Tagbilaran tops ISA “ Dream City ”

Tagbilaran City 's commitment to progress and development impressed participants to the recently concluded Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) gathering last Aug. 30 at the Philippine Plaza. ISA is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit institution that seeks to improve public governance through citizen participation.The city's public governance system scorecard earned the applause of the gathering of the country's premiere cities that form part of a broad coalition that is espousing a move to unite the country towards nationhood.

Eight cities have so far been declared among ISA's “Dream Cities” after complying with its Public Governance System (PGS) scorecard. The PGS road map is a Harvard-devised business tool which enables constituents to participate in public governance. ISA is espousing the Philippines 2030 roadmap, an umbrella roadmap that serves as a tool for forging national unity, in which sectors and cities make a contribution. Aside from Tagbilaran, the cities declared compliant with the PGS process are Calbayog, Iloilo , Marikina , Naga, San Fernando in La Union, San Fernando in Pampanga and Sorsogon.

Newly initiated are the cities of Dagupan, Iriga, Ligao, Panabo and Tuguegarao.           According to the citation given to Tagbilaran, a dream city is “where governance is a shared responsibility”. Tagbilaran received the ISA citation “for her demonstrated commitment to making the (PGS) work for local development of a multi-sectoral coalition committed to responsible citizenship”. The citation was signed by Dr. Jesus Estanislao, ISA chairman and president, and Dr. John Sullivan of the Center for International Private Enterprise.

The CIPE is a non-profit affiliate of the United States Chamber of Commerce and one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. Among those who spoke during the “Mahal Ko Ang Pilipinas” conference were Eugenia Apostol, 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts; Rex Drilon II, chief operating officer of the Ortigas Company and Limited Partnership; Evelyn Singson, Management Association of the Philippines present; Maria Ressa, ABS-CBN senior vice president for News and Current Affairs; and Alexander Lacson, author of the best-seller “Twelve Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country” 

In his introduction to the mayor's scorecard, Lim noted that there are lot of development programs on the drawing board. “But I believe that we have to motivate our people to adopt a winner's attitude first. Infrastructure projects can sprout around the city like mushrooms but that will not mean much to a city whose citizens live in poverty and misery in body and in spirit,” he pointed out. Lim said that one of the lessons he learned in the first two years is that contrary to what many politicians believe, “you can do what is right and still be popular”. He has taken a hard-line stance against drugs and juvenile gangs, trimmed down the number of casual workers from as high as 3,000 to as low as 300, introduced a revolutionary garbage collection scheme and required the use of helmets for motorcycle drivers. This year, Lim received a 75 percent approval rating from city residents which is an increase to the 71 percent approval rating he got last year.

l