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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Antalan: State of the City Address
By Roger P. Antalan
Dateline Igacos
"The struggle of the LGU to rise up to the challenge of good governance is now amply complimented by responsible citizenship."
THE President of the Republic of the Philippines is duty-bound to give the State of the Nation Address (Sona) every year at the halls of Congress. The local governors and mayors are also mandated to deliver their State of the LGU Address every year, held mostly in a big auditorium of the locality. So that the people will know--for the benefit of the people.
In the local level, this important event is initiated by the City Council, which calls for a Special Session. There is only one item in the agenda; the speech of the City Mayor, reporting on the year that was. Strictly speaking, it is a report to the general public. However, because of certain limitations, those who are usually invited are the provincial officials, the national agencies of the region, all the Punong Barangays and Kagawads, the DepEd officials, the religious leaders, the business and civic leaders, the NGOs, the media and other stakeholders. Of course, the LGU department heads and officers will be there in
full force to give moral support to their Chief Executive.
Normally, most mayors deliver their annual address in January or February. In Igacos, the State of the City Address is scheduled on March 1, as part of the weeklong anniversary celebrations of its foundation.
Igacos became a city on Mach 7, 1998.
In Samal, the speech is given in Bisaya. Everybody easily understands the report card of the mayor and the people like the vernacular. Because of our penchant for speaking in English during official functions, it is observed that it is not easy to prepare an important speech in the vernacular. But we all know that nothing is more pleasant than hearing the sounds of our native tongue.
Mr. Paul Dominguez, former Presidential Assistant for Mindanao, shared with me two very practical and wise advice early in my term as mayor, among others. First, he said, make sure that a good road network is built throughout the islands, especially the circumferential road and the farm-to-market roads. Second, make sure to have a good press. The media and the people must be well informed of what you are doing.
Mr. Dominguez is right. These are great communication strategies. Fortunately, now on our 7th year as a city, all the 46 barangays and the major cities are reachable by four-wheel vehicles. There is easy access not only for the people and the transport of their products, but also the road system facilitates better communications.
Aside from the full reporting during the State of the City Address, the city has a regular pulong-pulong visits to all the barangays, a monthly newsletter in Bisaya, and a radio broadcast every Sunday from 11-12 noon at the Bombo Radyo Station, and many other pubic information services. There are four basic sources in an organization: financial, physical, human and information. No organization can afford to under-estimate the value of information.
Performance reports can be long and boring. The address therefore has been divided into cluster reports with mention only of the salient features, namely the Fiscal Management Service, the Administrative Support Services, the Infrastructure Services, the Social and Health Services. Plus, mention of the awards received by the City in 2004 and the Plans and Programs for 2005. Sa walay dapig-dapig, it was a great and fruitful year.
What is so refreshing to note is the increasing participative role of the citizenry. The struggle of the LGU to rise up to the challenge of good governance is now amply complimented by responsible citizenship. People appreciate very much transparency and accountability on the part of government. They respond not only with the minimum "sweat equity" but also with active, meaningful and regular participation.
The State of the City is like a wonderful haven if the people watch over it like guardian angels.
(March 2, 2005 issue)
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