ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT Eugenio Lopez Foundation

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVALIn Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

MASTER IN DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

This Management Research Report

Has been prepared and submitted by:

IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THESANGGUNIANG BAYAN OF ANGONO, RIZAL

2

CESAR EDWIN TAN JAYME

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Acknowledgment i

List of Tables ii

List of Figures

iii

List of Interviewees

iv

Executive Summary v

Chapter 1 - Introduction

1.1Foreword 4

1.2Reasons for Choosing the Topic

7

3

1.3Objectives of the MRR

9

1.4Strategic Benefits and Value of the MRR to Angono

9

1.5Methodology of Research 10

1.6Scope and Limitation

11

Chapter 2 - Decentralization of Executive Power

2.1Local Autonomy under the Local Government Code of

1991 13

2.2Local Government Structure

15

2.3The Role of the Sangguniang Bayan

18

2.3.1 Creation and Composition

19

2.3.2 Legislative Function

20

4

2.3.3 Oversight Function: Power of Review

21

2.3.4 Administrative Function

21

Chapter 3 - Angono, Rizal: The Art Capital of the Philippines

3.1 Brief History

23

3.2 Location, Area and Topography

24

3.3 Population and Demography

25

3.4 Economic and Social Characteristics

26

Chapter 4 - The Municipal Government Under Mayor Aurora

Villamayor

4.1 Vision and Mission

30

5

4.2 Organizational Structure

31

4.3 Fiscal Management

32

4.4 Executive-Legislative Agenda

35

Chapter 5 - Sangguniang Bayan Under Vice-Mayor Amado Victor

Saguinsin

5.1 The Sangguniang Bayan from 2007-201038

5.2 Standing Committees

42

5.3 Budget of the Sangguniang Bayan (2007-2010)

44

5.4 Cost Per Ordinance

46

5.5 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Sangguniang Bayan

52

6

Chapter 6 - The Municipal Government Under Mayor Gerry Calderon

6.1Vision and Mission 57

6.2Executive Agenda of Mayor Gerry Calderon

58

6.3Organizational Structure and Staffing

61

6.4 Opportunities and Threats to Angono

63

Chapter 7 - Sangguniang Bayan Under Vice-Mayor Ronald Patrick

Rubin

7.1The Sangguniang Bayan Today (2010-2013)

65

7.2Standing Committees

66

7.3Legislative Agenda of Vice-Mayor Ronald Rubin

67

7.4Strengths and Weaknesses of the Sangguniang Bayan70

Chapter 8 - The Strategy

7

8.1 Gap Analysis 73

8.1.1 Performance Gap73

8.1.2 Alignment Gap73

8.1.3 Systems Gap77

8.2 Strategy Map 79

Chapter 9 - Implementation of Strategy

9.1 Balanced Scorecard

83

9.2 Budget 88

Chapter 10 - Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

10.1 Performance Evaluation System

91

10.2 Monitoring Plan

93

10.3 Performance Evaluation Plan

94

Appendices

8

Bibliography and Reference

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Foreword

The township of Angono is one of the smallest in the

Province of Rizal in terms of land area1 but it is perhaps the

only place in the country whose inhabitants have the passion for

art. Since the discovery of the petroglyphs by Carlos “Botong”

Francisco in 1965, followed by the posthumous declaration of

Francisco as a National Artist for visual arts in 1973, Angono

has become a haven of artists with a rich cultural heritage.

Another renowned artist in the field of music was Maestro Lucio

D. San Pedro whose musical genuis earned him the title National

1 See Table 1 for land area of 13 municipalities and 1 city of Rizal, Appendix“A”

9

Artist for music in 1991. Aside from the two (2) luminaries,

there are several less renouned but equally gifted homegrown

painters, composers and sculptors, notably Nemesio Miranda, Jose

“Pitok” Blanco and Orville Tiamson.

The Municipal Government of Angono, Rizal (MGAR) has been an

avid patron and supporter of the arts, and this is evident in its

Mission statement to “create a climate conducive to business,

tourism and education, music and the arts and its rich cultural

heritage.” During his first term as chief executive in 1998,

Mayor Gerardo V. Calderon saw the potential of the artistic

talent of the people of Angono (also known as Angonians) as a

catalyst of economic development through art tourism. The

creations of its artists housed in several art galleries continue

to attract tourists all over the country and abroad.

During his tenure as mayor of Angono from 1998 to 2007 Mayor

Gerry Calderon transformed Angono from a third class to a first

10

class municipality. Mayor Calderon cleaned the municipal compound

and public market, dredged the heavily silted Angono river,

cleared easements and riverbanks and relocated informal settlers.

He constructed access roads to ease traffic congestion and three

(3) public transport terminals.2 In 2003, Angono was awarded the

prestigious Galing Pook Award3 for Mayor Calderon’s program “Sa

Turismo Aangat ang Angono.”4

Under his present administration Mayor Calderon will focus

on socio- economic programs to uplift the lives of the people.

