NEWS & UPDATES
June 2008
Former SURP Dean talks on
'strengthening local planning for development'
June 27, 2008---In a public lecture, former SURP Dean
Benjamin V. Cariņo discussed critical issues in planning that account
for the very weak linkage of local planning and development. These
issues, he emphasized, should be continually addressed for provinces
and other local governments to make the most of their potentials and
resources for development.
He then talked about a key initiative undertaken by the
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA),
which involved technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
for strengthening provincial/local planning and expenditure
management. Dr. Cariņo further noted necessary interventions that will
institutionalize the capacity-building programs and will effectively
consolidate and sustain the gains from previous initiatives.
The fourth in the series of
School of Urban and
Regional Planning (SURP) Centennial Public Lectures, the lecture
covered most of the findings from a preparatory study conducted by Dr.
Cariņo on strengthening provincial/local planning and expenditure
management. Dr. Cariņo briefly discussed the planning mandate of local
governments as provided for by the Local Government Code (LGC). Dr.
Cariņo also gave an update on the status of local planning in the
Philippines. He said that of the 81 provinces in the
Philippines,
59 have approved Provincial Physical Framework Plans (PPFPs) while 22
still have to come up with approved PPFPs. As for comprehensive land
use plans (CLUPs), 229 out of the 1,610 local government units still
do not have approved CLUPs.
Dr. Cariņo related that the issues of low planning
capability of local governments, poor quality of plans, weak linkage
among plans, and mismatch in plan financing were considered in the
formulation of an integrated set of guidelines on planning, investment
programming, project evaluation and development, and budgeting and
expenditure management. These guidelines formed part of the outputs of
Asian Development Bank Technical Assistance (ADB TA) grant that sought
to "improve local capacities for effective planning and expenditure
management in order to strengthen service delivery and pro-poor
economic development". These guidelines became the basis of various
training programs for officials and personnel who are involved in
local planning.
The lecturer enumerated interventions which should be
undertaken to achieve the much needed complementation among local
plans, budget, and development. Some of his recommendations were:
1)institutionalization of training programs based on the NEDA/ADB TA
by targeting prospective trainees, developing more specialized
modules, improving data bases for planning; designating an
institutional vehicle in managing training logistics, mobilizing and
undertaking the training, and providing the necessary pre- and
post-training support; 2) advocacy activities with political leaders
on the importance of, and the benefits to be derived from medium-term
planning; and 3) providing LGUs with performance-based incentives for
achieving plan-investment program-budget linkage. These initiatives
are further directed towards the improvement of local revenues for
project implementation and the enhancement of accountability of local
government officials.
Tarlac Board Member Pearl Angeli E. Pacada and Bulacan
Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Arlene Pascual, who
are both actively involved in planning in their respective provinces,
presented their reactions to the lecture. Representatives from
national government agencies involved in national and local
development planning and budget management, and those from local
planning offices, academe, research institutions, and other civil
society organizations participated in the discussion.
Launched in October 2007 during the School's 42nd
foundation day,
the UP SURP Centennial Public Lecture Series
tackles
various planning issues in the
Philippines. The
series runs until October 2008 as a part of the
University Centennial
Celebration. The remaining topics and lecturers are the following:
August 2008
Social Justice and Urban and Regional Planning
Prof. Ernesto M. Serote
--------------------------------------
September 2008
Environment and Natural Resource Planning in the Philippines
Dean Candido A. Cabrido, Jr.
-------------------------------------
October 2008
Planning of Metropolitan Seoul: Some Lessons
Dr. Byong Gyu Park
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