Managing government like a corporation

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  – When Jed Patrick Mabilog was elected Iloilo mayor last May, he vowed to make the most of being the youngest chief executive of this city. He wanted to do things the corporate way and retire early at 50.

The 45-year-old former Human Resources director of K-Line is using his corporate background in managing the affairs of his city, treating ordinary people not as subjects to rule but as customers to serve.

In an interview at his temporary office at the Robinsons Mall (the city hall is under construction), Mabilog said a “corporate mindset” is a must for Iloilo to live up to its promise as the “Next Big Thing”.

“We need to change our mindset to achieve that goal. Iloilo is now next to Manila, Cebu and Davao when it comes to investments. We want to make the most of this opportunity by changing the way we think and perform,” he said.

Mabilog started change at city hall by making the flag ceremony every Monday mandatory to all employees. He personally monitors the attendance and makes sure everyone comes on time and in complete uniform. He manages by example; he wears his ID even in the car.

The next thing he focused on was cleanliness. He assigned a garbage collector to go around every 4 pm and made sure that all litter is disposed before the day ends.

Then he introduced personality development for city hall employees, partnering with private companies like Smart Communications for free trainings.

Mabilog said these little things are often overlooked by government, but are crucial to a city’s progress. He noted that if things are done meticulously and thoroughly, then limited resources are maximized and wastes are avoided.

At present, Iloilo City is abuzz with development activities. The DPWH is surrounding the city with dikes to protect it from floods. In 2008, many parts of the city was inundated by 10-foot-high floodwater brought by Typhoon Frank. Mabilog, who served as acting mayor then (he was then vice mayor) doesn’t want to experience that again so he pushed for the flood control project for the city.

The mayor said other developments are focused on electricity and potable water. To address shortage of electricity, coal plants are now being test fired. And for water, biddings will soon be held for new water drilling projects.

This early, Mabilog said Iloilo’s potentials are attracting major companies. Megaworld, for instance, bought the former site of the Iloilo airport and is set to start a major condominium complex. Ayala, meanwhile, is putting up a P1-billion techno hub for call centers, capitalizing on the gentle and English-speaking Ilonggo people for business process outsourcing.

Other countries are also noticing Iloilo City, particularly its policies for the protection of the environment. On November 4 in Chicago, USA, the International Awards for Liveable Communities will announce this year’s winner from eight finalists, which include Iloilo City.

“We’re so excited for this award because it tells us that we are on the right track,” Mabilog said.

The young mayor credits his “management team” for all the successes that the city is reaping. He believes that for a leader to be successful, he has to have a team that is focused, supportive to all members, and will stand by him through thick and thin. Mabilog’s team members, for one, share his passion for the sea and enjoy riding jet skis with him on weekends.

If his corporate-style succeeds, Mabilog foresees the next five years to be a period of unparalleled growth for Iloilo City. And just like a young corporate executive, he plans to retire early to take on fresh responsibilities and enjoy life with his wife and two children.

“I don’t intend to stay here for long. I just hope to make Iloilo City a model in governance before I turn 50,” he said.