While arts tourism still remains the battlecry of his

administration Mayor Calderon has shifted to high gear in

2 Prof. Edel Guiza, “Turning Around the Angono Municipality,” Asian Instituteof Management, pp. 8-10.3 Galing Pook or “outstanding place” began in 1993. The Awards Program was ajoint initiative of the Local Government Academy–Department of the Interiorand Local Government, the Ford Foundation, the academe and civil society. TheAsian Institute of Management (AIM) administered the awards program until2000. The Galing Pook Foundation took over the function after itsestablishment as a private awards-giving body in 1998. Galing Pook Awardspromotes innovation and excellence in local governance by continuouslysearching and recognizing best local government practices and facilitatestheir adoption in other communities in the country.4 In Tourism Shall Angono Rise

11

attracting investments and delivering basic social services. To

meet the challenges of developing Angono, Mayor Calderon will

need the support of the Sangguniang Bayan to fund his projects

and programs. The Sangguniang Bayan on the other hand should

align its legislative agenda with the mayor’s executive agenda so

that it can formulate a clear and relevant policy direction for

the municipality.

The executive and legislative are coordinate branches of

government designed to maintain check and balance. The mechanism

of check and balance is sometimes however undermined when the

Sangguniang Bayan, or at least some of its members, have their

own political agenda. It is not uncommon for some councilors

seeking re-election or running for a higher office to court the

incumbent mayor for his awesome political power and

unquestionable ascendancy over the electorate by authoring or

voting in favor of measures endorsed by the latter despite not in

accord with, or opposed to, the ELA or the legislative agenda,

12

hoping that the incumbent mayor will return the political favor

in the election campaign.

The Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) is the foundation

of an executive-legislative agenda (ELA). The CDP is a medium

term development plan spanning 6 years or longer to implement.

The CDP should not be revised in every administration to realize

the benefits invisioned therein, unless the circumstances

warrant.

I used the 7s framework to analyze the performance of the

Sangguniang Bayan under Mayor Aurora Villamayor. The 7s model is

helpful in identifying the gaps in the performance of the

Sangguniang Bayan. The performance of the Sangguniang Bayan shall

be assessed on the basis of the following criteria: (1) quality

and quantity of ordinances passed, and (2) cost of each

ordinance. It should be noted, however, that the councilors from

2007-2010 were not apprised of the standards that I used in this

13

evaluation before they assumed office, and therefore, they did

not have the chance to measure up to such standards.

The Sangguniang Bayan was not able to pass most of the

priority measures in the ELA crafted by Mayor Aurora Villamayor

and the Sangguniang Bayan mainly because of the handicap of most

councilors in legislative writing. The Sangguniang Bayan also

lacked competent staff and a system to track and monitor the

enforcement of ordinances. I will use the Gap Analysis to analyze

and identify the causes of the poor performance of the

Sangguniang Bayan from 2007 to 2010, and I shall formulate a

strategy to close these gaps and improve the performance of the

present Sangguniang Bayan.

1.2 Reasons for Choosing the Topic

My eighteen (18) years in law practice has motivated me to

write a research paper on how to improve the performance of the

14

Sangguniang Bayan of Angono. The Local Government Code that was

passed by Congress in October 1991 (LGC of 1991) immediately

after I took the Bar Examinations gave new meaning to the

principle of local autonomy through a process of devolution of

executive power from the national to the local government. I have

read and carefully studied the LGC of 1991 and it was the

rationale behind its provisions that caught my interest and

yearning to learn more about local governance.

The development of the countryside is a pre-requisite in

reducing poverty in the country, and the first step is to

strengthen the local government units (LGUs) and empower its

local officials by devolving to the LGUs the executive powers

that were once exercisable only by nationally elected or

appointed officials so that basic social and and health services

can be delivered without delay to the inhabitants of the LGU

unhampered by bureaucratic red tape.

15

I chose to study the Sangguniang Bayan to find out how to

strengthen the relationship of the executive and legislative

which is a key ingredient in the successful implementation of

projects that would lead to the realization of the LGU’s vision.

I will evaluate the performance of the Sangguniang Bayan from

2007 to 2010 under Vice-Mayor Victor Saguinsin, and after

identifying the gaps in the previous Sangguniang Bayan I will

formulate a strategy to close these gaps and help improve the

performance of the present Sangguniang Bayan under Vice-Mayor

Ronald Patrick Rubin.

1.3 Objectives of the MRR

a.) To assess and evaluate the performance of the

Sangguniang Bayan under Vice-Mayor Victor Saguinsin from

2007 to 2010.

b.) To identify the gaps that affected the performance of

the Sangguniang Bayan from 2007 to 2010.

16

c.) To map out a strategy that would close the gaps and

improve the performance of the present Sangguniang Bayan

(from 2010 to 2013).

