Proposed Projects

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 10 priority projects and activities are as follows:

1. Formulation of the National Urban Development Framework and Strategy (NUDFS)—This should be able to highlight the economic, social and political role and growth directions of Metro Manila, the peri-urban centers surrounding it, and those of key regional cities. It should be able to identify the key socio-economic centers and clusters in the regions. The direction of regional urban growth and the integration of the urban development process. It should be able to identify strategic urban rural integration and sustainable development policies and strategies.
2. Development of Urban Development Strategy—Based on the NUDFS, the cities identified as platforms for economic development and global competitiveness will develop in consultation with their respective constituencies the respective urban development strategies and public investment programs. Target cities, however will need a system in carrying out a comprehensive planning and strategy formulation and implementation management process. It is for this reason that this project is being proposed.
3. Development of a City Poverty Reduction Strategy—This project involves enabling the urban poor including the informal sector in improving their social and economic situation by integrating access to housing efforts with livelihood opportunities and basic services provision. The components of this project include:
   • Capacity development for NGO’s and PO’s
   • Poverty reduction projects
   • Best practice documentation
4. Capacity Development For National Urban Governance—This project proposes a holistic look in improving the over-all national government machinery for urban development in the light of the proposal in creating the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
5. Development and Implementation of an Urban Management Statistical and Information System—This project will establish the appropriate information system network that will support sound planning and evaluation of urban development plans, policies and programs of the national government and cities.
6. Capacity Development for Local Urban Governance—This project will look at issues that impede effective local governance and determine measures that will help attain meaningful decentralization. Components include:
   • Amendment of LGU Code
   • LGU regulatory framework and models
   • City public investment and development financing models
   • Revenue Management
   • Pilot implementation – 6
   • Best practice documentation
7. Strengthening the institutional framework for participatory governance: institutionalization, operationalization, and capacity development of the PUF—PUF was established in 2002 as a collaborative undertaking by HUDCC, UN-Habitat, and UNDP. Members and partners from the National Government, People's Organizations, Non-Government Organizations, Local Government Units, academe and other relevant sectors compose the PUF. PUF has initiated coordination and assistance in the development of city action plans, which was done with the League of Cities of the Philippines. PUF has also put in place the mechanisms, for participation, consensus, discussion and harmonization of efforts. This project will consolidate:
   • PUF mandate, missions and functions
   • Broaden its partnerships
   • Determine its composition or membership
   • Design the formal internal operating structure and systems as well as external linkages
8. Reforming Housing Finance—This will carry out the necessary assessments and designs of reforms and will include:
   • Review of housing finance policies
   • Review and re-engineering of the housing finance institutional framework
   • Design of Socialized Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC)
   • Preparation of proposed legislation
9. Improving Urban Development Management Human Resource Capacities—The project will develop mechanisms and interventions that will develop capacities of people’s organizations for effective participation and civil engagement, improve the supply and quality of urban development professionals through:
   • Review and reengineering of the urban development education system
   • Improving capacities in urban development of NG agencies with urban development related functions
   • TNA and training of LGUs on urban development management
   • Advancing the role of women in local urban development and governance
   • Capacity Building of POs and NGOs
10. Safer Cities Initiative—The project is proposed to be carried out through nine components:
    • Diagnostic Studies
    • Survey and Best Practice Documentation
    • Safer City Strategies
    • National Crime Prevention Strategy
    • Institutional Reforms
    • Sensitization and Awareness Building Campaigns
    • Training and Capacity Building of Pilot LGUs
    • Establishment of Urban Safety Pool of Professionals in LGUs