NorMin executives share road management reforms

NorMin executives share road management reforms

Tuesday 14th of August 2012

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, August 14 (PIA) -- Recipient provinces of the Australian-funded Provincial Roads Management Facility (PRMF) shared stories on how the PRMF has boosted local economies while improving local governance through institutional reforms towards a sustainable maintenance of road networks.

This was during the two-day forum on “Road Management Reforms for Better Governance: the Northern Mindanao Experience” held recently at the N Hotel, this city. Among those who spoke were Governor Alex P. Calingasan of Bukidnon, Governor Herminia D. Ramiro of Misamis Occidental and Governor Oscar S. Moreno of Misamis Oriental.

The PRMF is a five-year (2009-2014), P4.3-billion (A$100-million) development initiative of the governments of the Philippines and Australia aimed at increasing economic activities and improving public access to infrastructure and services in the Southern Philippines by rehabilitating and maintaining a core road network and strengthening provincial government systems.

Among the good practices reported by the provinces includes the installation of e-governance systems such as the local government units’ (LGU) internal audit and control; participatory approaches in ensuring transparent and accountable budget management among section heads; continuing engagement with the civil society organizations (CSOs) and the community to ensure program sustainability; and strengthening the monitoring and evaluation system.

Knowledge products highlighting good road management practices put into operation by the first three provinces were also turned over by the three governors to Director Rene K. Burdeos of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Office 10 for archiving at the region’s Local Government Resource Center (LGRC) and easy access by other LGUs.

Reacting to the presentation, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) - 10 Assistant Regional Director Fe D. Domingo said: “The project is unconventional as it gets away from the ordinary and routinary where infrastructures are only for engineers and architects, it puts human touch into the physical structure while changing systems, practices and attitudes of stakeholders.”

She said the measure of success would be when LGUs achieve the Seal of Excellence for Road Maintenance.

"I wish there could also be a City Roads Management Facility or a CRMF as my city also needs road maintenance especially in the hinterlands," Regional Development Council (RDC) Chair and Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz said.

Around 300 participants from the national and local governments including the officers and members of the RDC as well as the civil society/non-government/private sector organizations in the region attended the forum which was spearheaded by the Misamis Oriental PRMF office in partnership with the DILG-10 and the RDC of Northern Mindanao.

It was graced by Hon. Octavia Borthwick, Minister Counsellor of the Australian Agency for International Development; Mr. Michael Sadlon, PRMF team leader; and DILG Undersecretary Austere A. Panadero.

In his message, Usec. Panadero said Region X, as the strategic gateway to Mindanao, is fortunate to have four qualified provinces.

He also thanked the governors for taking pains in shepherding the road management reforms while encouraged other LGUs to learn from the experiences and replicate the good practices of the three recipient provinces as DILG is now developing the Seal of Excellence for Road Maintenance. (NEDA-10/PIA-10)

Cabatuan.com - Kasimanwa.com - Austere Panadero