1.4 Strategic Benefits and Value of the MRR to

Angono

The value of this MRR is the enhancement of the performance

of the present Sangguniang Bayan and the MGAR as a whole under

Mayor Gerry Calderon and Vice-Mayor Patrick Rubin, by mapping out

a strategy that will improve the capacity of its members to enact

general ordinances aligned to the executive agenda to ensure

that: (a) the mayor’s plans and projects are properly funded and

implemented; (b) the Sangguniang Bayan will make clear and

relevant policies, and (c) it will exercise its oversight

functions over the ten (10) barangays to make sure that their

ordinances are aligned with the ELA.

17

1.5 Methodology of Research

My primary sources of data are personal interviews with the

mayor, vice mayor, secretary of the Sangguniang Bayan,

councilors, heads of the standing committees, heads of

departments and some municipal employees.

My secondary sources of data include journals and

publications, official records and documents obtained from the

Sangguniang Bayan, books from the municipal library and records

of the Municipal Accountant, Municipal Planning and Development

Officer, and Human Resource Management Office, data provided by

the National Statistical and Coordination Board (NSCB) and the

National Statistics Office (NSO). I also sought information and

enlightenment from the book of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel on the

Local Government Code, and books on key management models and

strategic planning, as well as publications on the history of

Angono.

18

Lastly, I gathered data from content sites in the world wide

web, particularly the official website of the DILG5 and the

Province of Rizal.

1.6 Scope and Limitation

The MRR covers the Sangguniang Bayan and the Office of the

Mayor, and to a certain extent the Province of Rizal. The MRR is

divided into two parts: the first is the external analysis that

covers the executive and the internal analysis that covers the

Sangguniang Bayan under Vice-Mayor Saguinsin (2007-2010) and

under Vice-Mayor Rubin (2010-2013); the second part are the gap

analysis, strategy, implementation and budget, and monitoring and

evaluation plan.

5 Department of Interior and Local Government

19

The choice of an LGU for my topic has its upside and

downside. An LGU is a highly politicized organization

characterized by constant changes in policies, systems, practices

and style of governance. Continuity of policies and programs can

hardly be attained in an LGU because of the short term of its

elected officials. Unless a mayor’s successor comes from the same

family, it is unlikely for the new mayor to continue with all the

plans and policies of his predecessor. A change in the plans and

polices, and sometimes even the vision and mission of the local

government, causes confusion that will affect the implementation

of the strategy.

One advantage, however, of writing a paper on an LGU is that

an LGU is governed by a charter (in the case of an independent or

highly urbanized city) and the LGC of 1991, and pertinent rules

and regulations which an LGU has to strictly comply with. This

makes it easy to write a paper on an LGU because the parameters

of what an LGU ought to do, or not do, is clear and concise.

20

Generally, I did not encounter much difficulty in gathering

data except for the profile of the past and present members of

the Sangguniang Bayan because of the reluctance of some

councilors to provide such data. I tried to interview former

Mayor Aurora Villamayor but she declined because of her busy work

schedule as a school directress. I also tried to interview former

Vice-Mayor Victor Saguinsin but he too could not be interviewed

because he was very busy managing his funeral parlors and

cemetery on top of his daily embalming duties. My data on the

previous Sangguniang Bayan was provided by the secretary, Ms.

Josefina Blanco Reyes and her staff, based on their personal

experiences with the councilors and first-hand observation on the

conduct of the sessions.

Some sectoral data used in the research are considered

vintage (2001 and earlier) due to the time intervals of three (3)

21

years in gathering the data, and another year for the processing

and recording by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and NCSB.

****

Chapter 2

Decentralization of Power

This chapter deals with the shift of executive power from

the national to the local government units. The grant of local

autonomy to the LGUs was mandated under the 1987 Constitution and

institutionalized in the LGC of 1991.

2.1 Local Autonomy Under the Local Government Code

of 1991

22

Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the “Local Government

Code of 1991” was signed into law by President Corazon Aquino on

10 October 1991 and took effect on 1 January 1992.6 The LGC of

1991 was passed by Congress pursuant to the constitutional

mandate to “enact a local government code which shall provide for

a more responsive and accountable local government structure

instituted through a system of decentralization with effective

mechanisms of recall, initiative and referrendum, allocate among

the local government units their powers, responsibilities and

resources.” 7

The system of decentralization which called for substantial

autonomy of LGUs resulted in the diminution of the powers of

department secretaries who were perceived by legislators to be

potential political rivals in their own turfs. The underlying

purpose for the devolution of executive power from the national

6 RA 7160 repealed the old Local Government Code (BP 337)7 Art. X, Sec. 3, 1987 Constitution, Jose N. Nolledo, The Constitution of thePhilippines Explained, National Bookstore Publication, p. 257

23

to the local government was to give the local officials a free

hand to develop their territorial domain according to the needs

of their constituents. After all, it is the local officials and

not the national leaders who can identify the strengths and

weaknesses of the local government, and the opportunities and

threats to the LGU.8

The framers of the 1987 Constitution believed that a

centralized government is an impediment to economic growth and

national development because it causes an imbalance between LGUs

far from Manila, the capital, and those near or belonging to the

National Capital Region (NCR). This center-periphery concept that

was followed under the 1973 Constitution is the iniquity that

decentralization seeks to correct with the end in view that the

benefits of development shall trickle down to far-flung rural

areas of the country.

