ARMM officials express commitment to promote good governance

MANILA, Philippines - Local government officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) expressed their commitment to promote good governance and allow the region to get over the image of violence brought about by the massacre of 57 people last year in Maguindanao.

The province of Sulu and eight other municipalities were among the local government units (LGUs) in ARMM that made it to the final judging of the Galing Pook Award for good governance, said Eddie Dorotan, executive director of the Galing Pook Foundation.

Dorotan said the program was historic since it was the first time the foundation reached out to ARMM to be part of the Galing Pook Awards, designed to recognize the innovative practices in local governance.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, guest speaker at the presentation of the finalists, welcomed the effort of the Galing Pook Foundation, which he said would surely benefit the people in ARMM.

Robredo introduced governance reforms in ARMM, which he described as the “weakest link” of the country due to criminality and terrorism.

The DILG official said the support of local government officials and other concerned sectors in the region would be tapped to implement meaningful reforms that would improve socio-economic conditions.

Dorotan said winners will be announced in January and the awarding will be held in Malacañang.

The first round of the Galing Pook Awards in ARMM for 2010 was supported by USAID, under the TAG4 Project with The Asia Foundation. 

The ARMM Regional Government and the Local Government Academy are among the main institutional partners of the Galing Pook Foundation, which manages the awards program.

The Galing Pook Awards have been recognizing innovative practices in local governance since 1993, honoring over 250 innovative programs from 170 LGUs across the country.

The new awards program acknowledges the cultural uniqueness of ARMM and will highlight positive results, innovations and excellence in local governance in the region.

During the announcement of the finalists yesterday, Dorotan said Kapatagan town in Lanao del Sur made it to the finals for initiating tulay sa kalilintad (bridge to peace), a municipal project that united local government, civil society organizations, NGOs, military, armed groups and communities to prioritize peace.

He said Kapatagan was virtually turned to ashes in 2000 when the government launched an all-out war against the rebels.

Dorotan said Sulu’s program entry is an institutionalized mechanism, the Sulu Area Coordinating Center (ACC) for shared governance of the socio-economic development of the province.

The Sulu ACC evolved from the Joint Civil Military Area Coordination Center that was created by then Gov. Abdusakur Tan in 2000, specifically to handle the Sipadan hostage crisis and to cushion the impact of military actions on the civilian populace. 

The Southwestern Ligawasan Alliance of Municipalities (SLAM) in Maguindanao was able to develop a multi-stakeholder health program for poor farmers and fisherfolk from their previous project partnership with the Zuellig Family Foundation.

The health program in the towns of Datu Paglas, Paglat, General Salipada Pendatun, and Sultan sa Barongis entails inter-agency coordination and identifies specific roles and responsibilities among three key project partners – the LGU, Municipal Health Office, and Civil Society Organizations – who cooperate in the program’s implementation.

The Wao’s Integrated Solid Waste Management ISWM program covers all of the municipality’s 26 barangays in the province of Lanao del Sur and aims to establish a clean, green, and healthy environment by regulating the disposal of solid waste.

The entry of the town of Sultan Mastura was its implementation of the BISITA (Bringing Integrated Services and Innovation through a Team Approach) sa Barangay Program.

The LGU hopes to deliver basic services directly to the barangays through an integrated team approach and through the consolidation of available resources. The program aims to make the presence of government felt in every barangay through monthly team visits that entail the delivery of health, education, livelihood development and social services. 

The visiting team is composed of municipal line agency field officers and LGU officials.

The entry of Bongao town in Tawi-Tawi province is the administrative and fiscal reforms program that helped transform the municipality from a 4th class to a 2nd class municipality within the span of a decade.

From earning only P42 million in 2000, Bongao’s estimated income at present amounts to more than P102 million.

In the previous administration, the LGU’s income from local tax collections was not adequately monitored. 

The collectors were reportedly handling money unprofessionally, bringing home the collected cash and even using the money for their personal needs.

Through the Upi government in Maguindanao, parents, teachers, local government officials, the indigenous community, armed forces, business sector, and Muslims and Christian religious leaders work together to help schoolchildren obtain a bright future through quality education. 

Traditionally, education of young children was seen as the sole responsibility of schools and teachers.

The town of Wao alleviates poverty while protecting nature. The local government said protecting the environment is not just about quality of life, it is a question of survival especially for the poor, who depend on it for their livelihood.