Kaya Natin! brings good governance to Sorsogon

Last Friday, Kaya Natin! leaders Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca brought the Kaya Natin! Caravan of Good Governance to the Sorsogon State College in Sorsogon City. Kaya Natin! is a national movement initially convened by the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government that aims to support and help elect effective and ethical government leaders for the country. 

SSC president Dr. Antonio Fuentes and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Erwin Malto also joined the group in that forum of more than 300 student leaders from SSC and representatives from civil society groups, academe, clergy, and media. In her talk, this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, Padaca shared how her dream to become a radio announcer was shaped by her physical inabilities that drove her to reclusion, avoiding contact with people and how this has led her to that dream that made her the Bombo Grace that the Isabeliños came to know. Being the tough person that she is, refusing to accept what was happening in their province that was governed and ruled by the same political clan as far back as she could remember, she stood up and fought back forging what was going to be a long-term drive against existing injustices in her province. She did this, as she told her audience on Friday, through elections where she ran for office to show to her fellow Isabeliños that change happens and it was never too late for that.

Now, she is the governor of her own province making strides and making changes. Robredo, also a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and Gawad Galing Pook Hall of Famer, shared how a government can create a system that makes its elected officials accountable for their own actions and the value of these in terms of creating a culture that makes accountability an essential part of everyday governance. Robredo said that other cities in the Bicol region are also outlining their own People’s Council that started from his city.  

He believes that for a government to be truly effective, it has to involve its people most especially in matters that directly or indirectly affect them and the city of which they are an integral part of.