IT CAN BE DONE

Bright spots in the governance reform

movement in the Philippines
 ALSO BY JESUS P. ESTANISLAO

For Love

The Importance of Hope

Bridging the Gap

Designing Development

Building a National Legacy

Guideposts for Governance

Breaking Through

Believe: Making Nationhood Happen Everyday

Philippines 2030: Journey to Nationhood

Equipped for Battle

Responsible Citizenship IV

Responsible Citizenship III

Responsible Citizenship II

Responsible Citizenship

Towards a National Culture of Excellence

 IT CAN BE DONE
Bright spots in the governance reform
movement in the Philippines

By

JESUS P. ESTANISLAO

Editor: Marielle Antonio

Associate Editors: Isabel Camus & Kirsten Ramos
Illustrator: Francesca Lagmay

Published by
The Institute for Solidarity in Asia
Manila, Philippines
 IT CAN BE DONE
Bright spots in the governance reform movement
in the Philippines

© 2016 by The Institute for Solidarity in Asia, Inc.

14th Floor Trident Tower, 312 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City 1200, Philippines

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic
or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews
and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Author: Jesus P. Estanislao

Editor: Marielle Antonio
Associate Editors: Isabel Camus & Kirsten Ramos
Illustrator: Francesca Lagmay

ISBN 978-971-93437-3-8
Published by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia, Inc.
 CONTENTS
Why governance?
An introduction to the essentials of transforming government for good 10

Islands of Good Governance Case Studies

City Government of Balanga
Emerging Knowledge Industry Hub 24

City Government of Butuan

Model Forest Estate 38

City Government of Dipolog

Outdoor Sports City 54

City Government of Mandaue

Source of Quality Consumer Products 70

City Government of Talisay

Global Retirement Center 84

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Purposive Good Governance 100

Department of Trade and Industry

More Prosperous Philippines 122

Armed Forces of the Philippines

World-Class Military Institution 136

Philippine Army
Source of National Pride 152

Philippine Navy
Sentinel of the Sea 168

National Electrification Administration

Lighting up the Countryside 184

Philippine Heart Center

A Nation of Healthy, Happy Hearts 200

Moving Forward
Lessons in governance and responsible citizenship 214
IT CAN BE DONE

Foreword
The best antidote to cynicism
is an example of success.

When it comes to making government Balanced Scorecard is of interest to scholars

institutions work, the world is awash in and practitioners of management. At a
cynicism. Even in countries where only a higher level of abstraction, PGS is related to
few percent of people report having paid a many movements in public administration
bribe, most of the same people think their and anti-corruption that have tried to link
government is corrupt. Politicians and parties, planning with performance indicators and
in particular, are objects of derision. And flexible management structures such as teams
there’s another source of cynicism: we scorn and task forces. Here, this book says, is how it
ourselves for going along with corruption. can work.
We say our culture is corrupt. We say it
would take a change of mentality to make Second, the case studies demonstrate how
government work—but no one knows how a reforms demand more than adherence to a
country can do that. formula, no matter how logical and attractive
the formula is. PGS does have a methodology,
So, examples like the ones Jess Estanislao so which was created by the Institute for
ably presents in this book are needed, first of Solidarity in Asia (ISA), an advocacy group
all, to attenuate that cynicism. that facilitates its adoption. ISA organizes
“boot camps” to convey the method, as well
And they also have many practical lessons for as “master classes” for practitioners who are
policymakers, managers, and scholars. They progressing on the PGS “pathway.” ISA also
depict a fascinating reform movement in the provides recognition for the fulfillment of
Philippines. At the local and national levels, various stages of that pathway.
many government institutions have adopted
the Performance Governance System (PGS), But that methodology leads to flexible,
with demonstrated results in better service, contextualized results, through an admirable
more citizen and employee satisfaction, and collaborative process.
reduced corruption. PGS is a version of the
Balanced Scorecard, a business tool created Design is localized. The creation of the local
for the private sector in the early 1990s. How vision, mission, objectives, measures,
PGS has adapted (and perhaps improved) the targets, activities and projects, and

6
 FOREWORD

implementing teams is designed by locals exemplar leading institutions in government,

to yield locally relevant results. development banking, and academia.

