CITY STRATEGY & GOVERNANCE

The Naga City Model

Outline
The Setting
Governance Model
Illustrative Examples
Growth Programs
Equity-Building Programs
Participatory Mechanisms

Insights

THE SETTING

What Naga is Not

NOT
CENTRALLYLOCATED.
Approximately 450
kilometers from both
Manila and Cebu; not
even Bicols regional
government center

NOT A BIG
CITY. Of the 114
Philippine cities, 63rd
in terms of land area
and 53rd in terms of
population

NOT A PORT CITY.

Landlocked; no access to the
sea and, therefore, at a
disadvantage compared to
Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo
and General Santos

THE SETTING

What Naga Is
RECOGNIZED CENTER OF LOCAL INNOVATIONS. More
than 40 national and international recognition including the 1998 Dubai
International Award for having one of the Top 10 Best Practices worldwide.

LIVABLE CITY. Says Interface, the newsmagazine of the League of Cities.

STRONG NON-GOVERNMENT SECTOR. In the form of civic,
business and peoples organizations. More than 100 are accredited with the city.

TOOK ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL AUTONOMY. The state policy

to promote local autonomy has helped Naga mainly because it has helped itself,
crafting innovations that even antedate the Local Government Code.

But this did not happen overnight

THE SETTING

Naga in 1988 Development Challenges

despite a tradition of being the center of trade and commerce,
local economy was sluggish and stagnating due to years of neglect
reduced from a first- to a third-class city
low business sector confidence with the number of firms
plateauing at 2,000; the Central Business District (CBD) was
overcrowded and remained unchanged for more than four decades
basic services had been deteriorating
resources required to address problems were not forthcoming
crime was on the rise; smut films and lewd shows proliferated;
illegal gambling was rampant
homeless urban poor population was growing

Nagas Answer: Good Urban Governance

NAGA GOVERNANCE MODEL

Progressive
perspective

Good urban
governance

Partnerships

Progressive development
perspective - based on
growth with equity as a
core philosophy
Functional partnerships vehicles that enable the city
to tap community resources
for priority undertakings
Participation - mechanisms
that generate stakeholderParticipation
ship and ownership over
local undertakings

NAGA GOVERNANCE MODEL

Progressive Development Perspective

a function of the local leadership

In the case of Naga, given its problems in 1988, had to

involve:

confidence-building measures

sharing with the community a vision for the

city

leadership by example

NAGA GOVERNANCE MODEL

CORE PHILOSOPHY: GROWTH WITH EQUITY

Shows an enlightened perception of the poor. It seeks to:

Promote economic
development
(growth)

Sustain the
implementation of
pro-poor projects
(equity-building)

NAGA GOVERNANCE MODEL

Functional Partnerships

Multiplies the local governments capacity and enables it

to overcome resource constraints

May be:

for growth or equity-building strategies

with community groups or individuals

government-initiated or private-led

NAGA GOVERNANCE MODEL

People Participation
Borne out of the belief that the extent of the city
governments success is contingent on how people respond
to its initiatives

Mechanisms to ensure the inclusion of individuals and the

community in decision-making

Mainstreams and engages people in governance

Promotes long-term sustainability by generating broadbased ownership of initiatives

Promotes the partner-beneficiary concept

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Partnerships in Growth Programs

Urban Transport & Traffic Management Plan
a growth strategy for expanding the
CBD only through the relocation of
transport terminals
outside the CBD

expanded the commercial area by a third of its

original size

Satellite/District Markets
development dispersed to areas
outside the CBD bv encouraging the
development of privately- owned
district markets (5 currently in
operation)

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Partnerships in Growth Programs

Panganiban Upgrading & Beautification
created a new business corridor at
a main
thoroughfare leading to
the CBD (formerly a
swampy onekilometer eyesore)

Central Business District-II

a 27-hectare distinct commercial
area developed by the private
sector

has resulted in a 100% expansion of the

commercial district, and stabilized commercial
land prices

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Partnerships in Growth Programs

Naga Southwest Development

multi-billion property development covering approximately

90 hectares

another private-led partnership involving one of the

countrys leading property development conglomerates

will be the area for first-class commercial and residential

development

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Partnerships in Equity-Building Programs

Urban Poor Program (Kaantabay sa Kauswagan) with urban
poor organizations, landowners and private developers;
already
covers 6,940 households

Livelihood provides livelihood assistance to the urban poor

and other micro entrepreneurs

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Partnerships in Equity-Building Programs

Health, Nutrition and Emergency Assistance brought down

the number of malnourished children to 5.3% of the pre-school
population; institutionalized Emergency Rescue Naga with
various community groups

Education schools for early education and development,

specialized high schools

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Participatory Mechanisms

Naga City Peoples Council institutionalized the concept

of NGO participation in governance

Other Local Special Bodies participation by specific

sectors in various policy-making bodies (City
Development Council, Housing Board, Livelihood
Management Council, Investment Board)

I-Governance Program seeks to involve the individual

Nagueo in governance through more avenues for
information openness and transparency

INSIGHTS

Why Partnerships?
They can take place between and among the various levels of
government (national, regional, local); between government and
the business and NGO-PO community; and between
government and private individuals or entities
They can be government-led or private-led (with the
government providing the environment for partnerships)
They enable LGUs to marshal untapped resources of the local
community for local development initiatives
They allow involved parties to attain mutually-beneficial
objectives even with minimum individual resources
They multiply the LGUs internal capability, opening doors to
opportunities that are otherwise beyond its resources to pursue

INSIGHTS

Operating Principles of Partnerships

Role definition setting of rules of engagement minimizes

potential conflicts

Resource complementation the whole is greater than the

sum of its parts

Specialization moving towards ones core competencies

INSIGHTS

Why Participation?
Participatory mechanisms promotes accountability and
transparency which lead to further innovations

They can lead to more partnerships

They are effective strategies for encouraging and increasing

stakeholders support for local development programs, projects
and activities

INSIGHTS

Partnerships and Participation

both are key components of Nagas governance model

however, at the operational and practical level, partnerships

work best among organized groups and institutions

this can exclude individuals and the community at large from

the governance process

partnerships must be complemented by mechanisms that

promote stronger participation at the level of individual
citizens

this is addressed by the citys current initiatives such as IGovernance

Naga City: An Maogmang Lugar

among the countrys fastest-growing economies with an
annual growth rate of 6.5%-- a big jump over 1988

A lower unemployment rate of 5.2% compared to the national

A per capita gross product which is 115% higher than the

national average; a family income that is comparable to other
highly-urbanized areas, 126% higher than the average family
in Bicol, and 42% higher than the national average

A lower poverty incidence of 29% compared to the regions

more than 50%

All a result of a concerted community effort

- end of presentation -