For the people: The rural health unit of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi receives enough funding and personnel support from the local government to enable it to effectively respond to the people's medical needs. MA. VEMA GATICALES-LADJAHASAN

Barely a decade ago, Bongao was an underdeveloped municipality despite it being the political and economic capital of Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province of the Philippines.

Back then, life was difficult and miserable. Economic and social development was slow; prices of basic goods and commodities high -- and the government was desperate for funds to remedy social and environmental problems. Infrastructure too was very poor and private business was hesitant to invest for precisely these reasons.

It was a vicious circle: Poor taxes and revenues meant the income of the municipal government was low, making it difficult to implement priority development programs and projects essential to the needs of the people. Local government unit (LGU) employees were poorly paid and were lacking in training since there was no funding for attending necessary seminars and workshops. It meant the service they could provide the community was woefully inadequate.

But then the municipality started partnering with civil society organizations (CSOs) and involved other sectors in the formulation of a Comprehensive Municipal Development Plan (CMDP) with the assistance of the Local Government Support Program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (LGSPA). As a result of the latter’s assistance, the LGU prioritized and gave more attention to administration and fiscal reforms.

Change for the good

Since then -- and as a result of good administration and effective fiscal management, the LGU that was previously ranked as a 4^th class municipality is now 2^nd class.  With an income of just PhP 42 million (USD 1 million) in 2000, Bongao’s income now is estimated to be more than PhP 102 million (USD 2.4 million). That has meant the number of competent LGU personnel has grown, its offices are now computerized and personnel salaries have been standardized. As a result of all these improvements and some capacity enhancement activities for personnel, LGU operations have tremendously improved in terms of customer services, civil application processes and financial management.

Economic activities have also greatly intensified especially in the municipality’s urban center where a number of businesses have been sprouting up every year. This year alone, the first mini-mall in Tawi-Tawi was opened and followed the earlier opening of a medium-sized department store just 300 meters away. Now, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, mobile phone shops, internet cafes and banks with ATM are found in the downtown area and attract streams of people everyday.

Noticeably, the business sector is now showing significant interest in investing in Bongao, seeing its favorable business atmosphere now. And that will mean a further growth in income for the LGU in terms of local revenues.

For years, the LGU of Bongao has been implementing a number of projects either funded locally, nationally or internationally. Its 20 per cent Development Fund (DF) has been fully utilized every year to implement small projects funded locally and to act as a counterpart for the  implementation of bigger projects funded by national or international funding assistors.

More than 100 infrastructure and support projects for social services, the economy and environment have been implemented in recent years with all 35 barangays served in terms of providing their priority needs. Family conditions of people in the communities have clearly improved.

Promotion of people’s participation and empowerment

The LGU of Bongao strongly believes that citizen involvement in local governance is vital and this is facilitated through the participation of CSOs, people’s organizations (POs), national line agencies (NLAs) and other sectors in the municipality had been brought in to help with the preparation of Bongao’s CMDP, its executive-legislative agenda (ELA) as well as its other key plans.

Planning processes encouraged them to fully participate by sharing their views and joining discussions in the identification of issues and concerns; in formulating goals, objectives and strategies; and in setting budgetary requirements for the identified and agreed priorities.

In project implementation, the people are involved before, during, and after implementing them to make certain that stakeholders and beneficiaries would feel the sense of ownership –factors which are believed to help ensure successful implementation of any program. Community people are assisted in the identification of their priority project for implementation – and most importantly, they are trained in operations and maintenance as well as in project monitoring.

Bongao's income increased annually because of reforms in local budget management, including efficient tax collection and strict policy against borrowings. Courtest of the LGU of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi

Barangays are even given the full authority to implement their projects through well-organized and trained POs in their communities. These organizations outlive their projects and are engaged in helping to identify and address new concerns in their respective communities. As a matter of fact, the synergy of an effective partnership between the LGU and its POs can be seen the recognition of a PO in Barangay Tongsinah which was awarded as the most outstanding PO among all the areas which the ARMM Social Fund Program (ASF) covered. The municipal team which assisted and supervised the barangay were likewise awarded due recognition of their work. The team included the project coordinator and Municipal Social Welfare Officer and the Municipal Engineer.

Even other organizations such as fraternities and sororities have been motivated by the LGU’s commitment to draw on the participation of the CSOs. Activities in support of the LGU’s priorities have thus included coastal clean-ups and tree-planting. Meantime the Philippine military in Tawi-Tawi have conducted medical missions and simpler things like mass haircuts for schoolchildren.

Unlike it seems in some other LGU areas, people here are consulted and encouraged to share their views during public hearings held by the Sanggunian (council) looking into new laws or decrees. The Sanggunian also registers CSOs so that they can have the   opportunity to become members of the local special bodies in the LGU. As of today, a total of 57 NGOs and POs have been accredited.

