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of the administrative local government. It’s incredible that sometimes our people
located in Manila, some people called Imperial Manila. The projects, the programs that
they have for the people are not responding to the needs of the people. Why?
Because sometimes the paradigm, the perspective of people in central office are so
detached from the local government. I’ll give an example, and these are true stories.
At one point we have our national official who had a very nice idea. He said, I would
like to launch a program on livelihood. So, he said, he looked at the map and looked
at some of those in the fishing communities and said, ok, livelihood, I will give all of
them a fishing boat. So, they’re kind of livelihood for catching fish. But guess what!
He wrote a letter… this is a story from one mayor who told me… He wrote a letter
to all the mayors in the Philippines and said congratulations Mr. Mayor. You are now
selected as a pilot project for fishing, and we are now going to give you fishing
boats. And guess what! The letter was given includes to those even in the mountain
areas. So, the people in the mountain… this is true… those in the mountain areas
said, so, Mr. Mayor so and so. I wouldn’t say thank you for giving us the letter that
you are giving us fishing boats. Please send us the water next. My point is
sometimes, national government is so detached from the realities. And that is what
decentralization is all about.
Localizing, so, it’s also to build the capacity. One major problem to
decentralization is, do the people have the capacity? So, that’s one side. We transfer
it to the local. But question, can the local also absorb it? So, the point difference is
when we’re talking about decentralization, it is two ways.
One is national government willing to give, but local governments, some national
governments willing to absorb. But most important, willing to develop their capacities.
So, decentralization is not about national versus local. It’s about us together. So,
that is the paradigm in the Philippines. And like I said, I was with the local
government academy for some time, and that is what we talk about, capacity building
is important. But guess what! When you do capacity building, it’s not only capacity
building for the local. Sometimes, national government is quite arrogant. “I know
everything. I will have to teach the locals.”
Excuse me! The local people, they can do better than you. So, when you talk
about capacity building, people at the national government, their capacity should be
better as well. I think that’s very, very important in the discourse of decentralization
that national government people… I was one, I was a national government myself…
national government people should change their paradigms. But, you just don’t teach.
“Hey! Local, I will teach you.” No. “Local, please teach us, and we teach each
other.” This is what decentralization is all about. We are in this boat together.
ª£¸²£ª±¡¡²¥¸h¡¢h¢µÈ inequalities, we talk about inequities, some are more equal than others. And it’s really
So, why decentralize? There is so much today in the discussion. We talk about
transferring, not only powers, but resources as well, including fundamental resources,
including… in the Philippines we have what they call Internal Revenue Allotment.
Now perhaps, this is what I was telling my friends. You can learn from us in the
