People Power

for GOOD GOVERNANCE

Opportunities for Real Systems
Change: from “trickle down” to
“bottom up”: 2010

Philip Camara, Convenor: Subsidiarity Movement

PEOPLE POWER ONE ‘86
2010 Pres. Election as People Power
 VISION OF THE 1987
CONSTITUTION

• THE VISION

A Philippines energized by vibrant and dignified people

empowered and actively engaged in local nation building
extending from personal to household to community to nation to
state renewing the country, from its magnificent
but fragile rainforests and natural endowments, to civic
and political organizations and an
economy that serves the common good in equity, justice and peace.
 WANTED!
A change of crew
& a direction.
 GULFS BETWEEN MASS & ELITE
builds communication barrier rendering both
socially ineffective
 LEGAL SYSTEM
LARGELY COPIED FROM COLONIZERS
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
MEGA DEVELOPERS BUILDING ENCLAVES
 WASTE DISPOSAL
MEGA CONTRACTORS IN MEGA DUMPSITES
 FARM PRODUCTION
CONTROLLED BY BINONDO CARTELS
 POLITICAL PARTIES
CONTROLLED BY ONE DOMINANT PERSON
 GNP INDICATORS
COMPUTING PROGRESS FROM CORPORATE ACCOUNT
Results of PINATULO OR SUPERIORITY
PRINCIPLE

“WHAT DOES GNP HAVE TO DO WITH ME?”

Organizing Principle

A COUNTRY’S DNA

BASIC TEMPLATE FOR

ORGANIZING A
COUNTRY’S RESOURCES
AND PEOPLE
command & control VS consensus & coordination
trickle-down VS bottom-up
pinatulo VS pinatubo
greed is good VS common good
Administrative Divisions
The Philippines China
 Regions (17)*  Regions (Provinces) (33)
 Provinces (80)  Provinces(Prefecture)/
/Cities(120) City Level (333)
 Districts (219)*  Districts (County Level)
 Towns (1,514) (2,872)
 Villages (Barangays)  Township Level (40,544)
(46,000) 1,956 people  Village level (704,386)
per village 1,846 people per village

Sources: Wikipedia; National Statistical Coordination Board; Country Reports-United

Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
*Under the National Government
I Supervise 200 LGUs
 Horacio de la Costa
1968 Essay: Justice and Philippine Development:

We must go back to the basics:

- BUILD COMMUNITIES
- LINK COMMUNITIES TO COMMON GOALS
- RECAPTURE THE BUREAUCRACY
Comparative Philippine and China Central and Local
Government Share in Revenue and Expenditure
The Philippines China
(2007; in Million Pesos) (2004 ; 100M Yuan)

Central* Local** Central Local

REVENUE 1,096,875.01 234,760.08 14,503.10 11,893.37

% to Total 82.37% 17.63% 54.90% 45.10%

Expenditure 1,023,071.18 194,736.81 7,894.08 20,592.81

% to Total 84.01% 15.99% 27.70% 72.30%

Net of IRA of P146,591.95 million

**Inclusive of IRA of P146,591.95 million
Sources: Philippine Commission on Audit 2007 Financial Reports; National Bureau of Statistics of China
 President Noynoy’s Requested Inputs
from Local Volunteers

• - GOOD GOVERNANCE (anti-corruption)

• - POVERTY REDUCTION (systems change)

• - SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
(transparency)
 RA 7160: Local Gov’t Code ‘91
• Declaration of Policy. -
• (a) It is hereby declared the policy of the State
that the territorial and political subdivisions of
the State shall enjoy genuine and meaningful
local autonomy to enable them to attain their
fullest development as self-reliant
communities and make them more effective
partners in the attainment of national goals.
 LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CODE OF 1991
CORY’S LEGACY
OF
INSTITUTIONALIZING
PEOPLE POWER
 HAS PEOPLE’S
PARTICIPATION &
EMPOWERMENT
PROVISIONS
THAT ARE
LARGELY
IGNORED
 LOCAL HEALTH
BOARD

LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD

LOCAL PEACE &
ORDER COUNCIL
LOCAL PBAC
 THE HOW TO’S OF LOCALIZATION
Section 3. Operative Principles of Decentralization. -
The formulation and implementation of policies and
measures on local autonomy shall be guided by the
following operative principles:

(j) Effective mechanisms for ensuring

the accountability of local government
units to their respective constituents
shall be strengthened in order to
upgrade continually the quality of local
leadership;
(l) The participation of the private sector in
local governance, particularly in the
delivery of basic services, shall be
encouraged to ensure the viability of local
autonomy as an alternative strategy for
sustainable development; and

