The Local Governance Resource Center Region 7 (LGRC-7) held the first Organizational Meeting this year of its Multi-Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee (MSAC) last February 20 at the Cebu Grand Convention Center, Cebu City. The MSAC officers were selected from among the Multi-Stakeholders’ Assembly (MSA) composed of representatives from various government agencies, CSOs, LRIs, Leagues, Academe, and the media who attended said meeting. The MSAC, who will act as the policy-making body of LGRC-7, is composed of DILG represented by RD Rene K. Burdeos as Chairperson, CSC represented by RD David E. Cabanag as Vice-Chair, DBM represented by Ms. Annabelle C. Echavez as Treasurer, and RAFI represented by Ms. Evelyn Nacario Castro as Auditor. The LGRC-7 Linkage Component focal persons from DILG will act as secretariat of the committee. Besides electing its new set of officers, the MSAC also agreed to hold its regular monthly meeting every third Tuesday of the month starting on March 20 as well as its Strategic Planning Workshop sometime in April, and the Ugnay Talakay or | Knowledge-Sharing Forum once every semester. LGRC-7, which was launched on July 27, 2006 last year at the AyalaCebu Activity Center, is among the seven LGRCs that have been established nationwide, and is noted to be one of the best LGRCs in the country. The LGRC is a “one-stop-shop” knowledge center and interactive facility that is designed to be a user-friendly and accessible repository and venue for continuous review and updating of local governance knowledge assets, learning tools and information systems. It is designed to promote a culture of learning and knowledge sharing in local governance; consolidate and enhance access to knowledge on good local governance; and create synergy and convergence of programs and initiatives on local governance in the areas of capacity development, policy development and advocacy, performance measurement, local planning, replication of good practices, service delivery and resource generation. It is indeed a “breakthrough” in local governance endeavors that when coupled with whole-hearted support and cooperation, all key players would be able to realize what they are aspiring for – self-contained local government units that are dynamic and responsive to the needs of their constituents. – Anne Margarette D. Emotin, LGOO V,LGRC-7 Team Member |
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-7), in coordination with the Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Program of the Canadian International Development Agency (LGSP-CIDA), will formally launch the Local Governance Resource Center (LGRC) of Central Visayas on July 27, 2006 at Ayala Center, Cebu, with the theme, “Knowledge Sharing for Better Governance”. The LGRC is a “one-stop-shop” knowledge center and interactive facility that is designed to be a user-friendly and accessible repository and venue for continuous review and updating of local governance knowledge assets, learning tools and information systems. It is designed to: (1) promote a culture of learning and knowledge sharing in local governance; (2) consolidate and enhance access to knowledge on good local governance; and (3) create synergy and convergence of programs and initiatives on local governance in the areas of capacity development, policy development and advocacy, performance measurement, local planning, replication of good practices, service delivery and resource generation. | To be featured during the launching is a whole-day booth exhibit of knowledge products on local governance from the LGRC-7’s network of partners - the National Government Agencies (NGAs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), private/business sector, research and academic institutions and the local government units (LGUs). A formal program for the launching will start at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon at the Ayala Activity Center, to be attended by officials of the DILG Central Office and LGSP-CIDA, all Governors and Mayors of Region VII, Regional Directors of National Government Agencies, and Heads of NGOs, POs, Civil Society, research and academic institutions, religious sector and the media Anchored on the principles of knowledge management, multi-stakeholdership, linkage and convergence, the LGRC is one “breakthrough” in local governance endeavors that is designed to adequately and fittingly respond to the challenges and emerging issues of local autonomy. Its overarching theme is to achieve excellence in local governance through the institutionalization of learning communities and building a knowledge-sharing culture. It is positive that with the whole-hearted support and cooperation of all its key players, we would be able to realize what we are all aspiring for – self-contained local government units that are dynamic and responsive to the needs of their constituents. – Kathrina T. Penales, LGOO V, LGRC-7 Team Member |