The Local School Board is one such local special body and has been instrumental in maximizing the use of the Special Educational Fund (SEF), which comprises one per cent of all LGU receipts. It is especially cognizant and active in far-flung barangays where basic elementary education is problematic and where quality of education is at its lowest.  The recognized dynamism of this local special body has helped earn the LGU various forms of additional assistance for education such as teachers’ trainings and the provision of school supplies and textbooks and the construction of school buildings.

Innovation

For many years, the local income of the LGU here – specifically tax revenue – was not being fully monitored. Collectors were handling the money according to their personal whims and disposal. Many would carry around the cash with them for days and use it for their personal needs and wants – and nobody was any the wiser. Many revenue collectors even fixed the books to conceal their misconduct. Yet when Mayor Albert T. Que, Al Haj assumed office in 2001, one of the first things he did was to prescribe a simple solution of ensuring the day’s collection was deposited in the bank at the proper time.

Another innovation pertains to the construction of the new public market building of Bongao. The old building burned down in 2005 and there were no funds to immediately replace it.  The lack of a public market building had serious effects on local business taxation and so local government revenue. This further impacted on local projects that were needed but could not be funded.

Finally however, and earlier this year, a PhP 20 million (USD 476,190), two-storey public market building was unveiled on the old site. Its construction was made possible through years of savings of the LGU from its 20 percent Development Funds and the setting aside of an additional PhP 1 million (USD 23,809) every month since the market construction started in April 2009.  The dedication of the local team helped ensure that outside support also came in.

Another key accomplishment of the LGU leadership is its strict policy against borrowings for the sake of implementing infrastructure projects. Thus, Bongao is one of those few LGUs with no outstanding loan obligations.

The Sanggunian has been likewise exercising its monitoring function on program implementation as aid for local legislation, a factor that more enhances accountability. Thus, program implementers must appear before the Local Legislative Body to report on the progress of all projects.

Sustainability, gender responsiveness

Inspiring: The Bongao LGU, led by Mayor Jasper Que (beside President Benigno Aquino III) receives the Galing Pook 2010 Award at the Malacanang Palace. Courtesy of Galing Pook Foundation

Observers familiar with local government operations in Tawi-Tawi are optimistic that things here show that good governance is clearly possible in other parts of the ARMM given that the right-minded people, opportunities and systems are in place.  More so, sustainability is greatly assured because the needed policies have been intricately institutionalized into the core of LGU’s corporate existence.

The LGU of Bongao has always been supportive of Gender and Development (GAD). Gender concerns have been appropriately responded with measures which have been sufficiently integrated into the LGU’s many programs. This has been made possible by the fact that the current Vice Mayor and the Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) is a woman in her third term.  Until recently there were six women councilors in the SB, which helped pave the way for the legislation which is fully gender sensitive: One such local ordinance is the Gender and Development (GAD) Code of Bongao (Municipal Ordinance 171-2008).

Bongao is recognized in the ARMM as one of the few LGUs which has started to utilize its GAD budget reaching to millions of pesos in  programs and projects designed to accomplish and give substance to what the GAD Code endeavors to achieve in enhancing the social and economic benefits of women and children.

Another fruit of the Code is the institutionalization of the Municipal Inter-agency Committee against Trafficking and Violence Against Women (MIACAT-VAWC) as lead entity in the implementation of the Code apart from doing functions as prescribed by Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence against Women and Children Act) and RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act).  Originally the committee was organized through the assistance of the United National Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 6^th Country Program but over the period of three years, it has evolved into one of the most effective integral committees of the LGU.

Almost all activities of the MIACAT-VAWC regarding the fight against domestic violence and trafficking in persons have been fully LGU-funded. This all-out support to MIACAT-VAWC has led to the rescue of several minors from the hands of human traffickers and the provision of different assistance to victims of domestic violence. To date, one of the cases pursued by MIACAT-VAWC is nearing prosecution stage as the alleged human trafficker is awaiting trial while in jail.

The record of the LGU led to its selection in the Galing Pook Award 2010 in the ARMM and Bongao became one of the eight awardees for its sound and replicable practices. Galing Pook chairperson Rafael Coscolluela said of the programs of last year’s awardees:

“The development concerns they address are not new, they are in fact common to most LGUs. The processes they employ, likewise, do not involve rocket science and are in fact, inspiring in their replicability. Their programs simply put are recognized for the way they confront and effectively address ‘problems’ with the basic tools commonly employed by progressive and enlightened LGUs: knowledge, political will, and people’s involvement”.

Bongao then, by the standards set by this prestigious award-giving body has fared well in utilizing the little resources within its grasp. And it continues to do so amidst more challenging concerns at a time when this part of the country needs well-meaning leaders to make the lives of the people better. It calls for the staunchest of political will and tremendous courage to make a real positive difference. Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project

(Ma. Vema Gaticales-Ladjahasan is a broadcast and print journalist in Tawi-Tawi. Engineer Manuel Pampora is the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.)