Cebu officials, church ink good governance pact

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (center) with Lawyer Edmund Abesamis, (right) Liga ng Barangay national President and DILG USec. Auster Panadero (left) signing the memorandum of agreement. In the photo are also (from L-R standing at the back) Fr. Carmelo Diola; Mandaue City mayor Jonas Cortes; Vice governor Agnes Magpale; archbishop Emeritus Antonio Rañola; PB member and ABC president Celestino Martines III; DILG-7 director, Ananias M. Villacorta; Cebu governor Helario Davide III and PRO-7 director , P/Chief Supt. Prudencio Tom Bañas during the UBAS launching at the Capitol Social Hall.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Local governments of Cebu province, Cebu City and the Archdiocese of Cebu yesterday adopted a program on good governance that promotes partnership between local parishes and barangay chiefs for better delivery of basic services.

The church will help ensure wider community participation and “give voice to the marginalized sectors” under the Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (Ubas) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The program was pioneered by the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo whose wife, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, flew to Cebu City to attend the launch at the Capitol Social Hall.

“When Jesse was still mayor of Naga, we tried to pitch this to other mayors but some said huwag na , pabigat lang yan. But there will be no inclusive growth if people at the barangay level, the residents themselves, are not invovled,” she said.

The late secretary then partnered with the dioceses of Cubao, Caloocan and Novaliches and four other cities in Metro Manila during its initial run in 2011.

Yesterday, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Liga ng mga Barangay ng Pilipinas head Edmund Abesamis and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas through Undersecretary Austere Panadero signed the agreement.

Designated as lead convenors were Gov. Hilario Davide III, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Senior Supt. Tom Bañas, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, DILG-7 Regional Director Ananias Villacorta Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu president “Tining” Martinez and Cebu City ABC president Philip Zafra.

Rep. Robredo said the church “is a development dreamer’s natural ally in creating synergies between local and national government and citizen groups.”