Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
the city government was able to transform the shoreline, dubbed the longest comfort
room, into a boulevard that attracted tourism as well as entrepreneurs in the service
industry. Conceived on 1991 as a subset of a master plan (Swingapore 2030)2 to turn
Mary Mae Abellon, Dipologs success is a result of our peoples journey to good governance - Mayor Uy, Philippine
Information Agency. Retrieved from http://www.pia.gov.ph/mobile/index.php?article=2491429168780
2
Ibid., Dipolog turns 100, celebrating excellence, good governance, Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved from
http://piazampen.blogspot.com/2013/07/dipolog-turns-100-celebrating.html
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
project
started
as
foreshore
complex over the Miputak-Central area where shanties used to be.3 The project was a
solution to the multidimensional problem of the city on some 500 households who are
informal settlers living along the shorelines of the said area. Apparently these households
that had no access to proper housing were indiscriminately disposing human waste into
the sea, consequently polluting it and causing damage to the environment. Viewed from
the perspective of disaster risk reduction, the location of the informal settlers was
problematic because it made them vulnerable to storm surges and adverse climatic
conditions. The economic dimension of the problem revolved around the minimum access
of the informal settlers to a decent income because there was very little economic activity
in the area aside from fishing. Consequently, this circumstance forced them to remain as
informal settlers in the area for lack of opportunity to establish habitation elsewhere. It
can be also argued that the indiscriminate disposal of human waste into the sea
exacerbates the poor access to income of the informal settlers since the pollution turned
The commercial complex housed the bars and restaurants that operate along the boulevard while ambulant
vendors as well as peddlers ply the boulevard to sell food and beverage to the tourists and visitors in the area.
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
the shore unfit for fishing. In turn, the lost opportunity for fishing leads to minimal options
for livelihood access. Indeed an innovative measure had to be done by the city
government due to the interrelated issues the surround the situation of the informal
settlers. Of course, the place could not just be demolished. Politically, any move against
the interests of the informal settlers impinged political repercussions on the leader who
would make such a call because the area holds a substantial voting population. Thus, the
intersecting dimensions of the problem demanded a solution that knits together a
coherent intervention that will not leave one dimension taken for granted while at the
same time promoting the interests of the city towards its vision.
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
The supplied text identifies leadership, planning, legislative support, investment, and accommodation, mobilization
of CSO/NGOs, fail early principle, and good governance as contributing factors to the success of the urban renewal
project.
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
mobilization and linkaging. Relocation obviously needed also the support of local
legislators. The complexity of the project required project management capabilities of the
city government where planning was a key component. In all these circumstances, the
leadership ought to be the integrating energy that would harmonize all the facets and
aspects of the urban renewal project. Without such leadership grounded on good
governance, the city would fail at communicating with stakeholders the significance of the
boulevard and its relation to the overall vision of Swingapore 2030. Fortunately, the city
mayor was able to wield decisive yet inclusive leadership that what resulted was not just
a makeover of the foreshore but also of the city itself. The participative and consultative
character of the leadership of the mayor led to a change in the mindset of the people.
Since the mayor was able to show that planning for the project was inclusive and that the
city government itself was committed in getting the job done for the common good, the
civil society groups, the local media, and non-government organizations of Dipolog
exerted the necessary effort to reach out and convey the message that everybody is
involved in the project and that the affected families will not be left hanging on nothing. In
fact, the local government allocated millions of funds for social services for the
households. This promoted transparency and democratization in the implementation of
the project. Through decisive leadership specifically targeted towards good governance,
the mayor was able to harmonize the resources from other government agencies and
non-government entities and devote them towards the project. The effect was the in-flow
of investment and other resources that secured the success of the project. The illustration
on the next page attempts to clarify the interpretation of the case.
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
SWINGAPORE
2030
Urban Renewal
Project
Good Public
Policy
Leadership for
Good Governance
(foundation)
Local legislators
support
CSO/NGO
Transformation
of citizens
Horizontal and
vertical
linkaging
collaboration
Leadership
for Good
Governance
(integrator)
Mutual LGUStakeholder
support
Fig. 1
Partnership
with NGAs
Private sector
engagement
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
Thei Geurts, Public Policy Making: The 21st Century Perspective. Retrieved from
http://www.beinformed.com/BeInformed/webdav-resource/binaries/pdf/publications/public-policymaking.pdf?webdav-id=/Be%20Informed%20Bibliotheek/0000%20WEBDAV/WebDAV%20StatContent.bixml
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
along the stretch, which would serve also as a seawall. Since the boulevard would
become a public open space, it would therefore attract people towards the place. Thus a
commercial complex had to be established to accommodate entrepreneurs of the service
industry (i.e. small, medium, informal) who intended to set up business in the area. In this
manner, the boulevard and the commercial complex complemented each other. The net
effect was a renewed business atmosphere for the city and an increase in its locally
generated funds. The illustration below may perhaps describe the relationship of the
vision to the policy.
Present
Future
longest
comfort room
Dipolog Sunset
Boulevard
SWINGAPORE
2030
(lack of policy)
(flagship policy)
(vision)
Shanties lining
up the old
fishing village
of barangays
Miputak and
Central in the
sleepy town of
Dipolog
An urban
renewal project
generating
tourism into
the area and
reinvigorating
business
activity
Dipolog
becomes a
bustling
business
district and an
ecologically
proactive
community
Past
Fig. 2
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
The policy of the city to engage in an urban renewal project to transform the MiputakCentral shoreline into a recreation and business area was the initial solutions to address
the socio-economic and environmental issues involving the informal settlers of the area.
It is worth noting that since the leadership of the city mayor was towards good
governance, the policy involved also relocating the affected households to a resettlement
area coupled with a strong commitment that their socio-economic (e.g. shelter, livelihood,
education, sanitation, logistics, etc.) needs will be looked after by the city government.
The policy ensured that the affected families will not be marginalized but instead become
in actualizing the urban renewal project. In so doing, the boulevard is not just for the
middle class and the affluent but owned instead by the people of Dipolog. This degree of
participation among the citizens was what the mayor wanted to reach as part of its vision.
Swingapore 2030 was not just an investment into the infrastructure of the city but also
into the untapped human potential of Dipolog. Since the boulevard was both an attractor
and a locator for both local and foreign tourism, the human resource of the city must
likewise keep up with the development. The reason for this is that human development is
the starting point of development and ultimately the zenith of said development. The
increase in volume of people pouring in to the city would require an increase also in social
services. This demand likewise attracts the service sector industry which will again
depend on the capability of local human resource. A positive stance towards the people
has also a positive reaction effect towards the government. This therefore becomes an
instrument for legitimation of the government to rally support for the project. This
exemplification of leadership for good governance (inclusive and participative citizen
building) was what enabled the city mayor to become an integrating energy that attracted
10
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
support for the urban renewal project. The illustration below describes the subsets of the
policy.
Construction
of Boulevard
Urban
Renewal
Fig. 3
Construction of
Commercial Complex
Citizen Building
Ressettlement
In the formulation of the policy, it can be observed that the city government made an
active intervention to stimulate economic productivity. Usually under the neo-liberalist
attitude that our country has been accustomed to since post-EDSA revolution, the private
sector is left to its own means to boost productivity under the dynamics of the free market.
On the contrary and much to the positive sides of the neo-liberalist approach, the
government is mandated to protect the interests of the people and should thus exercise
necessary interventions when local economy reaches stagnation. This is what the policy
has tried to achieve. It was a very laudable move from the city government. Not only did
it sparked and renewed economic activity but it also did so in a manner that was in
11
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
12
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
participation is good way of looking how leadership for good governance is a catalyst for
integration between policy and vision. The illustration below may further describe this.
Fig. 4
renewal project
improved tax base
which allowed people
to set up
entrepreneurial
activities thereby
increasing their
income
Initiative to move
towards Swingapore
2030 entailed change
of attitude in
government
employees as well as
to turn its people into
participative citizens
These efforts of the city government to implement people-centered planning and project
management was the catalyst to translate good governance into good public policy. Good
public policy, in turn, becomes a step forward to the realization of a common vision (see
Fig. 1).
Mark Moore and Sanjeev Khagram (2004), "On Creating Public Value: What Business Might Learn from
Government about Strategic Management." Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Working Paper No. 3.
Cambridge, MA: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
13
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
the creation of public value through innovation. Broadly, necessity is the mother of
innovation. Before 2001, Dipolog was encountering a problem waged on three areas
namely local economy, development of its people, and environmental protection.
Addressing the problem on one front alone run the risk of failure due to its multiple
dimensions (i.e. economic, social, environmental, political, and etc.). A novel process
therefore must be established to address the issue. This was where the public innovation
of the city government came to light. Under the vision of Swingapore 2030, the city
government formulated a flagship policy that integrated all areas of intervention under a
big coordinated effort toward development (See Fig. 2-3). The urban renewal project,
which in turn was the banner program of the policy, consolidated justifications for
developing the city of Dipolog towards the future. The following illustration would perhaps
clarify this claim.
Resettlement
(Environment)
Boulevard and
Commercial Complex
(Economy)
Fig. 5.
Urban
Renewal
Citizen building
(People)
Under the minor policies for the environment, economy, and social development, the
city government consolidated and integrated all of them into an urban renewal project
14
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
that was perceived to catapult the city in the future. Another way of looking at the
innovation is through the illustration below.
