ARMM: Fragile local government

When we speak of fragile local government, it can refer to a ‘weak’ town, ‘weak’ provinces or a ‘weak’ government setup. And the adjective ‘weak’ means the inability of said LGU to address the basic issue of governance. In many instances, the government ‘engine’ is dysfunctional, which includes, among others, the non-delivery of basic services and the maintenance of peace and order in the locality. There are three markers for working LGUs. They are municipal hall, market and school. The first mark is a functional local government house or a municipio and working services or offices that attend to the constituents from a simple registration of birth to more complicated services like registration of business and issuance of residence certificate or the cedula. A functional LGU means more than just having a mayor and local council. It calls for local officials that report to their respective offices for work, at least, on working days. It requires also a working local council that actually meets to discuss the affairs of the state and (it) actually passes ordinances and resolutions and NOT simply people affixing their signatures to predetermined documents. It is truly disheartening to see an empty municipio. Worst is to see abandoned government buildings worth millions and they simply rot. Fragile LGUs! The basic issue is the question of doing reforms in fragile LGUs. No doubt, government and foreign donors can pour millions worth of infrastructures and projects in said fragile LGUs. These ‘projects’ or ‘assistance’ would generate temporary employment and there would be some cash that would circulate in the locality. Usually, the big portion of the assistance goes to corruption or simply the whole project is a ‘ghost.' That’s it, folks! This kalakaran continues in fragile LGUs. The worst part is to see the famous IRA or the internal revenue allocation actually becoming the ‘piggy bank' of local officials. The only consolation or ‘benefit’ one gets in the said kalakaran is if the said IRA is spent in the locality. But what usually happens, the IRA is spent in nearby big urban centers. Thus there are so many resident mayors in cities like Davao, Cotabato, Koronadal, General Santos, and Cagayan de Oro.   A good indicator also of a functional LGU is a bustling market. When goods and local products area traded in the town market place, one can be almost sure that the town is ALIVE! Money circulates around and people are producers of wealth. A dead market also means a dead town! When the municipal economy is totally dependent on IRA, that town is ‘moribund.' Said towns are actually DEAD. They appear ‘alive’ only on election days. Even during these times, their ‘being alive’ is also dubious, because the ‘voters’ that cast their ballots are ghosts! The third marker is a school teaming with healthy pupils. A well functioning school that is also well attended by real pupils is, surely, a mark of a good LGU. Definitely, a rundown school reflects the kind of LGU there is in the town. And when it is a case of ghost school, ghost pupils and ghost teachers, you can be certain that the LGU is also ghost! In the case of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, there are many instances that actual reforms would mean, simply, making these three markers work! Establish a functional municipio that delivers basic services to its constituents. Ensure that the market thrives for people to sell their produce. And make sure that the children go to school that is properly ‘manned’ by qualified teachers and with tools for learning.   Oftentimes, when people hunger for reforms, they do not dream of big things. They simply CRY for a working LGU that can protect them and deliver the basic services, specifically good BASIC education and good primary health care. SOS!