(m) The national government shall ensure

that decentralization contributes to the
continuing improvement of the
performance of local government units and
the quality of community life.
CHAPTER IV
Relations With People's and Non-Governmental
Organizations
Section 34. Role of People's and Non-governmental
Organizations. - Local government units shall promote
the establishment and operation of people's and non-
governmental organizations to become active partners
in the pursuit of local autonomy.
Section 35. Linkages with People's and Non-governmental
Organizations. - Local government units may enter into
joint ventures and such other cooperative arrangements
with people's and non-governmental organizations to
engage in the delivery of certain basic services, capability-
building and livelihood projects, and to develop local
enterprises designed to improve productivity and income,
diversity agriculture, spur rural industrialization, promote
ecological balance, and enhance the economic and social
well-being of the people.
Section 36. Assistance to People's and Non-governmental
Organizations.
 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL
SEC. 108. Representation of Non-Governmental Organizations. - Within a period of sixty (60) days
from the start of organization of local development councils, the nongovernmental organizations
shall choose from among themselves their representatives to said councils. The local sanggunian
concerned shall accredit nongovernmental organizations subject to such criteria as may be provided
by law.
SEC. 109. Functions of Local Development Councils. - (a) The provincial, city, and municipal
development councils shall exercise the following functions:
 (1) Formulate long-term, medium-term, and annual socioeconomic development plans and
policies;
 (2) Formulate the medium-term and annual public investment programs;
 (3) Appraise and prioritize socioeconomic development programs and projects;
 (4) Formulate local investment incentives to promote the inflow and direction of private investment
capital;
 (5) Coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of development programs and projects;
and
 (6) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or competent authority.
 (b) The barangay development council shall exercise the following functions:
 (1) Mobilize people's participation in local development efforts;
 (2) Prepare barangay development plans based on local requirements;
 (3) Monitor and evaluate the implementation of national or local programs and projects; and
 (4) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or competent authority.
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS
1. SECTION 108.  Representation of Nongovernmental
Organizations.-  Within a period of sixty (60) days from the
start of organization of Local Development Councils,
the Non-Government Organizations shall choose from
among themselves their representatives to said councils. 
The Local Sanggunian concerned shall accredit Non-
Government Organizations subject to such criteria as may be
provided by law. (Note:  There is no law yet on this.  So, it
is up to the Sanggunian concerned to decide on the manner
of accreditation.) 
BOTTOM UP PLANNING IS A LAW
THAT IS IGNORED

APPROVED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS

ARE SUBMITTED TO THE REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS WHERE THEY
ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS ARE

THEN SUBMITTED TO NEDA AND ARE
SUPPOSED TO BECOME THE BASIS OF
THE NATIONAL PLAN
Section 305:
•Local budgets shall operationalize
approved local
development plans;
;
(k) National planning shall be based on
local development plans and
are considered in the formulation of
budgets of national line agencies or offices;
 SCHOOL
BOARDS
2. SECTION 98.  Creation, Composition and Compensation. (b)  The
Provincial School Board shall be composed of the governor and the division
superintendent of schools as co-chairmen; the chairman of the education
committee of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the provincial treasurer, the
representative of the pederasyon ng mga sangguniang kabataan in the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the duly elected President of the Provincial
Federation of Parents-Teachers Associations, the duly elected representative
of the Teachers’ Organizations in the Province, and the duly elected
representative of the non-academic personnel of public schools in the
province, as members.  (Note:  Representation of PTAs and Teachers’
Organizations is true down the line – the City and Municipal level. NGO
membership in the School Board is fixed.) 
 LOCAL HEALTH BOARDS
SECTION 102.  Creation and Composition.  (a), (1)  The Provincial
Health Board shall be headed by the governor as chairman, the
provincial health officer as vice-chairman, and the chairman of the
committee on health of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, a
representative from the Private Sector or Non-Government
Organizations involved in Health Services, and a representative of
the Department of Health in the province, as members;  (Note:  The
LGC does not provide for the manner of selecting the NGO
Representative who will sit in the Health Board.  It just provides for
the composition as herein stated.) 
OCAL PEACE AND ORDER COUNCIL
SECTION 116, on the Organization of Local Peace
and Order Council provides that E.O. 309: 
Reorganization of the Peace and Order Council
shall implement this particular LGC provision.

The Chairman of the City or Municipal Peace and

Order Council shall appoint the three (3)
representatives of the private sector, upon
consultation with the members of the Council at his
level. 
OCAL PRE-QUAL, BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
LGC Provision on Pre-Qualification, Bids and
Awards Committee (PBAC) was amended by
Republic Act No. 9184 or the New Procurement
Law.  When subject of procurement is supplies or
goods, usually it is the Chamber of Commerce and
Industry that sits as private sector representative. 
When Infra Projects are involved, it is usually
the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers.  But it is
the BAC that decides whom to invite.  The private
sector representatives are mere observers.
JESSE ROBREDO’S SECRET TO DOING WELL

From our experience, and from our participation in

international conferences on decentralization, the
Code provisions promoting participation and
partnerships actually stand out as its best features,
mainly because it is where Naga City carved its niche –
participative governance which has become
part and parcel of our 2015 vision.
EC. 120 ON PEOPLE’S INITIATIVE ON LOCAL
ORDINANCES

000 VOTERS IN A CITY OR MUNICIPALITY

00 IN A BARANGAY TO INITIATE

IMITED TO 2 A YEAR

Recall of elected local

Officials: initiative of 25%
of registered voters
 REGIONAL DEV COUNCILS
• The official function/mandate of the RDCs
is mainly coordination on PLAN and POLICY
formulation, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation.
 MEMBERS OF THE RDC
• Its membership is 75% from government
sector which includes, elected officials like
Governor, Mayor, etc. and regional line
agencies like the DPWH, DOH, etc.

    25% is private sector which includes NGOs,

POs, and other private sectors.
 PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORIZATIONS TO 17
RDCs
• 1. Directly Supervise BIR Agencies in area
• 2. Directly Retain Rev. Collections w/in IRA
• 3. Strictly Enforce People’s Participation and
• “bottom-up” Planning of LGC
• 4. Enforce E-Comm Law having all LGUs
• display in LGU websites: budgets / expens
• 5. Directly Supervise all PNP units
• 6. Ensure Prep of Land Use, Sus Dev. Plans
• 7. Directly Supervise Reg. Line Agencies
 IT’S IN THE 1987 CONSTITUTION
• Section 14. The President shall provide for
regional development councils or other similar
bodies composed of local government officials,
regional heads of departments and other
government offices, and representatives from
non-governmental organizations within the
regions for purposes of administrative
decentralization to strengthen the autonomy of
the units therein and to accelerate the economic
and social growth and development of the units
in the region.
 THANK YOU!
• Thank you, President Cory

• President Noynoy:

• PLEASE IMPLEMENT!

• YOU AND I: PARTICIPATE!