A welcome call
VICE PRESIDENT (VP) Sara Z. Duterte, a long-time city mayor, has called on the country’s municipal executives to implement “well-thought-out” projects to ensure their success.
VP Duterte issued the call in a well-applauded speech during last Tuesday’s general assembly of the highly-influential League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Davao City.
Admittedly, many local projects, particularly those in the impoverished countryside, where majority of the people are farmers, fail because they are not supported by the public.
In the view of various quarters, what’s important is to convince the people, including the ordinary citizens, that government projects will benefit residents and the community.
That’s why a feasibility study is vital to identify a locality’s strength, including the capability of the community and its overall resources, according to VP Duterte.
We agree with the vice president, who was mayor of Davao City for nine years, when she said that in undertaking a project, “there must be a “multi-sectoral collaboration.”
Like other well-meaning Filipinos, we cannot overemphasize the importance of “continuity” of local programs even beyond a local executive’s term of office.
“As a former mayor, I am aware of the amount of responsibility that comes with the opportunity to lead and direct our locality to the path of growth and sustainability,” she said.
And we want to believe that any project hinges on the greater consideration that it should benefit the larger public, particularly at this time of economic hardship.
This is why local executives must not ignore the call of Vice President Duterte that they should be prudent in their projects if we are to achieve short-to-long-term development.