8 Pimentel, Aquilino, Jr., “The Local Government Code of 1991: The Key toNational Development” Cacho Publishing House, Inc., 1993, pp. 1-4.

24

The grant of local autonomy to LGUs will give local

officials more flexibility and power to respond quickly to the

needs of their constituents, such as when a calamity or disaster

strikes, without having to rely on the national government for

assistance. Autonomy will enable LGUs to develop their own

territory, using their own resources, at their own pace, and

according to the needs of their inhabitants.9

Decentralization, however, has its weakness–the system of

recall. Recall enables registered voters to oust from office a

locally elected official for loss of confidence. It is a feature

of decentralization that has been widely used and abused by

losing candidates and civil society groups to topple a local

chief executive. An action to recall a duly elected chief

executive has an adverse impact on local governance because it

distracts the chief executive from performing his tasks and

9 Ibid., p. 4.

25

instead spend needless time and resources opposing the recall to

the prejudice of the inhabitants.

2.2 Local Government Structure

The power to create political subdivisions or LGUs is a

legislative function that is vested in Congress. Article X, Sec.

10 of the 1987 Constitution provides for the creation of

municipal corporations, such as barangay, municipality (bayan),

city (panlungsod) and province (panlalawigan). A municipal

corporation, in its strict and proper sense, is the body politic

and corporate constituted by the incorporation of the inhabitants

of a city or town for purposes of local governance thereof. It is

a body politic and corporate established by law partly as an

agency of the State to assist in the civil government of the

country, but chiefly to regulate and administer the local or

26

internal affairs of the city, town or district which is

incorporated.10

The barangay is the smallest and most basic political unit.

It performs three (3) seminal functions: (1) as a basic political

unit, (2) as a primary planning and implementing unit and (3) as

a forum.11 The barangay may be created out of a population of at

least 2,000 inhabitants, and at least 5,000 inhabitants for Metro

Manila.12 The powers and duties of the barangay include: (1)

enacting ordinances to promote the general welfare, (2) enact tax

and revenue ordinances, (3) submit to the Sangguniang Panlungsod

or Bayan such recommendations as may be necessary for the welfare

of its inhabitants, (4) assist in the establishment of

cooperatives, (5) prescribe fines of not more than P1,000 for

violations of barangay ordinances, among others.13

10 Sibal, Jose Agaton, R. “Philippine Legal Encyclopedia” Central BookstorePublishing Co., Inc., p. 592.11 Op Cit., Pimentel, p. 413. 12 Sec 386, LGC of 1991.13 Sec 391, Ibid.

27

The municipality consists of a group or cluster of barangays

and serves as a general purpose government for the coordination

and delivery of basic, regular and direct services to its

inhabitants.14 A municipality or cluster of barangays may be

created or converted into a component city if it has an average

annual income of at least P100 million for at least two (2)

consecutive years based on 2000 constant prices, a contiguous

territory of 100 sq. kms. and a population of at least 150,000

inhabitants.15

The creation of a city, municipality and province requires

the passage of a law by Congress, unlike a barangay which may be

created, or its boundaries altered, either by law or ordinance

passed by the sanggunian of the city or province to which it

14 Sec. 440, Ibid.15 R.A. 9009, entitled “An Act Amending Section 450 of Republic Act 7160,otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, by Increasing theAverage Annual Income Requirement for a Municipality or Cluster of Barangaysto be Converted into a Component City” which took effect on June 30, 2001.

28

belongs.16 The city, consisting of more urbanized and developed

barangays, serves as a general-purpose government for the

coordination and delivery of basic and direct services. A city

may either be a component, independent or highly urbanized.

A highly urbanized city must have a minimum population of

two hundred thousand (200,000) inhabitants and an annual income

of at least P50 million,17 and a land area of 100 sq. kms. The

registered voters of a highly urbanized city shall not vote in

the election for provincial officials of the province in which it

is located.There are currently 33 highly urbanized cities in the

Philippines, 16 of them are located in Metro Manila.

An independent component city on the other hand is a city

whose charter prohibits their voters from voting for provincial

16 Sec 442, LGC of 1991.17 The income requirement of a Highly Urbanized City has not yet beenincreased and is still P50 million, which is much lower compared to amunicipality. This is according to the Bureau of Local Government, DILG, in aphone interview conducted on 12 October 2010.

29

elective officials. Independent component cities are independent

of the province. A component city that do not meet the above

requirements are considered component cities of the province in

which they are geographically located.

