Public-private partnership advantageous in good governance strategy - Estanislao

MANILA, Philippines - Public-private partnership (PPP) has proven its advantage in executing a strategy that would lead to good governance, former Finance Secretary and Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) chairman Jesus Estanislao said.

He said with investors restoring their confidence in the country, local government units (LGUs) can pursue their goals without being restricted financially.

This, along with strategy execution and governance for achieving breakthrough performance, will be discussed in the 2010 Palladium Asia Pacific Summit in Manila on Sept. 22-24 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

“We have already forged partnership with LGUs such as the province of Isabela, cities of Iloilo and San Fernando, Pampanga and the municipality of Bani. With our partnership, we aim to instill the importance of public-private partnership in their road to good governance,” Estanislao said.

To illustrate ISA’s success in assisting LGUs, one of its partners, Iloilo City, has already achieved an effective governance model for PPP. Iloilo City has leveraged the collaboration for its annual tourism event, Dinagyang Festival, which has become an economic driver of the city. 

From only P400 million budget in 2001, the city has generated billions from its efforts in making the Dinagyang Festival a tourism icon in Iloilo City.

The LGU was not the only unit within the city that worked on implementing an effective governance model for PPP. The local government used a dynamic participatory process that involved the youth, urban poor, religious community, barangay and community officials to ensure that all stakeholders are represented in its initiatives, and to multiply opportunities for success in various sectors.

 Iloilo City also stood out in the Brigada Eskwela initiative of the Department of Education by leveraging private-public collaboration. Volunteers from private groups, school officials and other individuals from different sectors volunteered to clean school grounds and repair fixtures and facilities of local schools in time for the school year.

 “Financial assistance is not the prime essence of public-private collaboration. We should also recognize that for certain programs to become a success, community effort, with the help of the private sector, are also vital. This is what Iloilo City achieved in its initiatives,” Estanislao explained.

One of the schools in the city, the Nabitasan Elementary School in Lapaz District, received the Brigada Eskwela Hall of Fame award this year after winning the Best Brigada Eskwela Implementer for three straight years. Last year, the school had thousands of volunteers and generated P2.7 million worth of donations.

The Palladium Group helps its clients address their most challenging and pressing strategy execution issues by providing an integrated set of services designed to deliver tangible results and leave lasting capabilities - the strategy execution premium.

Palladium has offices throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. With over 700 clients, organizations turn to The Palladium Group’s expertise to improve the execution of their strategies and management of their performance. The Palladium Group is dedicated to understanding and addressing the strategic issues unique to Asia-Pacific.

Meanwhile, ISA is a non-government, non-profit organization whose advocacy is promoting governance, economic and organizational reform through public-private partnership, and is based in the Philippines. This advocacy is carried out through the installation of a transparent performance governance system (PGS), an adaptation of the balanced scorecard tailored specifically for public institutions. 

The PGS ensures long-term commitment through investment of time and resources into its program. This system banks on citizen participation, by making sure that ISA’s partners and their constituents recognize that they have a stake in the process.