Friday, August 10, 2007 Business leader urges Mandaue officials to learn from Naga City
WHEN it comes to promoting effective governance through people participation, Cebu’s local government units have much to learn from Naga City in the Bicol region, a leader from a local business group said.
“The Naga (City) experience is overwhelming; it gives hope. I think theirs is a leadership that delivers,” said Cebu Business Club president Dondi Joseph.
Joseph said what is “inspiring” about the “Naga experience” is that the City’s local officials “have clearly set their objectives, discussed their problems, and are able to solve it” together with a strong private sector collaboration.
“It’s not a politics of self but of development,” he added.
Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo presented his local government unit’s strategies to ensure a business-friendly environment during the Mandaue Business Month (MBM) 2007 forum yesterday at the Cebu International Convention Center.
He stressed that for a successful private-public sector collaboration, both parties need to create an environment that allows “mutually beneficial partnerships.”
In the case of Naga, Robredo said that, in terms of resource allocation, programs and projects are prioritized using a consistent set of norms and criteria through cost benefit analysis.
“We also maintain a small bureaucracy and have chosen to allow private partners to take over certain things that local governments usually do,” he said.
Robredo said streamlining is the key to assure businessmen that there is transparency and accountability in government. In doing so, the local government is able to enhance the trust of the private sector in the local government’s competence, he added.
He also said a “more empowered” city or town should capitalize on people participation.
“We have a Peoples’ Council that nominates its representatives to all the committees of the City Council and special bodies at City Hall, a website and a charter that defines the obligations of the City to its constituency,” he said.
“The bottomline is to gain the trust of the constituency, especially the business community,” said Robredo.
With Naga as benchmark, Joseph urged the local government units in Cebu to “go back to basics” and push for reforms and policies in infrastructure and education before inviting foreign direct investments.
Joseph said, though, that he is optimistic that cities like Mandaue can achieve similar “and even better” model for governance like that of Naga.
“The Mandaue City Government can and should do it,” he said.
The two-day MBM 2007 is organized by the Mandaue City Government in partnership with the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in celebration of the City’s 38th Charter Day Anniversary. (MMM)