A province is composed of a cluster of municipalities and

component cities and serves as a political and corporate unit of

government for development processes. A province may be created

if it has an average annual income of at least P20 million, a

contiguous territory of at least 2,000 sq. kms., and a population

of not less than 250,000 inhabitants.18 The province is headed by

a governor whose powers, duties and functions are similar to

those exercised by municipal and city mayors.The Sangguniang

Panlalawigan is the legislative body of the province, and has the

power to enact ordinances, approve resolutions and appropriate

funds for the general welfare of the inhabitants of its component

18 Sec 461, Ibid.

30

cities and municipalities. Its powers are similar to those

exercised by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

2.3 The Role of the Sangguniang Bayan

Local legislation entails the exercise of law-making powers

by the local legislative body or sanggunian. It provides the

legal basis for the actions of the local chief executive who

enforces the ordinances. The Sangguniang Bayan is a “deliberative

assembly” composed of persons who meet together and make

decisions through a majority vote of its members. A member of the

sanggunian is expected to propose legislative measures,

contributing his knowledge and expertise on certain subjects to

enhance the quality of the proposed measure. If the subject of a

proposed ordinance is not familiar to him, the councilor is

expected to study the measure, conduct research and gather

information thereon, to prepare him for the session.

31

2.3.1 Creation and Composition

The Sangguniang Bayan is the legislative body of a

municipality. It is composed of the vice mayor as presiding

officer, eight (8) elected councilors, the presidents of the Liga

ng mga Barangay,19 Pambayang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan20 (SK)

and a sectoral representative.21 The regular members of the

Sangguniang Bayan are the vice mayor and councilors while the ex

officio members are the presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangay and SK.

The three fundamental functions of the Sangguniang Bayan

according to order of importance are: (1) legislative, (2)

oversight and (3) administrative or quasi-judicial.

2.3.2 Legislative Functions

19 League of Barangays20 National Federation of Youth Councilors21 Section 446, Ibid. N.B. The marginalized sector that may be represented inthe Sangguniang Bayan can be any of the following: women, labor, urban poor,cultural communities or disabled persons.

32

The powers of the Sangguniang Bayan are grouped into six (6)

categories under the LGC of 1991, viz:22

1) Approve ordinances and pass resolutions necessary foran efficient and effective municipal government;

2) Generate and maximize the use of resources andrevenues for the development plans, programobjectives and priorities of the municipality,particularly agro-industrial development andcountryside growth and progress;

3) Grant franchises, enact ordinances authorizing theissuance of permits or licenses, enact ordinanceslevying taxes, fees and charges upon such conditionsand for such purposes intended to promote the generalwelfare of the inhabitants;

4) Regulate activities relative to the use of land,buildings and structures;

5) Enact ordinances to ensure the efficient andeffective delivery of basic services and facilities;and

6) Exercise such powers as prescribed by law.

22 Sec. 447, Ibid.

33

Congress has delegated to the sanggunians the police power

of the State to ensure the well-being of its inhabitants, known

as the General Welfare clause in the LGC of 1991. By virtue of

such delegation, the Sangguniang Bayan possesses plenary powers

to enact ordinances that would promote the general welfare of its

inhabitants, which it may exercise in the form of say a tax

ordinance. For instance, the Sangguniang Bayan may levy a 100%

tax on the sale of cigars and cigarettes in the municipality with

the primary intention of protecting public health.

2.3.3 Oversight Functions: The Power of Review

The Sangguniang Bayan, like the Sangguniang Panlungsod,

has the power to review ordinances approved by the Sangguniang

Barangay, and the executive orders of the Punong Barangay, to

determine whether they are within the scope of the authority and

powers of the Sangguniang Barangay and the Punong barangay as

34

provided under the LGC of 1991.23 The power of review of the

Sangguniang Bayan over the barangay is extremely important

because the Punong Barangay under the Katarungang Pambarangay Law24

exercises executive, legislative and judicial powers at the same

time which can be subject to abuse if left unchecked.

2.3.4 Administrative and Quasi-Judicial Functions

The Sangguniang Bayan exercises administrative power and

jurisdiction over the kagawads or barangay councilors and Punong

Barangay. Hence, it can investigate and impose administrative

fines and penalties on erring kagawads. For this purpose, the

Sangguniang Bayan should promulgate rules of procedure to govern

the conduct of an investigation on complaints filed against

barangay officials.

23 Article X, Sec. 4, 1987 Constitution provides that “x x x municipalitieswith respect to component barangays shall ensure that acts of their componentunits are within the scope of their prescribed powers and functions.”24 The previous Katarungang Pambarangay Law or Barangay Justice Law is P.D. 1508the provisions of which were revised and included in the LGC of 1991.

35

****

Chapter 3

Angono, Rizal: The Art Capital of the Philippines

36

3.1 Brief History

A story was once told describing Angono as a place abundant

in fish and animal life, with virgin forest and rivers infested

with crocodiles. The Spaniards who came to the place found a

settlement of fifty families and ruled by a certain Datu Biga.

