The four gentlemen guests were impressive and so was the talk host!During a taping of a special edition of TALK BACK with Tina, Galing Pook Chairperson Governor Lito Coscoculella of Galing Pook, Galing Pook 2007 winners Mayors Jess Robredo of Naga City, Loreto Cabaya of Aleosan, Cotabato and Lacson of San Carlos City were not only physically stunning on their newly cut hairs and colorful barongs and polo shirts; they were also intelligently convincing speakers and advocates of good local governance!
Of course, host Tina dished out evocative questions eliciting insightful responses.
The first question shot by Tina was direct: Why did the 3 programs of the 3 mayors win the Galing Pook 2007?
- Mayor Cabaya: 5 mayors in Cotabato banded together to form the PALMA alliance and pooled their equipments, personnel and money and were able to construct 281 Km of farm to market roads at a bewildering cost of 30,000 per km compared to 1 M of DPWH or 1.8 of WB-funded projects! Unbelievable!
- Mayor Lacson: San Carlos City is the first LGU to levy 0.75 centavos per cubic meter of water consumed and uses the collected fund to rehabilitate and protect the watershed!
- Mayor Robredo: Naga prepares its future leaders by exposing the young in actual executive and legislative operations of the city government!
The next question was directed to Gov Lito: what are the traits and profiles of the 3 mayors or the other mayors and governors who won previous Galing Pook Awards?
“I can think of three: first, they take risks: they implement programs regardless of the consequences; second, they are highly independent and self-reliant: they don’t rely much from national government assistance; and third: they have the political will to do what has to be done.”
Then the sensitive question of corruption: If PALMA can construct 1 km farm to market road at a cost of 30,000 and DPWH at 1M, there must be a “bukol” somewhere. How do you address corruption in government?
The responses from the 4 gentlemen:
- Make all govt transactions transparent. Naga City has an i-governance that publishes through the internet all procurements, legislations, budgets and expenses
- Let the people be involved. Mayor Cabaya says “When people do the free labor, the LGUs provide the gasoline for the equipments and food for the workers; you minimize the cost of commissions!”
- Encourage local traders to bid in government projects because if they win most of the resources will pour in the locality, Mayor Lacson added
- Let the local government do the work: they can do better and cheaper!, Gov Lito, adds
- Invest in education: the more people are well informed and educated the more they can demand from their leaders transparency accountability and better services
The last of a series of questions of Tina was forward looking: given these outstanding programs of local government units, what should be done?
Mayor Cabaya’s answer was straightforward: prioritize national support to the poor municipalities. We have been forgotten for a long time!
Mayor Lacson: increase the IRA to local government units and LGUs can prove that they are more efficient and effective than national government!
Mayor Jess Robredo: make the distribution of IRA and national wealth more equitable!
The 3 mayors may come from different political parties ( Robredo LP, Cabaya Independent-KAMPI, Lacson NPC) and are on different term status ( Cabaya 2nd term, Lacson last term 1st round, Robredo last term 2nd round) but they all show the passion and the will to make a difference!
Mabuhay po kayong lahat at salamat po kay Tina for being the best talk host in town!
Dok Eddie
Galing Pook
March 13, 2008
