Bon Carlo M.

Melocoton, CPA MMPA 1 MMPA 224 Philippine Local Government and Local Admin (Reaction Paper #4)

Section 16 of RA 7160 General Welfare

RA 7160 Book I Title I Section 16. Every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied there from, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare. Within their respective territorial jurisdictions, local government units shall ensure and support, among other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology, encourage and support the development of appropriate and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, improve public morals, enhance economic prosperity and social justice, promote full employment among their residents, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants.
If ever I will become a Mayor of a town; I will definitely see to it that my constituents will have the welfare that they really do reserve. Maybe at this point of time I am some kind of an idealistic person when it comes to general welfare of the people, since I am also experiencing decisions that the officials of the local government unit is imposing to its jurisdiction. When it comes to projects, I will give a priority to the following: 1. Maintaining peace and order; 2. Promoting health and safety; 3. Encouraging and supporting development of appropriate and self reliant scientific and technological capabilities 4. Promoting full employment among residents 5. Enhancing economic prosperity and social justice

Preserve the Comfort and Convenience of the Inhabitants Improve Public Morals Preservation and Enrichment of Culture Enhance the Right of the People to a Balanced Ecology 5. Enhance Economic Prosperity and Social Justice 4. Promote Full Employment among Residents 3. Encourage and Support the Development of Appropriate and Self Reliant Scientific and Technological Capabilities 2. Promote Health and Safety 1. Maintain Peace and Order

Thus, by doing this, the remaining four projects as indicated on RA 7160 Section 16 will just follow. Project 1. Maintaining Peace and Order Peace and order is an essential ingredient in maintaining economic development, social order and political stability. A condition of peace and order facilitates the growth of investments, generates more employment opportunities and attracts more tourists. Foremost in the governments agenda is the promotion of peace and order. This is exemplified in its continuous and active campaign against terrorism and criminality, including kidnapping, illegal drug trade and smuggling and street crimes among others. However, threats to peace and order continue due to a higher-than-tolerable level of criminality caused by an ill-equipped and undermanned police force and the lack of desired holistic and integrated approach to address rising criminality and terrorism. In particular, the regular upgrading of the skills and knowledge of police personnel for efficient and effective policing is limited. Likewise, police lack adequate provisions of basic police equipment such as firearms and ammunition, communications and investigation equipment, vehicles and police facilities. The inadequate logistical support given to a police station contributes to its limited effectiveness. Hence, the inadequacy of funds affects the overall operations of the police force, particularly in investigation, operations, intelligence and police community relations. To address the issues affecting peace and order, I will adopt the following strategies: Effective and credible law enforcement jointly executed by a trilateral partnership between the local executive, the police and the community; Professionalization of the PNP; and Continuous and intensified operations to neutralize terrorism and other organized crime groups

Project 2. Promoting Health and Safety The culture of a community makes the greatest contribution to its health and safety performance. Unfortunately culture is not an easy concept to understand, measure and manage. A good health and safety management system can go some way to setting the scene for developing a good culture, but it goes much deeper than that. The safety culture of a community is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, a communitys health and safety management. Communities with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety and by confidence in the efficacy of preventative measures.

It is not possible to improve culture directly. Instead, it is necessary to work at improving factors that can have a positive influence on culture such as: Increase the amount of time the government officials spend visiting the community; Improve government officials non technical skills like communication; Increase level of workforce participation in safety related problems and solutions Promote good job satisfaction and moral Promote a just culture where blame is only used where someone takes reckless risks Implement a competence assurance program to ensure everyone throughout the community has the skills they need to live and work safely.

Project 3. Encouraging and Supporting Development of Appropriate and Self Reliant Scientific and Technological Capabilities Science and technology are essential for local and national development and progress. The local government unit shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services. It shall support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, and their application to the country's productive systems and national life. In doing this, I will implement the following programs and strategies: Provide for incentives to encourage private participation in programs of basic and applied scientific research. Scholarships, grants-in-aid, or other forms of incentives shall be provided to deserving science students, and specially gifted citizens; Regulate the transfer and promote the adaptation of technology from all sources for the local and national benefit. It shall encourage the widest participation of private groups, local governments, and community-based organizations in the generation and utilization of science and technology; Protect and secure the exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists, and other gifted citizens to their intellectual property and creations, particularly when beneficial to the people, for such period as may be provided by law;

I will also give a policy direction to: Pursue more active partnerships in defining directions and priorities Adopt a strong client-oriented research and development thrust Increase private participation in science and technology activities Upgrade science and technology services Develop and upgrade science and technology manpower Promote science and technology culture Improve the welfare of researchers, scientists and technologists

Project 4. Promoting full employment among residents The promotion of full employment and decent work for all is incredibly important to today's youth. Indeed, it is a goal that many in our society share. Workers seek a livable wage; businesses strive to maximize productivity; governments aim for economic growth. Tragically, society often fails to reach all of these goals. Additionally, full employment and decent work are not always correlated, and there is many times in which one is left without the other. Youth everywhere recognize that their future is at stake; our generation will experience the long-term effects of todays policies. Youth deserve a voice in determining a global course of action - in determining our future. I believe a series of strong goals and indicators are pivotal in addressing the issues as follows: Education and Training o Support internships, apprenticeships, and other forms of pre-employment preparation to improve chances of securing entry level employment. The availability of such programs also promotes an increased awareness of existing employment opportunities. o Support quality education and training that includes both the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Information and Communication Technologies o Stress the use of ICT in educational systems as they can greatly enhance the learning process, prepare students for an increasingly information-driven global economy, and disseminate information and knowledge to remote areas that are cut off from current global information systems. o Promote cheaper, faster, more reliable and widespread internet access. This should be a priority for educational development programs. o Effective internet portals should be provided as a means for individual educational efforts. Government Intervention Assistance o Governments must meet their responsibility to assist in the promotion of youth education and training, both of which provide the skills necessary for young people to find full employment and decent work. o Governments to set an example by employing persons with disabilities in the public sector, such programs must also include other marginalized groups, including, but not limited to, youth.

Youth Labor Protection o Prohibit the exploitation of youth and increase penalties for the non-compliance of labor protection laws. Migration o Forbid the exploitation of migrant employees. Youth Empowerment o Encourage and increase opportunities for youth participation in local, national and international forums. Youth should be encouraged as organizers, entrepreneurs, and agents of change.

Project 5. Enhancing Economic Prosperity and Social Justice The ideal of social justice means that a free society is comprised of few things such as: 1. the equal worth of all citizens that is expressed in political and civil liberties and equal rights before law, 2. right of citizenship and ability to meet basic needs for income, shelter and other necessities, and 3. self-respect and equal citizenship that require more than just meeting basic needs While economic growth is a necessary condition for human development, it is not sufficient. Pursuing long-term economic growth without ensuring social justice, employment and environmental protection reduces social cohesion, and depletes human and natural capital, thereby perpetuating unsustainable and inequitable development. In meeting this goal, I will enforce the following: Establishing a culture of environmental rights; Protecting the right to clean water, clean air and sanitation; Minimizing vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change; Ensuring access to decent livelihoods; and Increasing social cohesion

Thus, prioritizing these five projects will definitely lead to a more and well stabilize community. As Millard Fuller quoted that for a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on peoples love and concern for each other.