The huts of the natives stood on four posts made of tree

branches, bamboos and cogon tied together by vines. The villagers

planted rice, vegetables and fruit trees in the plains, and on

top of a hill stood the dwelling of their datu whom the natives

called “Ang Puno” or “Ang Uno.”25

In 1751, Angono became a capellania. Fifteen years later, or

in 1766, Angono was created into a pueblo26 under the jurisdiction

of Laguna Province, and later under the Distrito de los Militar

de San Mateo. During the revolution against Spain most Angono25 “The chieftain” Lara, Eugenio G., Readings on the History of Angono,Copyright 196926 From the Latin word populus meaning “people” or "town." www.wikipedia.org

37

males did not join the Katipunan. Hence, Angono remained

relatively peaceful throughout the period of the Philippine

Revolution. On 11 June 1901, the Philippine Commission passed Act

137 which created the Province of Rizal and incorporated Angono

as a barrio of Binangonan. On 19 August 1938, President Manuel L.

Quezon issued Executive Order 158 declaring Angono as a

municipality. On 17 June 1972, Congress passed Republic Act 6469

ratifying EO 158 confirming the status of Angono as a

municipality.27

3.2 Location, Land Area and Topography

Angono is situated on the southwestern part of the Province

of Rizal, with a distance of 29.38 kms. east of Manila, and 15.7

kms. from Pasig City. Angono is a first class, urban

municipality, one of the thirteen (13) municipalities in the

27 Coffee Table Book entitled: “Rizal Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” pp. 34-35, as cited in the Comprehensive Development Plan of Angono.

38

Province of Rizal which is part of the Calabarzon28 growth

corridor. The town is bounded on the northwest by the

Municipality of Taytay, on the northeast by Antipolo City– the

only city in Rizal–on the southeast by the Municipalities of

Teresa and Binangonan, and on the southwest by Laguna de Bay.

[See Figure 1 for lacation map, Appendix “B”]

Angono has a total land area of 26.22 sq. kms., or 2,300

has., about 1.9% of the total land area of Rizal.29 The

municipality has ten (10) barangays [See Table 17 for List of

Barangays, Appendix “C”] the biggest of which is San Isidro where

the municipal building, public market and commercial centers are

located. It has a land area of 4.3 sq. kms. followed by Mahabang

Parang which has a land area of 4.1 sq. kms. and San Roque which

has a land area of 2.9 sq. kms.

28 Calabarzon stands for the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, which are all part of Region IV-A.29 Rizal has a total land area of 1,175.8 sq. kms. and a population of1,707,218 per data provided by the National Statistical Coordination Board(NSCB) Quarterly Statistical Update as of 31 March 2005.

39

The topography of Angono is important to understand the

problems that beset the town, particularly flood. The landscape

of Angono is moderately sloping, punctuated by rolling hills and

valleys. The upland area reaches a maximum elevation of 95 meters

while the lowland marked by no more than 18% slopes dominate the

town from the northeastern section to the southwest. Angono is

essentially low-lying, the highest point being only 232 meters,

which partly explains the flooding especially along the coast

line.30

The only river system in the town which also serves as the

main drainage outlet is the Angono river. The river originates

from the northeastern portion starting with a narrow, steep-sided

channel that broadens as it approaches Laguna de Bay. Its

tributaries originate from the southern hills of Antipolo, Teresa

and Binagonan, most of which have already disappeared due to30 “Angono Dream . . . A Realty. A commemorative book on the occasion of Angono’s68th founding day. Published by Active Magazine.

40

intense siltation caused by forest denundation and the emergence

of residential communities.

3.3 Population and Demograhy

The population of Angono is 97,209 (per NSO census as of 1

August 2007). Angono is ranked 8th in population growth in the

Province of Rizal with an annual average growth rate of 5.01%

from 2000 to 2005, slightly lower compared to Rizal’s average

annual growth rate of 5.79% from 1995 to 2000. The population

density of Angono is 5,576 persons per sq. km., much higher than

the provincial average of 1,304.3 persons per sq. km.31

3.4 Economic and Social Characteristics

The three (3) sectors of an economy are: (1) agriculture and

fisheries, (2) manufacturing, and (3) services. The driver of

31 NSCB Statwatch Data (As of 31 March 2005)

41

the economy of Rizal, unlike other provinces in the Calabarzon,

is services. This is shown by the data from the NSCB that Rizal

produced only 19,705 metric tons of palay and 9 metric tons of

corn in the last quarter of 2004 compared to the rice and corn

production of other provinces in Region IV-A.

The table below show that the 13 municipalities and 1 city

in Rizal do not produce large quantities of agricultural

products for domestic consumption, much less for export to other

regions, compared to the other provinces in the Calabarzon.

Table 2. Agricultural Produce of the 5 Calabarzon Provinces in

2004

Agriculturaland Livestockproduction

Cavite Laguna Batangas Rizal Quezon

Palay (in metrictons)

28,422 33,663 33,631 19,705 57,112

Corn (in metrictons)

28 437 2,793 9 12,959

Coconut 38,876 106,750 152,782 732 1,082,77

42

(in metrictons)

5

Coffee(in metrictons)

7,637 374 3,255 187 1,500

Sugarcane(in metrictons)

2,864 4,859 13,373 32,432 27,761

Fish (in metrictons)

2,864 4,859 13,373 32,432 27,761

Inventory ofChicken (in no. ofheads)

2,309,814 3,515,931

6,240,858 5,058,726

1,981,938

Source: NSCB Statwatch (as of 31 March 2005)

Although the municipalities in Rizal are not agricultural

producers they have one of the lowest poverty incidence in the

country. Among the municipalities in Rizal, Angono has the lowest

poverty incidence at 1.45, and a poverty severity of only 0.05%.

