GLOBAL goals, local needs. local leaders, global mindset. How are cities able to contribute to global goals and respond to local needs? Local leaders around the country must be guided with the bigger picture - how are we as leaders able to address the problems that come with urbanization to do our share in building sustainable cities. Public and private sector leaders today need to understand their roles in achieving both global and local targets. Leaders are supposed to be driven by goals not only by exigencies otherwise strategies will always be palliative, short-sighted and unsustainable. Our business leaders in Bacolod must take a clear stand if they wish for Bacolod to be among the sustainable cities in the world. It is not just the work of the government but also of the private sector.
Two years ago, I set out on probably one of the most difficult journeys of my life. Not the most difficult because I’ve seen worse and have hurdled many. I called the journey – ONE BACOLOD – a vision to carve a new and higher path for my beloved city. It entails undertaking a multi-stakeholder mission that requires leadership – so I stepped up and ran for the mayorship. Every plan I have consolidated from policies I have authored and all the leadership fellowships and interactions I have been exposed to for a decade went into crafting the vision – now mostly documented in my site - jocellebatapasigue.com. The vacuum for new generation leaders in Bacolod has plagued our city for almost two decades. Same names, same styles. Sadly, the world is no longer the same as yesterday, figuratively speaking but almost true with how the pandemic shook our country and the world.
All these years, I have come to realize that not one person or group can change Bacolod, can lift this city from obsolescence which many still justify as simply part of our laid-back attitude as Bacolodnons. It takes a total overhaul of the system and a complete change of mindset.
I realize if we want a graft-free and efficient local governance we need to do these seven simple steps that even a seven-year-old's IQ can make sense of.
1. Have all candidates DIVEST their business interests in all companies for the whole term. As in all businesses. The Bacolod government has been turned into a business opportunity by many officials. This needs to stop. The city is bleeding. Leaders must fully concentrate on serving the people and not have any business interests or their families.
2. Complementary to the first item, we need to ban all business transactions and projects involving businesses of politicians including their families.
3. Disallow all incumbent politicians to hire or engage relatives in public positions whether permanent or temporary up to the third degree.
4. Create watch groups and independent media for all projects to be fully deputized and given full access to all processes and documentation by Commission in Audit (COA) and the Ombudsman and other agencies involved.
5. Contribute to the political expense of your candidates without expecting any pecuniary return or favor. No political accommodation for appointments but every appointment must be based on merit and qualifications. Give rewards and development training to all government officials who deserve it, and not those who simply know how to suck up.
6. Demand and secure a full public presentation of a three-year plan for each major concern - economic, environment, health, peace and order, government transparency and other sectors with clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and deliverables and demand corresponding monthly report of expenditures and accomplishments based on the three-year plan.
7. Convert all government transactions to digital – transparent, real-time, contactless. Monitor every peso that a candidate spends directly or indirectly for election purposes. Create as many citizen’s watchdog organizations. Encourage the media to help officials keep their promises by engaging in in-depth reporting.
The list is definitely not exclusive because there are other strategies. But of course, many would not be able to make sense of these suggestions. Therefore, it will be hard to attract real leaders and innovators. This is a totally systems thinking set of strategies employing cause and effect theory, sadly there are many geniuses in our midst who will theorize other solutions but come the next elections, these geniuses will still be blinded by money politics and moneyed politicians.