Implementation is hardly automatic; local As the guiding light of ISA, he has

leadership is crucial. PGS disrupts current demonstrated different brands of leadership
plans, processes, measures, and teams. and collaborative vision.
Its aim is to stimulate collaboration
across government departments and And as a human being, all who know him
partnerships across the public-private- are inspired by his head and his heart, by his
nonprofit divide, but experience shows that relentless pursuit of excellence and his equally
it is much easier to call for collaboration relentless optimism and good will.
and partnership than to attain them.
Both are built on relationships. In order In all these ways, Jess Estanislao has shown us
to work, they require leaders to build “it can be done.” Let us therefore resolve to
and maintain trust, create new lines and put our cynicism on hold, read him carefully,
perhaps “languages” of communication, and try to follow the successes he both presents
and understand how others think and and represents.
work. One can have the “formula” for
change, and yet without the creative
leadership to build trust, communication, DR. ROBERT KLITGAARD
and understanding, change may remain University Professor
on paper only. Claremont Graduate University, California

And so, the case studies in this book

engage with classic issues of design and
implementation. How can leaders help
employees understand, embrace, and indeed
guide change? How can governments work
effectively with the business community?
How can the most marginalized citizens be
brought into the design and implementation
of programs that affect them?

Readers should take note of two other success

stories here. One is ISA itself—what an
impressive and effective institution it is. In
particular, business people in other countries
should be inspired by this example of how
they can help government work better, instead
of simply decrying bad governance.

The second exemplar is Jess Estanislao. He is

a success story—or better put, a whole volume
of success stories himself. He has been an

7
WHY GOVERNANCE?
An introduction
to the essentials of transforming
government for good
IT CAN BE DONE

Why governance?
In the eyes of the world, we are a sovereign
nation recognized by the global community
of nations since 1946.

In the eyes of history, we are a young one, still on offer for presidential office. There is never
on its way to true nationhood. a knight in shining armour riding to our
rescue—a visionary leader with strength of
When the Philippines was discovered by the character, unalterable principle, and integrity
explorer Ferdinand Magellan five centuries of life who can impose on us the discipline of
ago, we were an archipelago of barangays binding together our fractious society. There
or very small communities cut off from each is no one person we can trust to continue
other. Conquered by Spain, we became an good policies and break down barriers to
archipelago of municipios or small towns. coordination.
Colonised by America, we were divided into
larger provinces. Part of the problem is that there is no system
that works for the entire nation.
Today, it is the election season that brings out
our regionalism. We shower power, privilege, prestige,
and billions of pesos on personalities and
Fortuitously, progress continues to be made celebrities. But what about our institutions?
and the spirit of being one people, one We neglect them even when we know that
country under heaven, is becoming more their purpose is to serve the common good;
engraved into our consciousness. May such to advance progress; to shape our developing
progress continue. May it hasten. nation.

Every day we contend with vestiges of the It is no wonder that we are still on our way
past. We are almost permanently in search to becoming a nation—the building must
of a great leader who can save us from our continue.
present troubles and bring us into never-
ending prosperity. We are forgetful of our Corruption is the millstone that hangs around
recent history and planners only for today our necks. It slows us down. It weakens us. It
and tomorrow. Worst of all, we do not seem is the cancer that gnaws at society.
to realize that what we do today will shape the
next 50 years of our life as a nation. Naturally, the fight against it has become
the call of the times. Unless we can remove
All too often we are perplexed by the choices the dead weight of corruption, we cannot

10
 INTRODUCTION

go fast nor far. We will always be left behind many years ahead in order to see what
by others, shamed by our inability to pursue decisions must be made today. Governance
greatness because we cannot become good. seeks to change the way the game is played, to
introduce a new culture that is not concerned
What we must understand is that this fight will with winning a few battles here and there but
not be won by adding rules and transactions with winning the war.
to the process of making decisions, or by
running endless investigations and creating Governance is the other part of the cure—the
entities to police corrupt officials. All these are positive side of the fight against the pitfalls of
absolutely important, yes, but they are not the corruption.
cure.
We have proven that it works in the Philippines
Corruption is an attack on the system. It in national agencies and local governments
cannot be fought in bits and pieces. These that have found the will to transform
efforts must be coordinated and continued themselves and form positive relationships
over time, pursued year in and year out with their stakeholders. This has resulted in
until the monster is vanquished and its every ground-breaking impact, and in their being
particle is chopped off. Then, the small recognized as the country’s inaugural Islands
things—those bits and pieces—can add up of Good Governance (IGG) practicing
and become significant. transformative management at par with
global standards.
Smart. Systemic. Sustained. These three
concepts can be captured in one word: But first, old ways of thinking needed to be
strategic. Among others, being strategic refreshed and change mechanisms needed to
means striking in the right place at the right be put in place. It is these few critical steps
time in order to make a difference. It also on the road to lasting development that we in
entails sustained effort such that it yields the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) wish
lasting positive results over time. to share with more government institutions—
to give them that extra push of inspiration,
All of these that have been described so far and to help advance the speed and scale of
point to governance, which always looks reforms in the country.

11