This is reflective of the income and expenditure data of Rizal

which posted the highest average per capita income in 2000, at

P41,843, compared to other provinces in Calabarzon. Rizal also

posted the highest average annual family income in 2002 at

P182,621. Of the 178,024 families in Rizal, 50,669 earn an

43

average annual income of P121,703, while there are no families in

Rizal that earn below P30,000 annually.32

The driver of Angono’s economy is the service sector. Data

from NSCB shows that more than one-half (1/2) of the inhabitants

of Rizal (excluding Antipolo and Cainta) belong to the labor

force, and only a small number of its population 15 years old and

over are unemployed. The table below shows the employment status

of the population of Rizal (except Antipolo and Cainta which has

a separate data) 15 yrs. old and over.

Table 3. Employment status of Other Rizal (15 yrs. old and over)

from 2000–200233

Other RizalEmployment Status

2000 2001 2002

Population 15 yrs. 557 583 610

32 NSCB Small Area Poverty Estimates. Data based on 2003 Family Income andExpenditure Survey 33 The NSCB data on employment in Rizal shows above is the latest on file. Thedata provided in Table 2 and 3 above refers to all sectors of the economy.

44

old and over (in thousands)In the labor force 344 377 399Employed 297 338 348Unemployed 47 39 51Not in the labor force

213 206 211

Source: NSCB Small Area Poverty Estimates based on data gathered from the2003 Labor Force Survey

A bedroom community or commuter town is a smaller city or

town located farther from a major city with its own municipal

government and public services. The economic base of a typical

bedroom community is housing and general retail sales, not heavy

industry or technology. Employment opportunities for younger

residents of a bedroom community may however be limited to low-

wage service or retail jobs. Most residents of a bedroom

community are gainfully employed in larger cities or work in more

developed suburbs nearby.34

34 Website www.wisegeek.com

45

Angono is a bedroom community because its economy is based

on general retail trade, and its residents are gainfully employed

in nearby cities of Metro Manila. The residents of a bedroom

community demand efficient public service, such as health care,

transportation, a clean market, public parks and public safety, a

characteristic of most Angonians who expect the municipal

government to solve the perennial problem of traffic congestion

and flooding so they could travel to and from their workplace

with ease and comfort.

The people of Angono are employed in various enterprises in

the town and nearby cities. Manufacturing has been a major

industry in Angono and a source of income for the LGU and its

residents. Most factories manufacture textile and garment for

export.35 Another thriving industry in Angono is quarrying.

Concrete Aggregates Corp. extracts an average of 500,000 sq. cm.

35 Per the record of the Business Permits and Licensing Office

46

of basalt aggregates annually in its 50 hectare mineralized area

located in Bgy. San Roque, employing about 150 locals.36

****

Chapter 4

The Municipal Government Under Mayor Aurora A. Villamayor

4.1 Vision and Mission

When Mayor Villamayor took over the reins of government from

Mayor Calderon in 2007 she changed the vision and mission of the

municipality. Thus:

Vision

Angono at its best, through people empowerment and good governancetowards a premier city of culture and the arts

36 Data provided by BPLO

47

Mission

Guided by the principles of public services and accountability, themunicipal government of Angono seeks to uplift the life of its people,promote socio-economic development in harmony with nature, creates aclimate conducive to business, tourism and education, music and the artsand its rich cultural heritage

Mayor Villamayor continued to promote arts tourism through

the Municipal Tourism Office (MTO) that was created by Mayor

Calderon in 1999 through package tours of art galleries, the

petroglyphs and cultural events like the Carabao Festival to

commemorate the feast of San Isidro Labrador every May 14 to 15,

Higantes Festival to commemorate the feast of St. Clement every

November 22 to 23, and Angono Day celebrated on August 19.

4.2 Organizational Structure

The structure of the MGAR has four (4) levels. At the top is

the municipal mayor and below him are twelve (12) departments,

48

and under the 12 departments are nine (9) offices. The fourth

level in the hierarchy is the barangay, which is directly under

the mayor. [See Figure 2 for organizational strucure of MGAR,

Appendix “D”].

The 12 departments and 9 offices in the second and third

level are co-equal but appear to be independent of each other

because they are not linked to each other except to show their

ranking in the hierarchy. The lack of an intra-level and inter-

level linkage between these offices results in less coordination

as any kind of communication between them shall have to first

pass the office of the mayor.

The bureaucracy of the MGAR needs to be streamlined by

consolidating offices that perform duplicitous functions, like

the Office of Agricultural Affairs and Office for the Development

of Cooperatives. In rural areas, most of the cooperatives are

organized by farmers and fisherfolk for the purpose of providing

49

its members financial assistance, support and marketing services.