Environment
Relocation
informal settlers
along shoreline
Construction of
seawall
Maintain 24/7
cleanliness
People
Coordinated multiorganization
support to citizens
Paradigm shift
among city
government
employees
Building
participative
citizens
Economy
Construction of
boulevard to
attract tourism
Construction of
commercial
complex to host
businesses
Active
engagement with
the business
community
Fig. 6
Henceforth, it can be argued that necessity indeed was the mother of innovation. That
perceived necessity (informal settlers and sleep economy) was brought out into action by
the decisive leadership in the city government. Of course, leadership was intended for
good governance. Thus, the city mayor was not just alone in the project but was one with
the people of Dipolog in steering the city towards a sustainable future. Once again, the
illustration on Figure 7 expresses this line of thought.
Necessity
Fig. 7
Sleepy
town with
informal
settlers
that
pollute the
nearby
shoreline
Public
Innovation
Policy processes
that integrated
environmental and
socio-economic
intervention in an
urban renewal
project that
catapults Dipolog
towards its vision
Public
Value
Healthy
community
Vibrant
business
community
Participative
citizens
15
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
From the illustration, it can be noted that the public innovation generated a public value.
In Dipolog, the public value came in three flavors. The first form of the value was the
healthy community that thrives together with the natural environment. The other form of
the value was the vibrant business community that pulled the city towards progress.
Finally, the value of active or participative citizenship itself was generated throughout the
process of urban renewal.
Early in the process, the city government already defined the public value that it
wanted to create by embedding it under the vision of Swingapore 2030. Through the
vision, leadership within the city framed it according to the public value that it wanted to
generate through the urban renewal project (i.e. healthy/sustainable community, vibrant
business community, and participative citizenship). To secure legitimacy, the city
government had to show the people that it was leading by example (participative and
inclusive). It made arrangements with local legislators to secure their support of the
project. The city government also communicated with the CSO/NGOs on the nature of
the project so that these organizations could serve as communication conduits to the
affected households of the project. The city government also partnered with these
organizations to help build their community at the relocation sites. The issue of storm
surges and pollution were highlighted as key arguments as to why the urban renewal
project had to be implemented. The business community was also encouraged to take
part in the process. Other government agencies (e.g. Department of Tourism, National
Housing Authority) were also invited to collaborate in the project. Leadership for good
governance of the city government (see Fig. 1), therefore, became the principal
16
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
coordinating agent in integrating the resources within its grasp towards a good public
policy and common vision.
In broad strokes, potent lessons on public management can be learned from the
case of Dipolog. As argued earlier, leadership for good governance has a big role in
knitting together an integrated approach towards addressing societal issues. This means
that the leadership is catalyst for participation, collaborative partnership, democratization
of the public sphere and planning process, and the premise of inclusive growth in public
policy making. Hence, it can be seen from the case of Dipolog that effective use of public
policy can elevate basic provisions of services of the government towards creation of
public value. Further, a flagship policy that is aligned with the vision of a municipality is a
strong rallying point to contextualize development principles. In the case of Dipolog, such
a policy came in the form of an urban renewal project. The project might be different for
other municipalities but the point is that a good flagship policy is the thread that allows
local leadership to knit together resources within its grasp towards development. This
policy then generates good public value. These are things that a planner could also apply
to their municipalities.
In the case of Quinapondan, Eastern Samar, the same lessons may also be
applied. Although it is still very early in the process to state that all of the lessons can be
directly applied. Nonetheless, leadership for good governance is perhaps a lesson that
may be commonly applied to all local government units. On the other hand, the creation
of public value can also be applied to the municipality of Quinapondan. Proximate to
nature and relying heavily on agricultural and fishing activities for their livelihood and
17
Leadership for Good Governance, Public Policy, and Urban Renewal: A Case Analysis of Dipolog City Sunset Boulevard
sustenance, one of the public values that can be created is perhaps sustainability of these
activities emphasizing on a non-instrumentalist or non-objectifying treatment of the
environment. The public value may be directed also on the paradigm shift of farmers and
fishermen towards a steward-like treatment of the environment alongside economic and
entrepreneurial activities that depend on the services of the environment. Further, the
municipality can also create a public value that molds its constituents in learning to strike
balance between utilization of the services of the environment and conservation of natural
resources. Quinapondan is a poor fifth class municipality but with strong family ties
amongst its people. To spark economic activity, the public value of trust within
associations and organizations can also be generated by crafting a public policy that
encourages the growth of grass roots organizations that can engage small scale
enterprises managed by associations or cooperatives. With leadership towards good
governance and effective public policy, the local government can likewise attract
investments into the municipality that taps into its potential for rice production as well as
mud crab propagation and fattening. Further the substation for ESAMELCO (Eastern
Samar Electric Cooperative) is located in Quinapondan. For its constituents whose
leanings are not into agricultural production may consider renewable energy production.
The municipality has areas exposed to good sun peak hours that host renewable energy
production through photovoltaic cells. Electricity produced may be used for the local
micro-grid (house to house) or sold to the provincial electric cooperative. These are still
sporadic bursts of what ideas can be applicable to the municipality. But the hope is always
to pick up valuable lessons as the class progresses and apply it for the creation of public
value and distribution of common good in the municipality as it journeys to progress.