IN our criticism of our unitary system of government, that it concentrates governmental power in Imperial Manila, we forget that local government units (LGUs) retain just about everything they need to plan and implement programs of development for their communities. Among other things, the Local Government Code guarantees this. Many LGU leaders ignore this freedom of decision-making, but some take advantage of it to push for, or secure, benefits for their constituents. Of the second type of LGU leaders, may their tribe increase.
Late last year some LGUs were awarded recognition by the Galing Pook Foundation for their innovativeness and excellence in initiating development and amelioration programs for their populations. The Galing Pook Foundation is a private entity dedicated to the “recognition of local government units that carry out innovative and trailblazing programs that can serve as benchmarks and inspiration to other LGUs.”
At this time, another LGU is demonstrating great initiative and imagination in the performance of its duties to its population. From a piece of news buried in the inside pages of newspapers late last week, we learn that the local government of Lubao, Pampanga, is adopting some of the policies and practices of the progressive county of Jeongseon in South Korea in the delivery of public services to the people.
The officials of Lubao had apparently visited Jeongseon in 2012 and were impressed by the beauty and cleanliness of the county. They noted the commitment of the municipal officials to the attraction of better quality and bigger investments to the community for the creation of jobs for the municipality’s inhabitants. The visit, according to Lubao officials, was the prelude to the signing of a sisterhood pact between the two municipalities.
In a recent program launching the sisterhood pact, the town officials declared that “the improvement of the standard of living of the 150,000 residents of Lubao is the priority of the local government.” The officials invited business entities to invest in the town, particularly in the sectors of tourism, real estate and retail services, to hasten the eradication of poverty in the community.
Officials of the Korean Community Association Pampanga Chapter, led by its president, Kim Ki- young, were on hand to lend importance to the program.
We support any encouragement of Philippine LGU officials to make official visits to progressive communities in foreign countries to observe ways and methods of rendering service to the people, for the possible adoption of these ways and methods in our country. Conversely, we also would want to see foreign local government officials making reciprocal visits to our progressive LGUs to learn lessons from us. These intervisitations should enrich representatives of the two sides and contribute to the strengthening of local governance in the countries involved.
Congratulations to the leadership of the LGU of Lubao, Pampanga. May your coming sisterhood with the town of Jeongseon, South Korea, yield mutual benefits to you and the South Korean township. May it also serve as a beacon light for other Philippine LGUs to follow in their own quest for the betterment of the lives of their constituents.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano