Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Published with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA)
Canadian International Agence canadienne de
Development Agency développement international © 2009 Canadian Urban Institute
Preface:
Learning to Think and Act like a Region: A
Philippine Metropolis Comes of Age 2
Iloilo City:
Conserving a City’s Legacy for the Next
Generation 9
Guimaras:
The Role of Local Governments in
Economic Development 13
Guimaras:
Public-private Partnerships and
Community-based Tourism 17
Iloilo City:
Securing the City Through
Community-based Policing
22
Metro Iloilo:
A Metropolitan Alliance to Improve
Urban Health Services 25
Metro Iloilo:
Managing Rapid Urban Growth through
Integrated Land Use Planning 29
Guimaras:
A Community Comes Together to Fight
Poverty 35
Malay:
Boracay’s War on Waste 42
Malay:
Strengthening the Municipal Role in
Health and Sanitation 50
About This Casebook
But building the regional city did not stop with the Leadership for a Region
formation of MIDC. More recently, steps were taken to Leadership was what pulled Iloilo out from yesterday’s
bring neighbouring Guimaras Province and its five rural state of crisis management towards today’s optimism
municipalities into the regional family. Initiated in 2005, the and collaborative action. As the long-time mayor of the
Guimaras-Iloilo City Alliance (GICA) established a formal region’s central city, Treñas has been the leading advocate
mechanism for urban-rural cooperation and linkages. of the urban-region-building process in Iloilo. But he has
Cemented through a memorandum of understanding, not been alone in his mission. He was joined early on by
it was an impressive collaborative framework for the a legion of new-generation mayors and a governor from
marketing of tourism, the region’s most promising rural reaches of the region. What they have in common is a
economic opportunity, and for infrastructure development determination to do things differently and to leave this city
such as ports and roads that helped move goods in the region a better place for future generations. Many of these
important agro-industrial sector. leaders have been irrevocably changed by their exposure
to lessons from other places, having viewed first hand the
Metropolitan Governance Arrives experiences of Canada, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia
The most recent step along the path to improved regional through their involvement in the CUI program.
governance was the creation of the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras
Economic Development Council (MIGEDC) in August “It has been nothing less than a paradigm shift for us all,”
2006. As successor to MIDC and GICA, MIGEDC is an notes Oton’s former mayor, Carina Flores. “Frankly it is
enlarged metropolitan body that brings into the regional liberating. Thinking in the context of ‘urban’ and ‘regional’,
family the Province of Guimaras as well as the Municipality and no longer just ‘municipal’, has allowed all jurisdictions
of Santa Barbara, site of the new Iloilo International Airport to trade in municipal decision-making freedoms for the
that opened collective decision-
to commercial making of MIGEDC
traffic in June when it comes to the
2007. Created big issues.”
through
Executive Order Guimaras
No. 559 by Congressman and past
President Gloria Provincial Governor
Macapagal- Dr. Rahman Nava
Arroyo, MIGEDC explains it a different
is seen as a way. “The boat holds
contribution strong symbolism of
towards community in Filipino
implementing the culture,” he says,
nation’s regional reminding us of how
development the barangay, the
strategy modern-day village
and shaping and neighbourhood
the ‘Central unit, has its roots in
Philippines the ancient nomadic
Mega-Region’ as boat communities that
the nation’s tourist hub. sailed the archipelago. “Filipinos are very good at working
The MIGEDC Roadmap 2010 is the new strategic plan collectively within our local communities, less so at a more
for the region. It sets the region’s compass toward macro scale. What we are doing here is drawing on one
a sustainable future, emphasizing economic growth of our strongest legacies as a society, but this time we are
that benefits all citizens, environmental stewardship, building a community of a different sort -- an urban and
development of community assets, equitable access to regional community.”
government services and a strong commitment to civic
engagement and public-private-community partnerships. Jumpstarting the Economy
Building a shared identity for the regional community has
Some of the priority tasks identified by MIGEDC for the indeed been one of the major challenges faced by greater
next couple of years include preparing a regional growth Iloilo. Focusing on defining the region’s comparative
management plan, creating a strategy for integrated advantage, the region has just completed a new economic
regional infrastructure development, enhancing local development strategy and a regional tourism action plan
economic development, improving LGU fiscal affairs and that benefited from civic engagement at many levels.
policy development functions, and generally responding “During our many learning tours overseas with CUI, what
to the national government’s 10-point agenda and mega- we grew to understand was that to succeed we need to
region economic development strategy. compete in a globalized world,” notes Edwin Trompeta, the
Department of Tourism’s director for the Western Visayas
Rural Strategies for the City Region Agriculture and fisheries are the other priority sectors for
“Tackling poverty is one of our main goals,” stresses Angie Guimaras. Thanks to a state-of-the-art research station
Gabinete, Guimaras’ provincial tourism officer. “In an effort and U.S. Department of Agriculture certification, the
to ensure the new tourism benefits our poorest residents, island is now exporting mangos -- its signature crop -- to
we are really proud to have invested seed funds in several North America and key markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
important pilot initiatives.” Centred on a coastal hamlet in Rice, coconut, cashew, kalamansi (limes) and copra
are other important crops. Surrounded by rich fishing councils, Guimaras produced an integrated strategic
grounds, the sea and its catch sustains life in 54 coastal plan. It is supported by a new land use plan, an economic
barangays. “PEDO is doing a lot to support growth in these development agenda and a state-of-the-art geographic
sectors,” continues Arias. “Our Agri-Fishery Development information system.
Program pays special attention to our marginal and small
producers.” Today the program is working to strengthen A Devolution Revolution
agricultural cooperatives, develop new processing facilities, CUI’s programming in the Philippines over the past 15
provide a common marketing system through GTIC and years has been undertaken with the financial support of the
improve farm-to-market infrastructure such as roads, public Government of Canada through the Canadian Partnership
markets and wharfs. Branch (CPB) of the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA). With a focus on the Western Visayas,
A Growth Management Framework CUI has been supporting the country’s continued thrust
To achieve the city region’s economic renaissance, towards decentralization of power to local governments
local leaders understand well that it cannot be realized and empowerment of local communities in decision-
without creating a liveable urban region. “If we are to making. The tradition of strong central government power
have a sustainable city, we need good governance and and control in the Philippines, which dates back to the
coordinated, long-horizon planning and management beginning of the Spanish conquest, made an important
across the whole region,” notes MIGEDC’s Executive reversal in 1986 with the advent of the People’s Power
Director José Roni Peñalosa. And this is what MIGEDC, Revolution. This so-called bloodless revolution brought
and before it MIDC, have been pursuing, and with vigour. the country into its current era of democratic development.
By 1991, a new Local Government Code (LGC) had been
One of the first acts of the new metro arrangement was
to harmonize the land use plans of its five member
municipalities. Formulated through a major participatory
exercise, the Metro Iloilo Land Use Framework (MILUF)
“The region’s pursuit of good governance
Plan is a regional growth management framework. It is paying dividends.”
establishes six guiding principles: 1) complete communities
with a full range of housing, employment and services,
2) compact development in the central city and around passed, beginning the process of devolution of power to
satellite towns, to combat sprawl and create a more the local level and deepening the roots of democracy.
sustainable, poly-centric urban structure, 3) green (forest,
agricultural) and blue (coastal, estuary) zone protection, “What is happening in the greater Iloilo region is nothing
4) transportation choices, such as mass transit, biking short of a devolution revolution,” says Evelyn Trompeta,
and walking, to minimize traffic congestion, 5) economic Western Visayas’ regional director for the Department
diversity, to promote investment and create jobs, and 6) of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the
social equity to put a priority on access to housing and national ministry responsible for overseeing the LGC’s
basic services by the region’s poorest residents. implementation. Because the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras
arrangement was a purely local initiative realized through
A similar process of plan harmonization took place in strong local leadership, she explains, there is local pride
Guimaras during the mid to late 1990s. Following an and ownership in the alliance providing momentum and
island-wide participatory planning exercise that involved cohesion across political lines into the future. It is indeed
the province, five municipalities and 96 barangay testament to the power of the Local Government Code.
of official development
assistance.
The Philippines-Australia
Local Governance
Development Program
(LGPD) worked to
enhance local economic
development in the country.
The program focused on
helping local governments
within a shared region
work together. By
promoting inter-municipal
collaboration and resource
sharing, LGPD aimed to
address critical constraints
to growing the economy,
while taking steps to
reduce poverty and achieve
sustainable development.
to the highest level of specialized institutional care facilities, providing training, and organizing study tours to
and back, depending on patient need. Working with inspire improvements. A new annual award recognizes
PhilHealth, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, outstanding community policing initiatives, approaches
the Alliance has paid special attention to establishing a and leadership across the urban region.
financing scheme to guarantee access to those unable
to pay. • Improvements to key regional infrastructure. MIDC
has put in motion a series of projects to improve
• Iloilo Investment Promotion Centre. To ensure that several community assets of importance to the region.
Iloilo and the surrounding municipalities remain a To address mounting garbage disposal problems and
preferred destination for investors, the region established ward off imminent environmental and health problems,
the Iloilo Investment Promotion Center (IIPC) to promote efforts are afoot to convert the Calajunan dumpsite to
Iloilo City and the province as an investment destination, a sanitary landfill. Enhancements to the region’s public
to serve as a repository of information and services that markets, both in the central and outlying town centres,
caters to the needs of prospective investors, and to link will enhance food security, afford more opportunities
government agencies at the national and local levels, for farmers from the rural reaches of the city region to
the private sector, and existing and potential investors. sell their goods, and improve waste management and
In partnership with the Iloilo Business Club and industry recycling. MIDC has also worked closely with national-
associations, the IIPC has worked to streamline the level authorities during the planning and construction of
investment process and to provide essential services to Iloilo’s new international standard airport in nearby Santa
prospective and ongoing investors. Barbara, with an emphasis on ensuring the region’s
network of arterial roads provides adequate access to
• Central business district revitalization. This important the new facility.
initiative is restoring the historic city centre, known as
Calle Real, through improvements to the public realm A Regional Community, a Sustainable Urban
and actions to bring back vibrancy to businesses in
the area. It is designed to counter the area’s decline Future
following the construction of new malls in outlying parts Back at Ortiz Pier, yet another pumpboat fills with maritime
of the city. The goal is to one day make the old city a commuters on their way to Guimaras. In this nation of
centrepiece of the local tourism industry. The restoration islands, this has been a part of daily life for centuries. As
of the area’s impressive stock of heritage buildings is the Governor Nava reminds us, these boats provide strong
starting point. In April 2000, the local government created symbolism of the regional community building that is
the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council, underway in Iloilo and Guimaras. This is a region in motion,
which has completed an inventory of heritage structures a city in change. Looking toward the horizon, one can see
and prepared new preservation policies and zoning. a sustainable urban future in the making.
A package of tax incentives is driving private sector
involvement in the restoration efforts. Other strategies
being pursued are the gradual phasing-
out of billboards, stricter enforcement of
signs, consolidation of utility poles and
lines, enhanced urban design guidelines,
traffic re-routing and the introduction of
pedestrian amenities.
Recognizing this, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and The ordinance, which underwent some amendments in
the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) sponsored in October April 2001, states that all buildings in Iloilo City that are 50
1998 a cultural heritage tourism workshop. CUI’s work was years old or more are to be considered heritage or legacy
undertaken with the financial support of the Government buildings. Likewise, Plaza Libertad and the district plazas of
of Canada provided through the Canadian International Molo, Arevalo, Mandurriao, La Paz and Jaro were declared
Development Agency (CIDA). This workshop was attended historical and cultural landmarks and could only be used for
by individuals from local and national governments, cultural historical, cultural and fiesta celebrations. The ordinance
institutions, universities, tourism-related businesses, mandates that the use, upkeep and preservation of these
and concerned citizens. The intent of the workshop was structures and landmarks as far as practicable shall always
to introduce the audience to the concept of cultural and be the concern of the Iloilo City government.
heritage tourism, to identify local cultural and historical
resources, and to determine how they could be best Owners, administrators, lessees or any other people in
marketed locally, nationally, and internationally. charge of heritage or legacy structures are prohibited from
2
Regalado, Felix B; Franco, Quintin B. (1973), Griño, Eliza B., ed., History
undertaking any repair, rehabilitation or construction of any
of Panay, Central Philippine University kind unless there is a favourable recommendation from
10 Building a Resilient Region
Iloilo City: Conserving a City’s Legacy for the Next Generation
Conservation
Framework
To achieve the goals
of the cultural heritage
conservation program,
the council, with the
assistance of CUI,
prepared in 2001 the Iloilo
City Cultural Heritage
Conservation Framework.
The document, completed
following a multi-
stakeholder strategic
planning workshop,
outlines the issues, goals
and strategic actions for
preserving and promoting
Iloilo City’s cultural heritage
in general, and the Central
Business District in
particular.
Guided by the vision
statement “Iloilo City: The
Heart of Visayan Heritage,”
the ICCHCC. In the event that the repair or rehabilitation the framework sought to
is urgent, building owners, administrators or lessees are transform Iloilo City into a “culturally-vibrant community
mandated to make sure that the façade showing the working for the preservation, development and promotion
architectural design of the buildings is retained, restored of its heritage.” Its goals and objectives are:
and preserved.
• To increase awareness and generate political support
All businesses within the heritage zone are given for cultural heritage conservation;
incentives. These include exemption from payment of • To enhance community awareness and public
business taxes and building fees. Old investors as well education of the value of cultural heritage;
as new ones can avail themselves of these incentives as • To establish a sustainable organizational structure
long as they are in the heritage zone. These include the to coordinate the government and private sectors’
following: involvement in cultural heritage initiatives;
• To strive for professional standards of coordination
• For every ten years of existence in the area, one year and cooperation among key stakeholders involved in
of exemption from business taxes but not exceeding cultural heritage conservation and promotion;
three years. • To formulate legislation and policies that promote
• For those putting up new businesses with a heritage conservation (i.e., policies, zoning, urban
capitalization of at least P1 million pesos, 25 percent of design, etc.);
exemption on business taxes for every P1 million for one • To provide incentives to property owners for
year. revitalizing their heritage buildings;
• In case of preservation, reconstruction and restoration • To establish funding for conservation technologies.
of legacy or heritage buildings, the owner is exempted
from paying building fees while lessors are not required It also gives particular focus to the Central Business
to pay business taxes for two years. District (CBD), which used to be an area rich in cultural,
social, commercial and political development. With the
These incentives aim to revive business activities within the establishments of new malls in the city, however, the
heritage zone which, prior to the onset of shopping malls, CBD has faced many challenges, including shrinking
was the busiest area in Iloilo City. With challenges like business profitability, deteriorating commercial area, and
shrinking business profitability, deteriorating commercial poor environment. This reflects the city’s economic health,
area and poor environment, it is feared that the Central local quality of life and community heritage of trade and
Business District will have an untimely demise if nothing commerce. The framework thus sought to:
is done to rescue it. The revival of the area is expected to
the final draft of the Implementing Rules and Regulations projecting itself as a cultural tourism destination and
for Local Cultural Heritage Conservation Ordinance for by providing more economic prospects for its people in
adoption of the Iloilo City council. the form of employment and livelihood opportunities. Of
late, at least five new hotels opened in the city, bringing
A related activity is the “Pretty Plaza, Banwa Gwapa” the total number of hotels with first class, standard, and
contest, the annual search for the most beautiful plaza economy accommodations to 17. Complementing these
within the various local governments of the Metro Iloilo- hotels are accredited tourist inns, pension houses, resorts,
Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC). restaurants, shopping centres, handicraft stores, and
Banwa is Hiligaynon (the language in Metro Iloilo- antique dealers all over the metropolis. In 2004, Iloilo
Guimaras) for “town” and gwapa is “beautiful.” City visitors reached 292,924 domestic tourists, 28,730
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and 15,176 foreign
The contest aims to encourage local governments to tourists.
invest in the public realm and at the same time preserve
the cultural significance of plazas to communities. When
Spanish colonizers came to the Philippines, they enacted
a policy known as reduccion, in which they mandated that
towns be built around a central plaza. The plaza’s central
purpose was interaction, providing a paseo (promenading
area) during the day and an adelance (night market) at
night.
The Proposal
Thus, the Guimaras Economic
Development Strategy – one of
the major outputs of the CUI’s
program – proposed the creation
of an office to coordinate economic
development efforts to maximize
human and financial resources to
effectively achieve economic goals
and targets. This was also stressed in
the Guimaras Medium Term Provincial
Development Plan (MTPDP) of 1998-
2004, which identified inadequate
access to resources, basic services
and economic opportunities among
the major problems besetting the
people in Guimaras, particularly
so-called poverty groups such as body at the provincial government level that determined
farmers, fisherfolk, urban poor, cultural minorities and modes of complementation and coordination.
other marginalized groups like children, women, persons
with disabilities and the elderly. Such inadequacy was due • Absence of an Investment Promotion Unit at
to the low level of new investment in agriculture, industry the provincial level to take charge of investment
and services, a condition that contributed to poverty in the promotion initiatives for the province
province.
The absence of an office that was primarily mandated
The creation of this office sought to address the following: to implement economic initiatives to maximize the
resources and potential of Guimaras had been limiting
• Uncoordinated economic development efforts of the development of the economic sector. Considering the
different local and national agencies need to effectively coordinate all initiatives particularly
on local economic development, the concept of creating
Concerns were raised regarding the uncoordinated a department under the provincial government was
organizational arrangements for economic development proposed. Such a unit was envisioned to function as the
efforts. Several national and provincial government primary office mandated to coordinate and implement all
departments, agencies and municipal governments were local economic development activities focusing on tourism
involved in facets of an economic development program, development, cooperative development, investment
but there was little or no coordination of these efforts. promotion, and business and enterprise development.
It was mandated to implement economic initiatives to
As a matter of fact, economic development in the maximize the resources and potential of Guimaras, thereby
Province of Guimaras had advanced mainly due to boosting the development of the economic sector.
a variety of economic development programs and
projects implemented by government, non-governmental Legal Basis
organizations and business groups. Approximately a With this common idea of creating an office for local
third of the annual total internal resources allotment was economic development, the next question for Guimaras
being allocated for various economic projects, aside was: Does it have the power and resources to create such
from the grants provided by the national government and an office? Republic Act No. 7160 - otherwise known as
international agencies. the Local Government Code of 1991 - allows every local
government unit in the Philippines to design and implement
Numerous cooperatives and people’s economic its own organizational structure and staffing pattern based
development organizations had emerged over the years, on its priority needs and service requirements. It likewise
providing increased economic assistance to citizens. Some illustrates local economic development as an important
of these programs have similar objectives and strategies local government function and pushes for a system
and employ similar structures and mechanisms with some of sound local governance based on the principles of
duplication in the content of programs and services. This openness, accountability, efficiency and equity.
was attributed to the absence of an efficient coordinating
A number of legal provisions in the code were vital to charge of investment promotion, trade and development,
Guimaras’ ability to create PEDO. The code allowed networking and marketing employment assistance,
Local Government Units to enter into joint ventures and enterprise planning and business development, support
other cooperative arrangements with non-governmental services development and management, as well as
organizations; to design and implement their own resource mobilization.
organizational structure and staffing patters; to formulate
long-term, medium-tem and annual socio-economic Working in partnership with the business sector and
development plans and policies; and to formulate local provincial and national government stakeholders involved
investment incentives to promote the inflow and direction of in economic development, PEDO is likewise mandated to
private investment capital. promote economic development for Guimaras, serve as
link between the provincial government, the municipalities,
The Answer national government agencies, and the private sector
CUI then assisted Guimaras in completing a proposal for in economic development, and provide leadership and
the creation of the Provincial Economic Development Office strategic direction in the realization of Guimaras’ economic
(PEDO). In 2003, the provincial government of Guimaras development potential. Its role is to serve as enterprise
reorganized its structures and this offered an opportunity manager of provincial enterprises and as facilitator, planner
for the creation of PEDO for the purpose of fostering and monitor of local economic projects and activities.
a supportive and competitive investment climate in
Guimaras. Proposed positions and structures were
created and the new set-up was approved, taking effect
in January 2004. Specifically, PEDO has the following
mandate:
creation of PEDO after thoroughly assessing its conditions. government agencies operating in the province and various
private sector stakeholders, reorganized the Provincial
Transferability and Sustainability Local Government Unit (PLGU ) towards service efficiency,
The creation of PEDO was embodied in Resolution No. established a Provincial Economic Development Office
042, series of 2003, by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (PEDO) to coordinate all the economic concerns of the
(or Provincial legislature) of Guimaras which approved province, and instituted employment-oriented functional
the “Proposed New Plantilla Positions Structure of the units (under the PEDO).”
Provincial Government of the Province of Guimaras.”
The same was subsequently approved by the provincial Thus, the creation of PEDO illustrates that local economic
governor and took effect on January 2004. Its creation development is an important local government function
worked within the framework of the Local Government and that a system of a sound local governance based
Code of 1991 and, as such, can be replicated by any other on the principles of openness, accountability, efficiency
local government unit in the Philippines. and equity should be pushed. With a staffing pattern and
corresponding budget allocated year after year, PEDO is
A 2007 study by the International Labour Organization here to stay in Guimaras, having already become part of
noted: “... Guimaras also referred to the (Local Government the provincial structure.
Code) to convert the island into a province, investing in
an intensive and extensive consultation process with key With PEDO around, the economic future of Guimaras
officials and technical and support staff from the provincial, is being charted along the right path, helping surmount
municipal and barangay levels. It mobilized relevant line challenges like the oil spill of August 2006.
A Strong Foundation
Indeed, the tourism industry in Guimaras
was built on a strong foundation – the
foundation of public-private partnerships,
or P3s. Simply put, the government,
the private sector and communities in
Guimaras came together to collaborate
in planning, developing, marketing and
implementing the province’s tourism
initiatives.
disarray when Guimaras province was born; there was particularly for tourism.
uncoordinated development, low community awareness,
low capital investments and tourism products were A multi-stakeholder participatory planning process was
generally of poor quality. conducted to develop a framework for rehabilitation, which
called, among other things, for the restoration of the natural
To address these issues, industry players employed assets of Guimaras. Promotion and marketing activities
four approaches -- participatory planning, marketing were conducted, which included tourism exhibits and
and promotion, community-based initiatives and tourism assemblies as well as international tourism forums.
support services. And in all these strategies, close
collaboration between the provincial government and Community-based initiatives included introduction of new
national government agencies, and non-governmental programs geared towards rehabilitation like the Salvacion
organizations (NGOs) and communities was witnessed. Tourism Promotion and Development Support Project and
the Guisi Community-based Tourism Rehabilitation Support
Through participatory planning, stakeholders came Project that gave birth to the Guisi Discovery Quest and the
together to draw up a tourism master plan, develop new Sibiran Festival.
programs and install monitoring and evaluation systems for
the tourism industry. Helping Guimaras with these tourism To support the industry, the provincial government
development efforts was the Canadian Urban Institute, launched the Guimaras Responsive and Efficient
with funding from the Canadian International Development Approaches for Tourism Enhancement and Development
Agency. To market and promote Guimaras as a destination (GREATED) Initiatives which trained tourism front-liners
and as a tourism investment hub, new festivals and events and service providers through various applied seminars
were organized, promotional materials were developed, that improved their capabilities in providing efficient and
and there was full participation in trade fairs and exhibits. quality services to their clients.
The island of Guimaras offers visitors picturesque beaches and idyllic island escapes.
In community-based initiatives, community-tourism By making it easy to achieve the ends of all these
awareness campaigns were launched to educate the undertakings, public-private partnership made everyone
people about the impacts of tourism as well as the benefits in Guimaras co-owners of these initiatives, turning them
they could derive from tourism programs. This resulted in into proud inhabitants of an island-province teeming with
full community participation in festivals at various levels tourism potential.
and programs. A public market day festival was introduced
in Jordan town while in Nueva Valencia a community-based It is no wonder, therefore, that visitors like Augusto Villalon
heritage tourism project has been gaining ground. These can meet a Cristobal Gonzaga or any similar community
new events and destinations were complemented by home- leader as soon as they arrive at Guimaras.
stay projects.
Results and Gains
To support the tourism industry, the provincial government The oil spill of August 2006 interrupted the tourism
helped set up guest assistance centres and turned momentum in Guimaras, but it did not stop the province
these over to the municipalities for management. The from furthering its tourism drive. In fact, the oil spill brought
Guimaras Trade and Information Center (GTIC) was out the best in Guimaras with respect to public-private
opened to provide members of the Guimaras Producers partnerships for tourism development.
and Processors Association with a venue to showcase
their products. Organizations like the Guimaras Resorts Indeed, figures indicate a steady increase in foreign and
Association and the Tour Guides Guild of Guimaras were local tourism arrivals from 2001 to 2005. For example,
strengthened and now provide training assistance and the total arrivals in 2001 were recorded at 78,777. This
capacity-building support. increased by 38.91 percent the next year to 109,429, and
the following year it again jumped by 13.31 percent to
Repeating the Process 123,998. By 2004, the increase was registered at 10.19
Fast forward to the height of the oil spill – industry percent with 136,632 arrivals and went up further to
players simply repeated the process to survive the crisis, 181,915 in 2005, an increase of 33.14 percent.
temporarily detain transgressors before they are turned also involved in the barangay’s cleanliness and tree-
over to the police. They recorded a number of crime planting programs and in providing safety assistance to
fighting accomplishments and assisted the police in various pedestrians and security services during community events
drug-bust operations. like parochial fiesta and school activities. The village’s
Parish Pastoral Council and the Gran Plains Subdivision
Proactive Response Homeowners Association, Inc. commended them for their
In Barangay Aganan in Pavia town in Metro Iloilo, the efficiency.
barangay tanod unit is noted for its proactive response to
the peace and order campaign. Being resourceful, they Aside from Gran Plains Subdivision, Barangay M.
used heavy-duty beam lights that can reach across spans V. Hechanova also hosts the San Isidro Village, the
of rice fields during pursuit and patrol operations. Because Jalbuena Subdivision and a portion of the Phase 3 area
Pavia is a major of Alta Tierra Village.
exit point from The tanods, mostly in
Iloilo City, the their 50s, also patrol
tanod outpost is these areas regularly,
equipped with especially during the
an AM radio evening. Individually,
for monitoring the tanods in Barangay
of reports M. V. Hechanova have
on criminal received a number
activities. When of citations and
a suspect recognitions, some of
escapes the them given as early as
city either 1994.
through the
northwestern To further empower the
(Jaro district) tanods, they have been
or southern sent to attend seminars
(Mandurriao and workshops on
district) exits, various topics, among
tanod members them training sessions on
can easily set basic security measures
up a blockade for barangay tanods,
to make an arrest. on search and rescue
operations, on illegal drugs, and on bomb and explosives
The unit has four bicycles and seven pedicabs serving as safety. These seminars are given by the Philippine National
patrol vehicles. Tanod members also have rubber boots Police (PNP), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
that enable them to patrol watered rice fields. They have (PDEA), and the barangay council.
raincoats to protect them from rain and standby sandbags
in the event that the Aganan River, which separates The diligence and efficiency of the barangay tanods of
the flood-prone village from the town proper, overflows Aganan and M. V. Hechanova can be attributed to the
during heavy rains in the mountains. First aid and support provided by their respective barangay councils,
disaster preparedness were among the various capacity and to their personal development as a result of their
development trainings that they have attended. attendance in trainings, seminars, and lectures on various
social issues.
Because of the hard work and competence of the tanods
of Barangay M. V. Hechanova, the relatively well-off While a lack of finances continues to be a problem, this
homeowners at Gran Plains Subdivision stopped hiring the does not deter the barangay tanods from performing
services of private security agencies in 2000 to secure the well. Aside from making maximum use of their budget,
area. It is now the tanods that have been posted to guard resourcefulness, and capabilities, these tanods have the
the gates of the subdivision. encouraging support of their partners in local governments,
national government agencies and the private sector.
Because of an attentive scheduling program, the Tanod
Outpost in the subdivision is well-staffed, at times with as Notably, both tanod units of Aganan and M. V. Hechanova
many as six tanods. “The visibility of the tanods in the area have also been consistent winners in the DILG’s annual
made our barangay relatively peaceful.” search for outstanding barangay tanods, proof of the
consistency of their exemplary performance brought about
Community Involvement by strong local partnerships for the promotion of public
Aside from conducting nightly patrol, the tanods are safety and security.
The health referral system, therefore, is a two-way through the discussion of organizational structure,
relationship that requires cooperation, coordination, and relationships, and coordination mechanisms.
exchange of information between the primary health
facility and the first referral hospital during the referral The plan contains strategies to institutionalize and
and discharge of the patient from the hospital. It is also strengthen the referral system. It went through several
an organizational structure for coordinating, linking, and revisions as experts and stakeholders of the MIHA were
possibly transferring care for medical problems from a invited to comment and give their suggestions. The
generalist to specialist, or from a specialist to another collaboration was primarily to generate co-ownership for
specialist. the plan and ultimately foster a collective commitment in
carrying out its implementation.
However, a weak referral system wastes scarce
health resources through the duplication of services. MIHA is being managed by the MIHA Board, which serves
Inappropriate services, delayed referral, and poor referral as its unifying, policy and decision-making body. It is
communications also increase the rate of ailments and composed of the mayors of the local governments under
deaths. In Metro Iloilo, problems plagued the referrals of the alliance, the chiefs of the two referral hospitals, the
patients from the municipal level to the tertiary hospitals. Iloilo City health officer, health representatives of the four
municipalities, a representative of a non-governmental
Thus, the Basic Services Delivery Committee of the MIDC organization (NGO), representatives of the city, and
saw the need to develop a functional two-way referral municipal councils of the local governments, and two
system. The two-way referral system occurs when a patient administrative officers. MIHA’s head is the chairperson of
needs expert advice, when a patient needs a technical the Basic Services Delivery Committee, who is assisted by
examination that is not available at the health centres, the chiefs of the two hospitals and the four other mayors as
when a patient requires a technical intervention that is vice chairpersons.
beyond the capabilities of the health centre or when a
patient requires in-patient care. MIHA initially operated on a budget allocated to the
committee, which was part of the P100,000 (US$2,100)
The Alliance contribution of the five local government units that
To generate, mobilize and tap essential resources for composed the MIDC. They also agreed to contribute
sustainable hospital and public health services within the P25,000 (US$530) each for the support of MIHA.
Metro Iloilo region, the Metro Iloilo Health Alliance (MIHA) Subsequent contributions based on health plans and
was created, with the five mayors and the chiefs of the two activities will be discussed and agreed upon by the board
referral hospitals – the Western Visayas Medical Center of directors.
(WVMC) and the West Visayas State University Medical
Center (WVSUMC) – signing a memorandum of agreement But with the establishment of MIGEDC, the annual
to establish it on May 12, 2005. The Philippines’ first allocation for MIHA operations was temporarily set aside
metropolitan inter-local health zone, MIHA was created and until a new board could be reconstituted. However, the
strengthened through the support of the Canadian Urban so-called “hibernation” of the MIHA board did not affect
Institute, with funding from the Canadian International what it had put in place, such as the referral system that
Development Agency. has been “sanctified by usage” by health care providers in
the region. In fact, it has become a self-sustaining system,
In this arrangement, the WVMC and the WVSUMC serve continuously working with or without specific budgetary
as the main point of referral for hospital services from the allocation.
community, private medical practitioners, the barangay
health stations (BHS), and the rural health units (RHUs). Inter-Local Health Zone
Through these hospitals, patients can get tertiary care MIHA functions similarly to the Inter-Local Health Zone
such as laboratory and radiological diagnostic services, (ILHZ), a health care program initiated by the Department
in-patient care, and surgical services sufficient to provide of Health (DOH) in which individuals, communities, and all
emergency care for basic life threatening conditions, other health care providers in a well-defined geographical
obstetrics, and trauma. area participate together in providing quality, equitable,
and accessible health care with inter-local government
To serve as the operations manual of the MIHA, the partnership as the basic framework. But unlike the existing
committee came up with an Integrated Health Plan, a ILHZs, MIHA has two core referral hospitals instead of one.
consolidation of the individual health plans of all member
local governments to ensure that the MIHA would be The first inter-local health zone in the Philippines in a
responsive to the needs of the entire population. The metropolitan setting, MIHA members are also part of
Integrated Health Plan entailed the adoption of a unifying other ILHZs established by the DOH, which thus gave
vision and mission and a situation analysis of external and their constituents “the best of both worlds” in health care.
internal environmental conditions that affect the Metro Iloilo Patients from the municipal level can be referred to any
region. It also required clear definition of the roles of each of the core referral hospitals, either within the DOH-
level of service and facility, including other stakeholders, established ILHZ or MIHA.
Health Financing
To ensure that quality health care is not
compromised despite the inability of many
of its constituents to pay for it, MIHA has
adopted a health financing scheme through
the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
(PhilHealth). The alliance intends to enroll its outstanding health stations and health workers, the
constituents in the national health insurance program program was also a vehicle for documenting best practices
to guarantee that their health needs are immediately in health service delivery.
addressed. The scheme involves improving program
benefits, expanding its membership base, and then using
Key Concerns
benefit-spending to leverage effective quality care. It also
MIHA, as part of its management strategy, conducts regular
allows for cost recovery in the hospital and RHUs through
reviews and assessments of the following:
a reimbursement scheme and capital fund, which can be
spent to further improve health services in both facilities.
• The health situation and the identified prevailing
health problems that need to be addressed as soon as
Information System possible.
MIHA seeks to establish an Integrated Alliance Health • The management service output and extent of
Management and Information System to address one coordination of all BHSs, RHUs, the City Health Office,
weak area in the establishment of ILHZs, which is health district health centres, and the two hospitals – WVMC
information and management. This is being done through and WVSUMC.
a computerized network and community-based health data • The existing human resource capabilities including
board that uses the results of the Minimum Basic Needs Community Volunteer Health Workers (CVHWs) and the
(MBN) Survey and makes it responsive to local planning, Traditional Health Birth Attendants.
monitoring, and referral and disease surveillance. MBN • The facilities according to availability and functionality
Surveys are done to find out the basic needs of a Filipino in accordance with Sentrong Sigla and PhilHealth
family for survival, security and empowerment, MBN being accreditation. (Sentrong Sigla is a quality assurance
defined as the minimum criteria for attaining a decent program that seeks to improve health services delivery
quality of life. MIHA would therefore invest in equipment by providing seals of excellence to health centres that
such as telephones, computers and printers, software, and have met the Department of Health standards.)
training of personnel involved in the information system, • The procurement system of essential drugs, in
based on the results of the MBN Surveys. terms of price, quality and conformity to the National
Drug Formulary of Republic Act No. 6675 or the
Promoting Effective and Quality Health Care Generics Drugs Law – which seeks to promote, require
Supporting the MIHA program, in 2008 the MIGEDC’s and ensure the production of an adequate supply,
Basic Services Delivery Committee launched the annual distribution, use and acceptance of drugs and medicines
search for the model municipal health station to promote identified by their generic names – through the MIHA
effective and quality health care among municipalities, Therapeutic Committee.
which now include the five towns in the island-province
of Guimaras and the town of Santa Barbara in Iloilo, a MIHA implements the Sentrong Sigla standards and
new addition to the Metro Iloilo circle. Dubbed “Sentro “Center of Wellness” of the DOH focusing and working
Obligado,” the program sought the development of toward improved quality of services. Finally, MIHA
efficiency among health personnel. Aside from honouring encourages partnership and networking among local
• Services meet the needs of the population. Transferability and Sustainability. MIHA showcases
• Services are efficient, fast and streamlined. how inter-local government cooperation on health can
• Services are accessible, both physically and work. Legal provisions governing inter-local government
financially. cooperation can be applied to any cluster of local
• Personnel are friendly and courteous. governments, and therefore can be replicated anywhere.
• Services are equitable. The memoranda of agreement that created both the
• There is inter-local government cooperation. MIDC and, later, MIGEDC and the MIHA, guarantee the
continued operation of the alliance even with changes
Surveys, focus group discussions, formal and informal in leadership in national and local governments due to
interviews and personnel performance evaluations were elections.
also done.
In the long run, MIHA can bring about:
Results and Impact
• Quality hospital and RHU services
Direct Benefits. Due to accessibility, convenience and
• A functional referral system
a higher level of health care, patients coming from the
• Integrated health planning
municipal level are usually referred either to WVMC or the
• An established health information system
WVSUMC instead of the core referral hospitals in their
• Well-developed human resources
respective DOH-established ILHZs. This proved beneficial
• Financially viable or self-sustaining hospitals
to the residents of Metropolitan Iloilo considering that they
• Integrated public health and curative hospital care
immediately get much-needed quality medical attention
• Strengthened cooperation between local
with expediency. The PhilHealth financing scheme that is
governments and the health sector
a major component of MIHA guarantees that low-income
residents can avail themselves of quality health care
services.
information gathering, analysis and mapping; sectoral consequences of urbanization, as do the adjacent
consultations and reports; initial public consultation; municipalities. Urban sprawl, for instance, has left adjacent
preparation of a draft metropolitan plan; and final public municipalities in land use conflict, and some agricultural
consultation and approval of the plan. lands have become threatened because of residential
expansion. Real estate development in Iloilo City and in the
Developing the Framework four adjacent municipalities has never been so aggressive
In satisfying the need to come up with an ideal spatial because of the growing demands for housing.
plan, MIGEDC must be consistent with plans individually
prepared by their member local governments and their Many residents of Leganes, Pavia, Oton, San Miguel,
regional alliances. These plans include the draft of the Santa Barbara, and Guimaras commute to Iloilo City
Sta. Barbara Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Guimaras for education, employment or business, among other
Physical Framework Plan, and the Comprehensive Land reasons. People from these municipalities contribute to
Use Plan of Iloilo City. MIGEDC had also completed the the observed higher daytime population density in the city
MIG Integrated Regional and Urban Infrastructure Plan compared to its night-time population. Issues ranging from
and the Tourism Strategy Action Plan, which were vital for traffic management to road quality to the availability of
preparing the MIGISDF. public infrastructure have been noted as requirements for
supporting the needs of the population through effective
Furthermore, in the light of the Joint Memorandum Circular public service delivery.
No. 1 issued in 2007, these plans and frameworks must be
synchronized with the plans of the National Government The population in the region will reach more than 1.2
Agencies (NGAs) with respect to existing processes million in 2023, approximately twice the population in 2000.
and procedures. The circular – jointly issued by the Most of the members of the regional population are young
Department of the Interior and Local Government, the citizens, thus MIGEDC needs to understand the issues
National Economic Development Authority, the Department affecting this age group, such as employment, education
of Budget and Management, and the Department of and housing. Servicing the demands of a young population
Finance – calls for harmonized planning, investment will affect the economic, physical and social development
programming, budgeting, revenue administration, and of MIGEDC for the next fifteen years, but concerns for the
expenditure management. It has been hailed as a landmark conservation of natural resources still remain a challenge
policy on local development processes. for sustainable urban growth. In due time, the young
population will also age, thus MIGEDC must be able to
The processes of developing the MIGISDF involved the prepare its environment for the safety and convenience of
following: future seniors.
• Orientating stakeholders on the Planning Context
following the JMC process; Rapid population growth, dramatic changes in production
• Reviewing various plans and framework using the and consumption patterns and massive rural to urban
JMC process; migration have all contributed to environmental degradation
• Integrating assessments and plans using the JMC in the MIG region. Unless environmental degradation is
process; arrested, the growth rates necessary to reduce poverty will
• Conducting workshops to validate and complete the not be sustained and the Millennium Development Goals
rest of the plan sections; will not be achieved.
• Preparing GIS based maps to highlight issues and
strategic frameworks; It has become clear that the increasing populace and
• Preparing Issues Paper to present key opportunities dynamism of Iloilo City call for integrated growth and
and challenges; expansion management strategies with neighbouring
• Reviewing the MIGEDC Roadmap; and municipalities. A combined effort among the seven
• Writing a MIGISDF draft. concerned local governments to shift current policies to
encourage investment and development in designated
The final draft of the MIGISDF will go through the same urban centres can help address this need.
approval process as the MIPFP. The spatial framework
shall be reviewed by the stakeholders, presented to the Supporting a Vision
MIGEDC Executive Council and the respective LGU The MIGISDF 2008-2023 supports the metropolitan
members will adopt the framework once it is approved. vision to create “[a] highly liveable region of God-loving
and educated people working together for a progressive,
The Need for a Framework self reliant, and sustainable community” by improving
A survey of cities in the Philippines conducted by the cooperation and partnerships between the member
Asian Institute of Management in 2002 ranked Iloilo City LGUs in the management of social, economic and natural
as the most competitive mid-sized city in terms of local environments of Metro Iloilo-Guimaras.
economy in the country. Just like any developing city,
Iloilo experiences both the positive and the negative The MIGISDF illustrates how the residents of Metro Iloilo-
Guimaras want their community to grow and change in the
future. It describes the community’s collective vision for the the local government units could easily adopt them and
sustainable management of the public realm and shared create their own specific programs and policies.
community assets like air, land and water resources,
and sets goals for economic development, effective The MIGISDF presents how land – the basic economic
transportation networks and community well-being. As a resource – should be used efficiently and effectively, so
developing region, Metro Iloilo-Guimaras needs strong as to capitalize on the various strengths of the seven
direction in order to avoid the potential negative impacts local governments, and to successfully manage potential
of uncontrolled development on the quality of life of its conflicts between adjoining land uses. Essentially, it sets a
residents. framework to ensure that urban growth occurs in an orderly
manner, and decisions are not made on an ad-hoc basis.
Using current data and land use policies from the seven
local governments, the MIGISDF was designed to provide The MIGISDF has been prepared with regards to the
a flexible and adaptable mechanism for guiding the future plans and policy frameworks of the national and provincial
physical form of Metro Iloilo-Guimaras. It presents an authorities, as well as global objectives. The plan will thus
indicative spatial lay-out of the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras for the be submitted to the relevant agencies for integration into
next fifteen years. The local government members should the wider development planning system.
consider the goals and objectives of the spatial framework
in formulating or updating their respective comprehensive Links with Regional Plans
land use plans and other specific development plans. The MIGISDF adheres to the principles in the National
In a way, the integrated spatial development plan will Framework for Physical Planning (NFPP) as well as the
serve as a guide or link among these plans to have a Regional Physical Framework Plan for Western Visayas
more collaborative approach in facing the challenges and (Region VI), which state that land use and related planning
opportunities of urbanization. activities shall be undertaken within the context of the
principles that support the allocation and use physical
Understanding land uses through quantitative data is not resources such as land and water with due regards to their
the foundation of this framework, but rather identifying sustainability.
the characteristics
of land uses and What makes MIGISDF unique is
providing schemes that unlike other land use plans
for their locations. associated with a formal political
The allocation jurisdiction, strategic documents
of land uses like the MIGISDF are encouraged
presented in the among local governments but
spatial development not mandated. The framework
framework maps has distinct ways of presenting
serves as a model its objectives, strategies, and
providing possible preferred roles. MIGISDF has
solutions to issues also given a new meaning to
of land use in Metro the word “region”. Though a
Iloilo-Guimaras, mandated regional plan covers
and as a guide in the whole region as its scope
operationalizing (in this case, MIGEDC is within
and managing the the official region of Western
physical growth of Visayas), MIGISDF uses the term
the region. MIGISDF “region” to refer only to the seven
does not conflict with local governments of MIGEDC
the regional plans; rather it integrates them in the entire (i.e. a city, a province and five municipalities). Thus, the
framework through concepts, options and strategies. land use plan produced by these LGUs through their
collaborative relationship does not conform to any standard
The creation of the MIGSDF involved a number of categories of plans in the Philippines, such as a regional or
workshops and consultations in order to come up with provincial plan.
community-generated solutions for developing the region.
Thus the interpretation of some metropolitan characteristics Indeed, the uniqueness of the MIGISDF was also brought
may vary from the perception of the planners, local officials, about by the fact that MIGEDC is a unique alliance. It
consultants, and other stakeholders. groups together varying types of communities – a highly
urbanized city, rapidly urbanizing municipalities, and a peri-
Each local government has a certain rate of economic urban island-province – into one to be developed under
or physical development. They have their own physical, one spatial framework. And the MIGISDF may just be a
cultural and legislative factors to consider. Thus, the small step for MIGEDC, but it is a giant leap for the Metro
strategies in the MIGISDF were addressed in such a way Iloilo-Guimaras Region.
and highly supportive of the idea, the Iloilo Investment opening of the call centre, ePLDT Ventus has continued
Promotion Center (IIPC) was inaugurated on May 12, coordinating with IIPC on other concerns, including their
2005, marking the “starting line of the race towards local expansion program.
economic development,” as the IIPC slogan declares.
But while the Center was officially launched in May 2005,
Kicking Off IIPC’s ad hoc structure had earlier assisted companies
Housed at the DTI regional office in Iloilo City and complete interested in doing business in Iloilo City. During the period
with the necessary office facilities, the Center invited of June 2004 to June 2005, IIPC assisted at least 20
the executive director of the CIPC to share the Cebu potential investors, conducted roundtable discussions with
experience, discussing the challenges Cebu faced, and the academe on investments, and hosted job fairs for call
how these challenges were met. The lessons learned were centres in Iloilo City. By 2007, there were already six call
vital in launching the Center’s operation. centres in Iloilo City with over 1,000 seats and employing at
least 1,500 personnel for their 24-hour operations. Various
Likewise, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) factors had forced some to transfer to other cities, but new
also provided input on investment incentives and explained ones have subsequently opened.
the process by which an area could become accredited
with PEZA. PEZA is an investment promotion agency In 2008, IIPC assisted at least 12 companies hoping to set
that grants fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to developers up shop in Iloilo City, of which six were in the call centre
of economic zones, export producers and information business, three in real estate, and another three in facilities
technology service exporters. It was then that the task force development. IIPC had also facilitated the conduct of a
started to identify other institutions that could be involved in focus group discussion (FGD) among students by one call
the project. centre firm.
Early Successes
IIPC’s first spin-off institution was the ePLDT
Ventus, a wholly owned subsidiary of ePLDT
Inc, which opened a 1,600-square metre, 300-
seat call centre in Molo district in December
2004. ePLDT Inc. was so impressed with
the help of the IIPC that even after the initial
project known as Guisi Discovery Quest was launched that had been identified as the cornerstone of the economic
features affordable tour packages for visitors, including development of Guimaras.
rappelling, snorkelling and a mangrove tour, among other
activities. These activities are offered in two packages, This project traces its inception back to 1996 when the
a half day or a whole day, and each offers a different provincial government of Guimaras, with the assistance of
experience for the tourist, ranging from tranquil relaxation the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), implemented a series
to extreme adventure. of activities to equip stakeholders with the capacity to
formulate economic development initiatives and implement
The half day tour is mainly made up of mountain biking, projects geared towards poverty reduction. An economic
boating, caving and snorkelling activities, with mangrove development strategy for the island was prepared, which
tours and rappelling activities included in the full day tour. identified three priority sectors – agriculture, fisheries and
The activities end after an hour or two of snorkelling as tourism. CUI’s work in Guimaras was undertaken with the
visitors pedal back to the lighthouse to freshen up and rest. financial support of the Government of Canada provided
From the lighthouse, visitors can also enjoy the previously through the Canadian International Development Agency
undiscovered wonders of Guisi beaches, or the lush (CIDA).
wilderness trails leading to the majestic Panluron Falls.
To test the acquired capacity of stakeholders in
The project, designed by the Department of Tourism with implementing projects, demonstration projects were
funding from the United Nations Development Programme implemented. In the area of tourism development, the
(UNDP), is not a brand new project, but one built on the provincial government introduced the Guimaras Heritage
gains of the much earlier Guisi Community-based Heritage Tourism Project that called for the establishment of
Tourism Program, a component of the Guimaras Heritage an environmentally sensitive and cooperative form of
Tourism Project initiated five years before the oil spill. community economic development endeavour. Guisi was
selected as the site for such a
pilot project.
Project Components
Public Education and
Organization. Following the
implementation of the Guimaras Heritage Tourism Project,
the provincial government conducted a series of tourism
Deemed the people’s ticket out of poverty, the Guimaras awareness seminars to educate communities as well as
Heritage Tourism Project was launched in November 2001 other stakeholders on the economic benefits that could
and was designed to develop and implement a community- be derived from tourism in order to gain their support
based economic enterprise employing multi-stakeholder for and commitment to tourism-related projects, and to
and participatory approaches. It intended to promote turn them into effective tourism leaders. These seminars
the natural, agricultural, religious, historical and cultural also provided stakeholders with a clearer picture of the
heritage of the place to local and foreign tourists. Tourism importance of the tourism industry and familiarized them
initiative that provided them with livelihood opportunities request to the National Commission for Culture and the
when their traditional sources of income could no longer Arts (NCCA) for the restoration of the Guisi lighthouse and
provide enough support. the preservation of their culture.
The BDTC, which was named the project management Guisi, according to oral accounts, was peopled starting in
team, has since been registered with the Securities and the 1860s when Eping Geonanga, a fisher from Guimbal
Exchange Commission (SEC). It originally offered a tour town in Iloilo province, was attracted to the richness and
package for a group of five at a rate of P1,175 (US$25) unspoiled natural resources of the place. He brought his
per person, which includes accommodation at the family to the area and since then, other fishing families
heritage cottage and meals for two days, and services like from the nearby islands of Panay and Negros and from
boating and carroza (carriage) rides, as well as a cultural as far as Romblon and Masbate started to settle in Guisi,
presentation. Guides are also available for those who want which was then called Baybay. Isolated as they were and
to go mountain trekking and spelunking1. with little outside influence, the people have preserved
many of their culture and traditions.
BDTC records showed that from October 2004 to August
2005, the project generated an income of P86,887 To attract tourists to the area, the project is being promoted
(US$1,845) from group tours that benefited 42 families through the media, both local and national. Pilmap, a travel
who were tapped to supply catering and other services magazine, had a story on the project in its March 2004
to guests. School children who perform during cultural issue. Two television programs from the giant networks
presentations also earn small fees charged to tourists. ABS-CBN (Magandang Umaga Bayan) and GMA-7 (Lovely
Day) also ran separate features on the community initiative.
Fisherfolk belonging to the Katilingban sang mga
Magagmay nga Mangingisda sa Dolores (Dolores CUI, the provincial government of Guimaras and the
Small Fisherfolks Association of Kamamado) augment municipal government of Nueva Valencia jointly published
their income by offering boating services and hands-on a full-colour tourism brochure on Guisi to inform the public
experiences for guests in traditional fishing methods using what it is all about. An activity sponsored by the project
nets as well as hook and line. Kamamado members have brought reporters and editors from national and regional
also become committed protectors of the environment as media to the area who in turn wrote stories that brought the
they serve as watchdogs of the coastal waters and marine project to the attention of their respective audiences.
resources of Dolores, having signed an agreement with the
provincial government for such purpose. Members of the However, after the oil spill, visitor arrivals in Guisi declined
barangay tanod (community police), for their part, serve as by 42.74 percent in 2006. Income generated also went
guides in mountain trekking and cave exploration, and earn down by 54.71 percent from P51,827 (US$1,100) in
extra funds from such duties. 2005 to P23,475 (US$500) in 2006. But by 2007, Guisi
experienced a remarkable increase of 895.07 percent in
The partnership forged among local governments, national visitor arrivals, bringing the income generated to P95,965
government agencies, non-governmental organizations and (US$2,000), or an increase of 308.80 percent.
community members brought maximum results not only
in terms of economics but also in terms of preserving the Its Value
historical and cultural heritage of the place. Settlers have The beauty of having a community managing its own
started to conduct research and compile historical accounts economic resources is that it must ensure that the shared
from older members of the community and made an initial assets will continue to provide for the community’s needs,
1
Exploring caves. creating a safeguard against the self-destructive over-
Creating Partnerships
In Boracay, solid waste management falls
on the shoulders of the Municipal Ecological
Solid Waste Management Board (MESWMB)
of Malay, Aklan, which is headed by the
Municipal Mayor. Boracay stakeholders are
active members of the board, having previous
involvement with the Boracay Solid Waste
Action Team (BSWAT), a multi-stakeholder
task force organized in November 1997 to
serve as champion in the campaign against
garbage.
waste practices on the island. It featured seminars on of 20 households. Selda leaders, who received training
solid waste management, workshops on composting, and on solid waste management, were likewise tasked with
meetings of garbage collectors and beach cleaners to raise undertaking information and education campaigns for their
awareness about garbage disposal problems. cell members. The system has encouraged village folk to
help address garbage problems.
This program was conceived after it became clear that
municipal ordinances involving solid waste were poorly Key officials also attended workshops on Organizational
implemented. For example, most, if not all, establishments Improvement and on Project Implementation, Monitoring
and residents did not segregate solid waste at source. and Evaluation. Two municipal sanitary inspections were
Recycling and other solid waste management techniques sent to attend a Solid Waste Management Characterization
were also not strictly implemented. Further, there were no Workshop to increase their knowledge on how to conduct
intense information campaigns to encourage and inspire solid waste characterization. Seventeen staff also attended
residents and business owners to adopt systematic solid the Project Monitoring and Impact Evaluation Workshop,
waste management. which equipped them with knowledge and skills to conduct
impact monitoring of various local government initiatives.
Demonstration Project
To show how partnership works, the Boracay
Creative recycling is an important component of Boracay Solid Waste Management. Island Solid Waste Management Project
began its implementation in 2004 as a
demonstration project that aimed to reduce waste disposal
From BSWAT to SWM Board by 25 percent. It had three objectives:
With the new national law on solid waste management,
BSWAT had to give way to the Municipal Ecological • The implementation of an Information and Education
Solid Waste Management Board (MESWMB), through Campaign (IEC) to increase the level of awareness and
which CUI’s assistance continued, working within its participation of stakeholders in solid waste management.
framework by organizing and strengthening it and its • The improvement of the local government’s collection
barangay counterparts. A review and assessment of the and disposal system performance by providing functional
town’s solid waste system was done, eventually resulting facilities, training, and exposure to other areas with best
in the completion of a 10-year Ecological Solid Waste practices on solid waste management and by providing
Management Plan, which the municipal government started sufficient supplies and other logistics.
to implement in 2002. • The strengthening of solid waste management
mechanisms in collaboration with the private sector
This also led to the revival of the selda system and to and national government agencies by reorganizing and
training a team on conducting information and education strengthening the capabilities of the MESWMB and its
campaigns. The selda, or cell, system is a volunteer barangay counterparts.
concept where one selda leader is in charge of monitoring
waste segregation activities and solid waste disposal The government-community collaboration that had been
built over the years in Boracay was reflected in the the Environment Monitoring and Evaluation System
partnership approach to the implementation of this project, (EMES). The EMES incorporates a set of indicators
which brought together municipal and barangay officials, that helps stakeholders and key players anticipate and
national government agencies like the departments of prevent problems. The Boracay EMES works to ensure the
health, environment, tourism and local government, and soundness of future decisions and activities of Boracay’s
non-government organizations like CUI, BFI, Boracay stakeholders and end-users, based on the principle of
Federated Chamber of Commerce, Boracay Land ecological and socio-cultural harmony.
Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Kiwanis Club of
Boracay, and the Rotary Club of Boracay. The chair of the Municipal Special Task Force, created
in 1998 to assist in the implementation of laws and
The implementation of the demonstration project received ordinances pertaining to environmental projects and
internal and external support to ensure that it attained tourism, participated in a study tour to Canada to learn
its objectives. The municipal government earmarked about responsible tourism development, environmental
money to fund activities like training, orientations and management, local governance, and economic
forums, publications, and monitoring. The Department of development.
Environment and Natural Resources and the DOT acquired
equipment while the barangays provided human
resources for the construction of materials recovery
facilities. CUI facilitated orientation programs for
members of the solid waste management boards.
The municipality also received funding from the Canadian Inspiring Results
International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Interventions on the solid waste management process in
Local Government Support Program (LGSP) to build the Boracay yielded inspiring results. The greatest of these
municipality’s capacity with respect to recycling and zero results was the five-year unified ecological solid waste
waste management. Canadian consultants facilitated management plan for the island which was adopted by the
training workshops and public awareness activities on three barangays (village-level of government) that comprise
solid waste management issues and recycling for school it – Balabag, Manocmanoc and Yapak. Indicative of the
children, resort owners, church leaders and workers. empowerment of the three barangays, the unified plan was
deemed an urgent measure for the island because of its
A workshop was also conducted to equip stakeholders with unique qualities as compared to the rest of the municipality,
the necessary tools, methods and techniques to implement namely its rapid urban growth brought about by mass
tourism. level. Normally, only the chair of the Liga ng mga Barangay
– the municipal federation of barangay captains – sits on
This unified plan employs the so-called 4Es of Ecological the MESWMB.
Waste Management strategy – Education, Engineering,
Enforcement and Entrepreneurship. Developed using Compliance with Ordinances
a multi-stakeholder approach, the plan incorporates There is now higher compliance with solid waste
earlier initiatives on the island that were found effective management ordinances in Boracay, particularly Ordinance
and sustainable in addressing the garbage problem and No. 185, which requires everyone to segregate their waste,
reinforces them with further innovations. hoisting a “no segregation, no collection” policy. While
a survey showed that the island produces 19.1 tons of
The education component calls for a massive information garbage a day, only 28 percent of this waste is shipped
and education campaign on solid waste and building the to the mainland’s landfill, while 35 percent is sold to the
capacity of the barangay SWM boards and community 10 junk buyers found in the island, who in turn bring it
volunteers on how to resolve the garbage problem. In to Manila, Cebu or Iloilo City. There, the junk buyers are
engineering, the plan prescribes the conversion of the able to sell recyclables such as plastic bottles, plastic
island’s open dumpsite to a sanitary landfill, establishment containers, metal, steel, aluminium cans, bottles and
of materials recovery facilities, road network development broken glass, worn out batteries and copper.
and acquisition of equipment, among others.
There is a prevalent practice among homes, resorts and
To enforce environmental laws and ordinances, a business establishments of recovering recyclables and
compliance monitoring team was organized while a selling them to buyers of factory-returnable items like
municipal auxiliary police force was established and aluminium cans, tins cans, PET bottles and glass bottles.
deputized. Penalties and fines for violators would be strictly Likewise, 37 percent of the total garbage produced on the
imposed while those who upheld the law and those who island becomes compost for gardens in resorts and areas
properly practiced ecological solid waste management devoted to cash crop production.
would be rewarded with citations and awards. The
schedule for regular reviews of municipal ordinances on Boarding houses where many of those who sought work
solid waste management was also set. on the island are staying have also been complying with
the ordinance that requires them to provide garbage
The entrepreneurship component recommends networking receptacles in every room, and they have been complying
with junk buyers where recyclables can be sold, upgrading religiously with garbage disposal schedules. The ordinance
and increasing garbage fees to fund solid waste penalizes erring boarding houses either with the revocation
management programs, and ensuring compliance by of their license and permit to operation, or through fines,
households, resorts and business establishments with laws imprisonment, or both.
and municipal ordinances. Livelihood
projects anchored on recycling and
composting were also encouraged.
A multi-sectoral monitoring team is
now functioning on the island and
private partners are already purchasing
recyclables to reduce the volume of
garbage that goes to the landfill.
Partners’ support
A strong partnership was
established with the tourism
business sector, particularly
with the Boracay Foundation
Inc. (BFI). To support the solid
waste management program,
the group unveiled its own
Environmental Management
Plan, which outlines a vision
for self-regulation and self-
monitoring, and forwards the
concept of “good housekeeping”
to its members. BFI is a non-
stock, non-profit association
composed of at least 70 resorts
and business establishments.
Organized in 1996, it works
closely with the local government
of Malay as well as with civic
groups and associations on
the island on solid waste
management.
Other Accomplishments
To strengthen the Boracay Island Solid Waste
Management Project, the municipal government assigned
35 staff members to work on it, all of whom had received
training to increase their understanding of solid waste
management. Equipment for collection and disposal
was acquired, which included three trucks and six push
carts. To comply further with the ecological solid waste
management law, a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
was constructed in the island’s dumpsite area. A shredder
machine was also acquired to complement the MRF.
Challenges and Solutions In 2004, for example, the municipal government earmarked
The solid waste management project in Boracay P2 million (US$42,000) for solid waste, but its revenues
encountered a number of challenges along the way; only reached P1.5 million (US$31,000). To generate funds
however, these problems also served as learning to fill this budget gap, an environmental fee of P50 (US$1)
experiences for the local government unit and other per tourist was imposed starting in January 2006. From
stakeholders on how to improve the delivery of services this, Malay was able to generate an income of P17,586,660
to target beneficiaries. Learning from other experiences, (US$ 366,000) in 2006, P22,776,390 (US$475,000) in
stakeholders proposed solutions to ensure that programs 2007, and P24,883,850 (US$ 518,000) in 2008.
were carried out effectively and efficiently. Some solutions
to challenges also revealed the strong partnership that was In the meantime, the local government established
established among stakeholders. linkages with government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and private organizations to acquire
A major challenge that was identified early on in the assistance. DENR, for example, provided a P500,000
project was the lack of financial resources to fund solid (US$10,000) grant to the island’s solid waste management
waste management initiatives, compounded by a relatively program. A hotel and a senator donated dump trucks
minimal garbage fee that the municipal government for garbage collection. In 2008, the Japan International
charges from resorts and business establishments. Cooperation Agency (JICA) started reassessing the island’s
The most that the town can charge, as prescribed by its garbage problem to come up with a master plan on solid
municipal revenue ordinance, was a garbage fee of P1,200 waste management in Boracay.
(US$25). This generated insufficient funding, resulting
in the lack of equipment and machines for solid waste Another challenge was how to make the implementation
of the garbage segregation policy, both at the source and solid waste management system will best achieve solid
in the collection system, consistent. The municipality has waste management goals.
a “no waste segregation, no collection” policy, and some • All elements of society are fundamentally responsible
hotels had religiously observed this. However, even if for solid waste management. Those who generate waste
garbage was being segregated, garbage collectors would must bear the cost of its management and disposal
just dump it altogether in the collection trucks, rendering • Solid waste management should be approached
the pre-collection segregation practice useless. Continuous within the context of resource conservation,
training and orientation on solid waste management was environmental protection and health, and sustainable
provided to garbage collectors to help them understand the development.
waste segregation process.
The partnership that was built in Boracay to address solid
waste management issues fulfills these guiding principles.
By having a partnership mechanism, communities could
be active participants in addressing solid waste problems
if they were only given a venue for participation and turned
into champions of ecological solid waste management.
Health service delivery on the island had either been poor Raising the Concern
or inadequate for various reasons, ranging from lack of The concern for the island’s health status was raised a
funds and poor capacity of service providers to deliver the year before, when participants in a forum saw the need to
expected services to lack of public participation and low urgently address worsening health problems in Boracay.
level of awareness. Consequently, there had been a high Consultations were held with barangays, organizations,
number of cases of upper respiratory infections, pulmonary and other concerned citizens to raise the awareness of
tuberculosis, diarrhoea, bronchitis and severe anaemia barangay officials, health service providers, volunteers and
due to poor diet, unsanitary and unhealthy habits and organizations about the situation. Several forums followed,
congestion. resulting in the establishment of mechanisms for planning,
implementation and monitoring and evaluation, which
To make matters worse, Boracay’s groundwater had been laid the foundation for the project to improve health and
contaminated by sewage coming from resorts and homes sanitation on Boracay.
as well as leachate from solid waste, rendering it unsafe
for households that did not have potable water connections Kicking off the project’s implementation was an
and collected drinking water from wells. By the end of assessment of the health service delivery mechanisms
2003, only 53 percent of the 2,701 households were of the municipality of Malay. This included a review of
serviced by the water system on the island. Aside from its health programs and projects, an analysis of gender
sewage contamination, seawater intrusion was induced by concerns, and an assessment of its capacity to implement
the overdrawing of water by resorts. programs and projects. Health indicators were identified,
the local government’s strengths and weaknesses were
The need to improve and sustain the health service categorized, and the opportunities and threats of the
delivery system in the three barangays (villages) on the project were summarized. Policy recommendations were
tourist island gave birth to the Boracay Island Sustainable made in accordance with the spirit of the United Nations’
Health Services Delivery Project (BISHSDP) in 2002. Millennium Development Goals.
Specifically, it aimed to improve the health and sanitation
status on Boracay Island, provide adequate health services To provide stakeholders with knowledge of the various
to residents, contract workers and tourists, and to raise processes that could lead to the improvement of health
service delivery, various health service delivery best support. Ongoing activities included the production and
practices were introduced through case studies, study distribution of information and education materials such as
tours and resource sharing. Capacity building activities, brochures, flyers, installation of signboards, radio plugs,
which targeted local officials, medical technologists, health advocacy to barangay officials and organizing barangay
workers and other sectors, included training, seminars assemblies and dialogues.
and workshops in the areas of planning and management,
project development and proposal writing, health care Additional staff and volunteers were hired and trained to
augment personnel requirements. More barangay
nutrition scholars and barangay health workers
were recruited.