Ang Bahanggunihanan

• Development Goal of the National Action Plan
• 10 Priority Projects and Activities
• Time Frame for the Over-all Project Implementation
• Implementation Management
• Functions of PMO
• Financial Summary

The Bahangunihanan is the product of several months of consultations, discussions, and consensus-building on locally initiated actions and the proposed projects to implement the National Action Agenda on Good Urban Governance (GUG) and Secure Tenure (ST) in the Philippines.

The various program and initiatives of the Bahanggunihanan, together with the identified bankable projects, comprise the National Action Plan on Good Urban Governance (GUG) and Secure Tenure (ST).

The National Action Plan and the Proposed Projects were developed with wide regional and national consultations of stakeholders in shelter and urban governance. It also draws lessons and ideas from various diagnostic and other sector studies and substantially solicited contributions from different stakeholders.

The Proposed Projects address key urban governance and development issues that are critical to the country’s sustained economic and growth and development, which include high pace of urban growth, urbanization, poverty and homelessness, spatial and demographic inequity and social and economic development opportunities, need to improve capacities for urban development and poverty reduction management, and need to strengthen participation, which provide untapped opportunities for development and improved urban governance.

Special emphasis is provided for secure tenure as we are faced with more specific challenges, such as the need for an enabling environment with appropriate policy and regulatory framework, the need for functional and efficient structures for managing systems for secure tenure, the need to generate adequate resources for secure tenure programs and the need for effective housing delivery mechanisms.

The implications of these issues and challenges are profound.

• It indicates that reforming governance is the key to sector development. Reforming governance and developing capacities at all levels should be anchored on the proper delineation of the roles of the government and the private sector, as well as the roles of the national government and the local government units.
• Urban sector governance reform needs a holistic, integrated approach. Within this approach, we recognize that meaningful devolution on improvement of governance capacities in cities is critical to effective urban sector development. Cities should have primary responsibility and accountability for the development and implementation of urban development strategies and programs. The national government should shift its role from direct provision and production to providing the economic levers and policy environment upon which the development efforts of local governments and private sectors will be anchored and building the capacities of the peoples’ organizations and the citizenry towards effective participation and improving public accountability is an integral part of an effective urban sector governance reform.
• A commonly understood and shared national vision and development strategy for the urban sector will be needed to provide a unifying direction for the development efforts among the stakeholders.
• Likewise, a legal, legislative, and policy framework for the urban sector will provide a co-enabling environment that will properly guide the plans, decisions and actions of national and local governments and the private sector.
• And finally, reforming housing finance system, its policies, structures, and operating procedures towards market based mechanisms while providing for well-targeted subsidies for the urban poor and the informal settlers would be critical in improving access to affordable housing.

The development goal of this National Action Plan is to be able to assist the development of cities as effective economic platforms, pleasant and environmentally sound places to work and live, and efficient instruments for access to affordable and quality housing, employment opportunity and basic services.

The National Action Plan will address the urban development sector challenges and issues by identifying sets of activities and bankable projects that are expected to contribute to the achievement of the following outcomes:

• Efficient and effective urban development management
• Access to quality and affordable housing
• Rational use of land resources
• Strengthened and institutionalized participation

The enabling development goal will be achieved by reforming the governance of urban sector. This will be achieved through activities and projects, each contributing to the achievement of the defined outcomes. In particular, the proposed projects together with the counter-part local initiatives of the Bahanggunihanan are anchored on the following:

• The enabling environment for good urban governance and secure tenure
• A national urban development framework to guide the development of cities
• Design and implementation models of good urban govenance and secure tenure

The reform strategy will be carried out by designing and implementing specific measures and development efforts in four key shelter areas:

• Policy, legal and legislative framework, which will involve examining, building on current efforts and preparing the necessary legislative agenda to support the needed policies and institutional reforms;
• Institutional development, which would involve reviewing and strengthening, streamlining, or re-engineering if necessary the organizational arrangements for the governance of the urban sector;
• Capacity building, which includes installing and improving upon human competencies, technological support, and operating systems, acquiring and applying new knowledge and enhancing the resources of stakeholders; and
• Resource mobilization and management, which will comprise set of policies, institutional, and operational arrangements for the improved generation and leverage utilization of the financial, technological, physical, and human resources of stakeholders.

The 10 priority projects and activities, which were identified and organized along these key result areas, are as follows:

1. Formulation of the National Urban Development Framework and Strategy (NUDFS)
   
2. Development of Urban Development Strategy
   
3. Development of a City Poverty Reduction Strategy
   
4. Capacity Development For National Urban Governance
   
5. Development and Implementation of an Urban Management Statistical and Information System
   
6. Capacity Development for Local Urban Governance
   
7. Strengthening the Institutional Framework for Participatory Governance: Institutionalization, Operationalization and Capacity Development of the Philippine Urban Forum
   
8. Reforming Housing Finance
   
9. Improving Urban Development Management Human Resource Capacities
   
10. Safer Cities Initiative
    

Time Frame for the Over-all Project Implementation

Implementation Management

It is proposed that the PUF shall be the over-all oversight management entity of the program, given that the projects are multi-agency in nature. An interagency committee shall be created, comprised by HUDCC, DILG, over sight agencies, League of Cities and People’s Organizations, and this interagency committee will act as a policy formulation and recommendatory body of the program. The committee will report to the PUF and will be under the direct supervision of the secretary of HUDCC.

• HUDCC to be responsible for the overall management and coordination of the program.
• Institutionalized Program management office within HUDCC to plan, coordinate implementation.
• Program management and other expertise to be provided to assist the PMO as needed.

Functions of PMO

As convenor of PUF, HUDCC will assume the primary responsibility for the over-all strategic management and coordination of the program. It will establish a Project Management Office (PMO) that will plan, coordinate and manage the entire implementation process.

• Develop and implement a project management and project monitoring and evaluation methodologies, including financial management methodologies.
• Formulate and coordinate the implementation of a multi-year program physical and financial program.
• Develop and carry out a project development and management capacity building program for implementing agencies.
• Monitor and evaluate project performance and impact.

Financial Summary