Germany supports RP’s decentralization project

The Federal Republic of Germany is strengthening its support on the Decentralization project in the Philippines, helping local government units (LGUs) perform effective and better role in providing services to its people, and achieve maximum revenue generation.

In an interview with German Embassy to the Philippines Counselor, and deputy head of mission Pit Heltmann, he said that more LGUs will be given support on political development, including legal operations, with the help of German and Filipino experts to coach LGU leaders and service providers to be more effective in their operations.

More LGUs in Visayas and Mindanao, including Cebu, will be given support by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) in this particular project. Already, the decentralization team of GTZ had supported some towns in Cebu as pilot areas, namely; Barili, and Consolacion.

The Philippine’s Local Government Code of 1991 which decentralized governance has been lauded one of the best and most revolutionary laws in Asia.

To assist the Philippines in successfully implementing this legislation, the German government, through GTZ commits technical assistance towards sustainable development.

According to Heltmann, the main goal of GTZ Decentralization Program is to strengthen the decentralization for successful sustainable development by; setting the local political framework for greater accountability and transparency; Fiscal planning and management for increased revenues for local priorities, and effective administration by local institution for improved delivery of public services.

GTZ’s Decentralization Program started in 2005 in the Visayas, Heltman said the program will be covering more LGUs not only in the Visayas region, but also in Mindanao starting this year.

In Cebu, this particular program is also giving support to the National Economic Research and Business Action Center (Nerbac), which is managed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), for the easy business licensing releases, among other government-related services.

This year also, Heltmann said the program will work closely with the Provincial government of Southern Leyte, to set up sound and effective organizational structure, enhance the local legislation on environment protection, among others.

Heltmann, this four-year program of German government to help the LGUs in the Philippines achieve its maximum potential, is a 6.3 million Euro program of technical assistance, or technology transfer strategy.

The program had already helped over a dozen LGUs all over the Visayas, including Antique in Western Visayas, Dumaguete, and others.

The Program has three components dealing with political, fiscal and institutional decentralization.  These components are intended to support public and private institutions in coordinating and implementing their development initiatives. 

The goal is to optimize the use of scarce resources and the promotion of effective and efficient delivery of services.  The process entails linking individual and institutional competencies in participating development organizations. 

Partner agencies are the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Local Government Units (LGUs) in the Visayas and Mindanao.