Bureaucracy, centralization delay projects — Briones

CEBU, Philippines - The former national treasurer and co-founder of the Philippine Society for Public Administration (PSPA) said bureaucratic processes and centralization of funding are causing delay in the implementation of projects in the country.

 In particular, Leonor Briones cited the government’s comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery plan for Yolanda-hit areas.

 She said of the P167.8 billion allotted for Yolanda-affected areas, only P88.9 billion have been released nearly two years after the world’s strongest typhoon made landfall in the Visayas.

 She added that only 17, 641 shelters have been completed of the projected 207,128 shelters under the reconstruction and rehabilitation program of the government.

 “Over centralization of funding go through bureaucratic processes (that’s why we have Yolanda) homes without doors and C.R. without walls,” she said during the recently concluded PSPA International Conference on Decentralization and Democracy for Development (3D) in Cebu.

 There, Briones highlighted the importance of decentralization and democracy in the pursuit of sustainable development, explaining that decentralization cannot work well without democratization. She urged government officials to come up with efficient strategies for right-based development.

 “The government officials have to initiate and innovate effective strategies to really make decentralization and democracy as well as right-based development real and genuine,” she said.

 We have all these developments, even as we try to strengthen democratization you as strengthening centralization because no national government likes to give up power especially the power of resources,” she added.

 Aside from this, she encouraged civil society organizations to continue participating while demanding accountability, especially policies, programs and projects, from government officials.

 The academe and practitioners are encouraged as well to help and undertake actively the progresses in 3Ds.

 She also encouraged the public, as a whole, to participate fully in local governance as watchdogs of how the government spend the people’s money, for instance.

 During the conference, local experts and specialists from the academe, civil society organizations, among others have shared their experiences and insights on the state of decentralization and democracy in Philippine communities.

 They also shared how they have contributed to the engineering and pursuit of development goals whether at the national or local levels.

 Dr. Romy Quilang, President of Cagayan State University presented their efforts, particularly on strengthening academe-community linkages through the food and innovation center (FIC) in CSU.

 “This helps boost the government mandate to spur socio-economic development in the countryside,” he said.

 He said the project has been a tool in helping local farmers earn additional income by selling their products to FIC.

 FIC made 76 products and among others, such as vacuum fryer, water retort, spray dryer, vacuum seater, and single-screw extruder that is used in filling snacks and breakfast cereals. These were used in producing various delicacies and healthy products.  (FREEMAN)