THE MOUNTAINEER

Edison L. Baddal
NGOs in local governance (1)

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- This hack was recently invited to share some information or insights on mechanisms or processes on how nongovernment organizations can validly participate in local governance under the aegis of our laws. This was a novel topic for me although I once talked about NGOs in one out-of-town lecture but this was concentrated on the accreditation of NGOs by local legislative councils for membership in local special bodies. Nevertheless, that lecture inevitably but indirectly touched on the NGOs’ participation in local governance.

In view of that, I jumpily searched the provisions of the Local Government Code that deals with the relations of the NGOs (which also include People’s organizations and private sector) with the Local Government Units. Generally, NGOs refer to those civil society groups or organizations that operate outside of the government bureaucracy although their activities are under regulation by the government, particularly the LGUs. On perspective, the code provides a lot of opportunities for NGO involvement in local governance.

On top of this is the leeway given to NGOs, as active partners of the government in the pursuit of local autonomy, to enter with LGUs “into joint ventures and such other cooperative arrangements to engage in the delivery of certain basic services, capability-building and livelihood projects, and to develop local enterprises.” It furthered that such joint ventures are “designed to improve productivity and income, diversify agriculture, spur rural industrialization, promote ecological balance, and enhance the economic and social well-being of the people.”

All said worthwhile activities are all geared towards the promotion and achievement of socio-economic development, especially in poverty and hunger alleviation, reduction and at best, eradication.

In this aspect, an NGO could forge a MOA with an LGU for the operation of a certain economic enterprise with the appropriate schemes like build-operate-transfer, build-transfer and the like. An instance of this is when an NGO or any private sector with adequate financial outlay and technical capability/competence is allowed to operate an LGU economic enterprise.

At present, LGUs are perennially short of funds even under the auspices of devolution with the internal revenue allotment as still the main source of funds to run their local bureaucracies. Hence, it is not uncommon for LGUs to tap a private sector or an NGO to operate a local economic enterprise. This process is termed as debureaucratization, a distinct mode of decentralization of power which involves the transfer of power or authority from the government either through a government agency or an LGU to an NGO or private sector. In some instances, an NGO could be involved in capability-building activities to enhance local governance.

When I was assigned at one LGU as a representative of the government agency where am hitherto holed up, a private organization once conducted a skills training in the formulation of an LGU profile to the local employees.

In another LGU assignment, a private sector conducted a skills training on the conduct of a feasibility study, formulation of a project proposal and conduct of a financial analysis to LGU functionaries, officials and barangay officials. In both instances, the LGU took charge of the venue and other nonfinancial aspects of the training while the NGO partner took charge of financing, facilitating and supervising the conduct of both trainings. This is a cool example of a fruitful partnership between an NGO and an LGU for a worthwhile activity.