Transparency among Cortes’ goals in 2016

CEBU, Philippines – On the first day of work for 2016, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes called on City Hall workers to continue advocating for transparency and excellence in their jobs.

“Isip mga public servants, kinahanglan nga transparent kita sa atong mga transactions (As public servants, we have to be transparent in our transactions),” said Cortes in a brief speech before city workers during yesterday’s flag-raising at the City Hall grounds.

Cortes, whose final term as mayor ends June this year, reminded the workers on the goals of Performance Governance System (PGS) which measures effectiveness of governance based on several scorecards.

“To do this,” he said, “we must give a quality performance in our respective jobs and transparency to the public as it is our duty being their servants.”

He also told city workers to be guided by the virtues of resourcefulness, accountability, integrity and teamwork in the discharge of their daily jobs.

“This will then create a better Mandaue that we will all enjoy even in years to come, even when all of us are already retired,” he said. “I expect everyone to cooperate and be counted in the team.”

The third-term mayor said since PGS was implemented in 2011, “accountability and transparency have been enhanced and graft and corruption has been minimized if not eradicated.”

Cortes said he hopes this will be continued even if he is no longer the mayor. If the practice is kept, he said it will be their “legacy” to the next generations.

He also urged the City Council to pass an ordinance supporting the particular program.

Mandaue City is currently on its final stage of PGS implementation and is waiting for the final evaluation by the Institute of Solidarity in Asia and other members of the international community espousing similar advocacy.

Last October, the city and four other local government units were awarded with the Seal of Islands of Good Governance by ISA, a seal equivalent to that of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Apart from Mandaue, other LGUs awarded included that of Butuan City in Agusan del Sur, Talisay City in Negros Occidental, Balanga City in Bataan, and Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte.

About 1,600 LGUs were initially shortlisted for such evaluation. (FREEMAN)