San Carlos City, Negros Occidental

San Carlos City has constantly promoted innovative development initiatives that make it a model for best local governance practice. This is seen in the various national awards it received for its numerous projects that are considered the first in the country.

It is initiating a program, an Education Summit, to provide strategic direction for improving Basic Education in the City. The Summit, dubbed the “San Carlos Education Summit: Basic Education Excellence Towards MDG Realization,” is the city’s response to localize and realize the national commitment to attain the Millennium Development Goals 2 which seeks to attain Universal Primary Education.

For the past 5 years, SCDBI has been actively participating in San Carlos City’s Charter Day. This year San Carlos City commemorated its 48th year. SCDBI joined the annual charter day parade on July 1, 2008, after which a program was held at the front of the San Carlos City Hall.

On June 5-6, 2008, SCDBI conducted another Strategic Planning together with the Local Government of San Carlos City in order to revisit the past 5 years of the MDP’s implementation. SCDBI was formed to monitor the implementation of the MDP in 2002. For the past 5 years, projects were undertaken in collaboration with the LGU and also with the private sector. It conducted a Water Study of the San Carlos City Water System in 2002 which led to the restructuring of the city’s water rates and the establishment of the Water Levy Fund in 2004. The Levy managed by SCDBI is used to implement the San Carlos Watershed Management Project. To date, the project has for its partner beneficiaries People’s Organization, private landowners, and private corporations. The Levy is also effective in leveraging resources from donor organization.

Good education stems from having great teachers. The situation of Philippine education today is very poor, given that the budget allocated to the Department of Education is not enough to sustain all schools in the country. Having to face this challenge, the Department of Education in San Carlos City looks for every means in order to cater the needs of the students, both in elementary and in high school, in order for them to compete in a national level.

San Carlos Development Board, Inc. found this situation very alarming. What would make great teachers? What could the community do to promote better education for local students? SCDBI met with Dep-Ed to brainstorm on solutions to this problem.

SCDBI’s entry titled “Palampas Watershed Rehabilitation Project” was chosen as one of the 99 participants of the Panibagong Paraan 2008 Exhibit, held at the SM Megamall, Megatrade Halls 2 & 3 last April 9 and 10, 2008. It was a two-day event where, through booths set up by the finalists, a marketplace of ideas transpired and therefore promoted the theme “Building Partnerships for Effective Local Governance.” It was a learning experience for SCDBI to participate in such event and being able to learn about other cities’ projects regarding local governance.

SCDBI was tasked to assist the City Government of San Carlos for the completion of a proposal submitted for the Galing Pook Award 2007 since one of the two proposals submitted was initiated and implemented by the organization, this being the San Carlos Watershed Management Project, and the nature as well as the utilization of the Water Levy. With the help of Dr. Nestor Abdon, a private consultant, SCDBI was able to come up with a comprehensive proposal regarding the project, which included the entire project profile, the creation of the water levy, its impact to the environment, society and economy, the project’s transferability and sustainability, and it also tackles on people’s participation and empowerment.

On June 2007, SCDBI submitted a proposal titled "SUSTAINABLE WATER & LAND USE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: A Decentralized and Industry-Based Application" to the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) for consideration. The proposed three-year project will be a collaborative effort between and among the City Government of San Carlos, SCDBI and the JF Ledesma Foundation – ASEAN Rural-Urban Development and Peace Institute (JFLFI-ARDEP) and GTZ . The project aims to establish a sustainable land and water resource management system in San Carlos City using a combined experimental and hands-on participatory approach and institutional skills transfer.

SCDBI collaborated with Negros State College of Agriculture for a 2-day Basic GIS and GPS training for their graduating Forestry students. A total of 19 students came to San Carlos City on April 24-25, 2008. Kristine N. Rigor, SCDBI’s Information Management Officer conducted the basic training on GIS while Joven M. Susano, Jr. and Michelle Alejado, SCDBI’s local foresters, assisted in the GPS training and field activities done by the students. SCDBI looks forward to future collaborations with NSCA for their Forestry students’ activities.