Dumaguete can’t fix a simple problem like proper collection, disposal and management of garbage. We have people lining up for water…in 2022. We don’t have a real City hospital. Our public daycare system is almost non-existent.
At the height of the pandemic, while other local government units had fully-functional community kitchens to address hunger, Dumaguete was mired in suspicions about highly-overpriced meals awarded to an entity without a business permit.
We talk about improved tourism, but we don’t even have a good Dumaguete website where guests can get information on the what, where, how much of visiting this beautiful City.
I know many good people in the Tourism Office — their passion needs to be supported by solid plans from the leaders of Dumaguete.
It’s a mess. And we deserve better. But how can we get to better?
Strengthen mechanisms for people to be consulted, and for people to be able to contribute. At the height of the #Noto174 campaign, our City Council removed an innovative provision in their rules that allowed private citizens to speak before the Council on matters of public concern without needing an invitation from any of the Councilors.
There’s an absence of sustained efforts to listen to a more diverse group of people in addressing the problems of the City.
To consult the people requires humility — a recognition that mayors and councilors don’t have the monopoly of wisdom.
We are running short of that, it seems. I hear that from the business sector, the young people in the City, from church leaders.
I’m very willing to help craft proposals to international donors, for example, so we are not dependent on public funds, and we can forge partnerships with the universities and non-profit organizations in the City.
Maximize technology. The Dumaguete Mayor seems to take pride in the fact that he has no Facebook account.
That’s unfortunate, especially in a community where many people depend on Facebook to get information from their leaders.
Mayors around the country have been using Facebook as a platform to communicate to their constituents — it’s fast, it’s interactive, it’s accessible.
The Lupad Dumaguete page on Facebook continues to use English, and the write-ups are too long. That reveals so much of the leadership’s failure to recognize that most people in the City would understand more if the information shared is in Bisaya.
We can also further improve our business permit system by maximizing technology. We can put relevant information online for investors, tourists, and people who want to consider Dumaguete as a potential business site or home.
Put transparency at the center of governance. Back in July 2019, Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto opened their local government’s procurement system to public scrutiny.
Other Mayors in the country even publish proposed contracts online.
We now have a privatized water system. Ask any Dumaguete resident to explain what really happened, and I bet you, less than .001 percent of the ordinary local folk will be able to rationalize it clearly.
Simply livestreaming City Council sessions on Facebook is not enough. Our leaders need to explain to the townsfolk what is going on.
Answer questions like: If the Mayor was so anti-water privatization in the past, why do we suddenly have a privatized system now? (I use privatized loosely because based on the documents available, the provider is still benefitting from the franchise of the Dumaguete City Water District).
Find me a transparent government, and it’s easy for me to see why it’s efficient and effective.
We are not there yet.
I sent several letters of request about the reclamation project, for example. My requests were either ignored, or not granted.
Dumaguete is deeply loved by its people. We just need better leaders to reach our full potential.
So let’s scrutinize the alternatives. Ask them questions. Let them present their plans. Engage with them. Open platforms for conversations.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
