local hackathon on 24-25 January, 2015 at the Provincial Capitol of Tarlac, Tarlac City.
The two-day event was held to create a "solution", through creation of an app, that will help the Provincial Government of Tarlac the following:
• Promote their tourism;
• Integrate GIS data and community/user involvement for quick emergency responses and traffic monitoring;
• Make a job seeker find work openings thatmatches his/her qualifications, more convenient and help local businesses reach more job seekers; and,
• Make the services, information and profile of health facilities and schools in the province be known to public.
12 team of "hackers" (app developers) from all over the country attended the said event. A panel of judges from the Provincial Government of Tarlac, ULAP, Open Data PH and Microsoft chose the best app, wherein the Team MH406 won with their web-based application, TGIS- Tarlac Geographic Information System.
This locally initiated hackathon is part of ULAP's commitment as representative of LGUs in the Philippine-Open Government Partnership Steering Committee to help localize and mainstream OGP commitments.
On behalf of ULAP, we would like to thank all the hackers and partners who made #HackTarlac2015 a success!
For more information, please click the link below: #HACKTARLAC2015: THE TARLAC HACKATHON CHALLENGE

The Department of Education rolled out Kariton Klasrum Project on January 27, 2015 held in Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. In partnership with The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas and the Dynamic Team Company, kariton klasrums will be deployed in Metro Manila, Cavite and Tacloban City for the benefit of street children and other out-of-school youth.
Kariton Klasrum is a project of DTC and 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida, which aims to reach the children at risk on the streets and provide them with basic education through mobile (pushcarts or kariton) classrooms.

The replication of the project is part of DepEd’s “Last Mile Efforts” to address the needs of hard-to-reach learners and out-of-school children and youth (OSCYs). The Kariton Klasrum project aims to provide more children at risk on the streets, OSCYs, and school drop-outs with access to basic education through the Alternative Learning System (ALS), Alternative Delivery Modes (ADM), and Modified In-School, Off-School Approach (MISOSA) programs of DepEd.

The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines held its 75th Special National Executive Board Meeting and Dinner with Department of Health Secretary Janette Garin on January 22, 2015 held in Elan Hotel, Greenhills, San Juan City. In attendance during the meeting are ULAP Executive Board Members composed of President Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr., Mayor Sandy Javier (Vice Chairman), Atty. Edmund Abesamis (Sec. Gen), Vice Gov. Leonides Fausto (2nd Vice Pres.), Coun. Kirk Asis (Asst. Sec. Gen.) , Vice Gov. Humerlito Dolor (Treasurer) and Coun. Maybelyn Dela Cruz-Fernandez (PRO).
Also present during the special meeting are Tarlac Gov. Victor Yap, Dr. Eddie Dorotan of Galing Pook, and Prof. Ernie Garilao of Zuelig Family Foundation.
Executive directors and guests from ULAP member leagues were represented by Ms. Annalyn Flores of LVGP, Chris Abcede of VMLP, Atty. Rey Fajardo and Peachy Aguado of NMYL, Emelyn Magdurulan and Dennis Bernabe of LPP, Robert De Castro and Mat Catral of PBMLP, and Lloyd Paras and Marissa Lerias of LMP.