Future Obamas?

Before he became senator, US President Barack Obama was a community worker, empowering communities so they could better their lot. He has said it was while helping out communities that he discovered God, for he saw Church-based groups moving heaven and earth to make a difference in the lives of the underserved.

With his experience as a community worker, Obama can work up a crowd and can hold their attention like he were a mountain of glue. That’s why he seems so even-tempered, not one to easily lose his cool or patience — he is used to the frustrations of organizing people of various persuasions.

A former teacher, he also seems to be adept at paperwork. Time magazine says the transition from the Bush to the Obama administration was one of the most orderly in American history, with each government agency furnished a policy paper on what direction to take.

He caught the eye of then senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry during a town hall meeting, and Kerry then asked Obama to be the keynote speaker at the 2004 convention that formally nominated him (Kerry). A non-traditional politician, Obama excited the convention with the message of change that he represented and he is now exciting the world, not just America, and eliciting hope like he were a Christmas caroler with an angelic voice. Hope, from door to door, just seems so easy to give to him.

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Sometimes, the solution to the ills that beset our country doesn’t come from national government. It comes from the local government units. There are a lot of promising leaders from our LGUs and communities and thank God for organizations that train the spotlight on them.

Galing Pook, an NGO that is part of the Innovations Program Liaison Group (IPLG), an international network of local governance awards mechanisms supported by the Ford Foundation, has announced the winners of its national search for the 10 best local governance programs. Local government units are recognized by the awards body for innovative programs that have gained measurable, positive results; empowered its people, and enhanced service delivery.

This year’s winners are Albay, the Allah Valley Landscape Development Alliance (AVLDA) in Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato, Barangay Sanito in Ipil, Zamboanga, Cotabato Province, Marikina City, Pampanga Province, Quezon City, San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, San Fernando City in Pampanga, and Taguig City.

At the recent Bulong Pulungan press forum at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Galing Pook honored three LGU leaders who spearheaded projects that uplifted their community.

Albay was cited for its disaster risk management and reduction program based on geostrategic intervention. A comprehensive land use plan identified risky and safe areas where the people could be relocated. With the communities involved in the planning and implementation, families willingly rendered labor for the construction of their relocation homes.

AVLDA in Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato is a multi-sectoral alliance of two provincial governments, eight municipalities, NGOs, national government agencies, international development agencies and communities to manage the Allah Valley river systems crossing both provinces. Together they have pursued the protection and management of the area through environmental, economic, social, cultural and organizational development and institution building.

AVLDA has brought together two governors (Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato), eight mayors, five regional directors of national government agencies, the chair of the CSDO-SC and two Sangguniang Panlalawigan representatives. They compose the Board of Directors of AVLDA who meet every quarter of the year. South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Fuentes is one of the pioneer leaders of the alliance.

For its part, Brgy. Sanito in Ipil, Zamboanga confronted informal settlers and lawless elements following the Abu Sayaf raids in 1991. It restored peace and order and built a business-friendly atmosphere with the Sanito Barangay Government Code. This has encouraged agricultural projects, environmental protection and new infrastructure.

Cotabato instituted its Children First Program to increase understanding and appreciation among the youth of its indigenous, Christian and Muslim people. By encouraging children to share, learn, understand and appreciate each other’s cultures and beliefs, the program hopes to correct misconceptions and develop better relationships.

Marikina established a central warehousing system complete with bar code and wide area network, to increase efficiency in service and supply delivery. The mechanics and systems of the best private warehouses as well as leading hardware enterprises in the country were adopted. A single department is tasked to monitor, inventory, deliver and inspect the proper use and distribution of materials to end users and project sites. Marikina has not only delivered services without delay but also saved the substantial resources.

Pampanga, for its part, created the Biyaya A Luluguran At Sisikapan (BALAS) Committee, to oversee improving tax collection for quarry operations. The tax of P300 per truck remained the same, but the provincial government divided it between itself and the affected barangays and municipalities. With more earnings from quarry tax collections, these communities were able to fund projects and services. Ten municipalities and barangays with quarry operations have so far received as much as P72.9 million representing mid-2007 to mid-2008 earnings. Upon assuming his post, Gov. Ed Panlilio immediately issued Executive Order No. 2-ETP, constituting the Biyaya A Luluguran At Sisikapan Committee (BALAS). Incidentally, balas is the Kapampangan word for sand. The BALAS program aimed to improve tax collection from quarry operations. On the very first day of implementation, the Provincial Treasurer’s Office was able to collect P1.2 million in tax revenues.

BALAS has made Pampanga aware of its rights and duties as stakeholders in their province’s resources. Illegal quarrying or mining, even BALAS checkers recruited by the provincial government to roadside outposts, can be monitored and reported to a hotline to the office of the governor.

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Quezon City dramatically converted the Payatas dumpsite into a community with a controlled waste disposal facility. It became the first in the country to capture methane gas from the dumpsite as an alternative energy source, thus ensuring the health and safety of the community.

San Carlos City in Negros Occidental established an independent development organization, the San Carlos Development Board, Inc. to manage and coordinate the development initiative of the city. It is the only type of private organization in the country that coordinates a local development initiative. With a single body overseeing all the different initiatives, redundancies in development efforts were avoided or reduced.

San Fernando City instituted the Public Governance System (PGS) Scorecard, adopted from Harvard Business School’s Balanced Scorecard, as a management tool. With the PGS Scorecard, the city government and its constituents are able to draw up and measure very definite strategies towards one direction. It is bringing the city closer to its shared goal of becoming the foremost business center and tourist destination of Northern Luzon.

Taguig City launched its Family Townhomes Project to help 25,000 urban poor families find shelter. Housing units built with the assistance of NGOs are amortized at low and reasonable costs. Beneficiaries have a strong sense of ownership as they also contribute hours in the construction of their new homes. Over 400 families have already moved into these settlements. Mayor Freddie Tiñga was the incumbent mayor when the program started in 2006. It was conceptualized during his administration.

Progress must start somewhere, and the community is a good place to jumpstart it.

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 (You may e-mail me at [email protected])