by Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - The issue of corruption in the Philippine government should be made the priority of every candidate seeking the presidency in this year’s election in order to achieve the country’s full potential in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction, British Ambassador Stephen Lillie said yesterday.
“This is an issue that matters hugely to foreign investors, just as it does to ordinary citizens. So central government will need to continue to keep counter-corruption high on its policy agenda, before and after the elections,” Lillie told the gathering of delegates from the League of Cities of the Philippines and The Asia Foundation.
Lillie made the statement as guest speaker of the conference seeking the review of counter-corruption reforms implemented by six cities supported by the British embassy.
Local officials of the cities of Calapan, Iriga, Roxas, Santiago, Sorsogon, and Tacloban that implemented counter-corruption reforms two years ago had gathered to count their gains from the British-supported project so as to propose more measures that would attract more investors.
Lillie congratulated the Asia Foundation for effectively implementing the project.
The British ambassador told the local officials to continue their effort to improve the system.
Lillie noted the efforts of local officials of the six cities to streamline the bureaucracy, which eliminated red tape and encouraged a favorable business climate to attract more investments.
By applying the recommended reforms, the cities of Calapan, Iriga and Roxas have increased their tax collection.
The conference marked the end of activities under the project. All cities participated in the eight-month Public Service Excellence, Ethics, and Accountability Program (PSEEAP) promoting transparency in service delivery, strengthening the accountability of local bureaucrats, and encouraging a customer-oriented culture in the delivery of basic services.
During the conference, the League of Cities of the Philippines and the Asia Foundation signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to provide the league secretariat with technical assistance in organizational development, financial management, program development, and policy advocacy to continue with the gains they achieved.
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