The development of cooperatives in a small town like Angono can

be made a function of the Municipal Agriculturist. On the other

hand, the Public Information Office (PIO) and Municipal Tourism

Office (MTO) should be two (2) separate offices because they do

not have similar functions.37 The PIO takes charge of the

dissemination of information on ordinances, public hearings and

matters of public interest, while the MTO’s task is to promote

arts and tourism.

4.3 Fiscal Management

The net operating income of MGAR increased from

P33,331,658.81 in 2007 to P36,570,667.35 in 2008 and then dropped

to P29,612,156.91 in 2009. The drop in tax collection from

37 Vice Mayor Rubin plans to create a Sangguniang Bayan Information Office totrack the implementation of ordinances and to disseminate information andnotices to the public. Perhaps one Information Office would do to handle boththe requirements of the executive and legislative to avoid confusion ofinformation gathered.

50

P39,489,944.59 in 2007 to P27,757,058.54 in 2008 is the main

reason for the minimal increase in income for the same period,

and although tax collection slightly increased to

P32,145,849.01in 2009 the net operating income plummeted over the

same period mainly due to the increase in operating expenses from

P92,385,202.30 to P112,500,192.33.

The table below shows the income and expenses of MGAR from

2007 to 2009.

Table 4. Statement of Income and Expenses for the Years

2007, 2008 and 2009

2007 % 2008 % 2009 %

INCOME

I. TaxRevenues

Business TaxRPT

13,159,466.61 7,840,432

12.87.6317.9

19,131,406.61 5,000,38

14.023.66

18,848,441.45 4,182,6

17.163.81

51

Other taxes

II. GeneralIncome

Permits & LicensesService IncomeBusiness IncomeOther Income

Total IncomeLess:

EXPENSES

PersonalServicesMOOEFinancialExpenses

Total Expenses

.6018,490,045.32

10,435,054.90

6,798,840.8015,056,235.5296,851,456.13

102,733,518.35

36,691,979.85

50,272,681.80 1,592,347.58

88,557,009.23

9

10.16

6.6214.6694.27

41.4

56.77 1.80

3.64 3,625,268.29

7,040,459.17 4,461,244.04 9,481,552.39 87,318,146.26

136,428,683.01

39,835,559.79 56,350,179.28 2,246,798.54

98,432,537.61

2.66

5.16

3.27 6.9564.00

40.47

57.25 2.28

75.97 2,872,764.42

4,204,112.28 4,028,825.64 6,693,251.59 69,036,493.16

109,866,564.50

26,419,113.98 56,638,616.04 439,427.43

83,497,157.45

2.61

3.83

3.67 6.09 62.8

31.64

67.83 0.53

NET OPERATING INCOME

14,176,509.12

7,996,145.40

26,369,407.05

Source: Office of the Municipal Accountant Sylvia T. Ibanez

52

The two (2) biggest sources of internal revenue for the

municipality are business tax (BT) and real property tax (RPT).

In 2007, the MGAR earned P7,840,432.60 from RPT compared to BT

earnings of P13,159,466.67 in the same year. The RPT collection

however dropped in 2008, to P5,000,383.63 while BT collection

increased by P6 million to P19,131,406.61. In 2009, the BT and

RPT collection declined to P18,848,441.45 and P4,182,675.97

respectively. The Municipal Treasurer and other revenue

generating offices did not perform well in their collection

efforts for the period from 2007 to 2009.

Although the MGAR did not incur a net operating loss its net

operating income however declined significantly from 2008 to

2009, brought about by a marked increase in expenditures. The top

10 expenses that increased significantly from 2008 to 2009 are

the following:

Table 5. Breakdown of MOOE Expenses for 2008 and 2009

53

Expense Item 2008 2009

Terminal leave benefits 1,857,595.70 3,795,505.65Training Expense 1,662,136.64 2,230,212.55Drug and medicines 987,222.15 1,456,732.97Water bill 20,942.28 299,983.50Repairs of school buildings

159,690,68 285,552.21

Repairs of IT equipment 47,427.00 202,01.00Repairs of motor vehicles 912,935.80 2,302,433.20Repairs / maintenance of roads

193,228.00 2,013,821.50

Repairs / maintenance of waterways and riverwall

2,160,715.00 3,133,173.00

Repairs of other infrastructure

3,425,154.30 8,292,439.84

TOTALSource: Municipal Accountant

The Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of Angono was

P58,204,308.00 in 2007, P79,464,317.00 in 2008 and P89,047,950.00

in 2009. The IRA forms part of the General Income Accounts under

the heading “Other Income,” which explains the huge amounts in

this item in the income statement. The IRA accounts for roughly

60% and 80% for 2007 and 2008 respectively.38

38 Data provided by the Office of the Municipal Accountant

54

The propensity of the previous administration to save is

praiseworthy but the surplus income could have been used to

improve health care and delivery of basic services, upgrade the

fire fighting equipment and promote tourism and investment. The

MGAR could have also used its surplus income to complete the

construction and renovation of the executive building which is in

a state of deterioration.

4.4 The Executive-Legislative Agenda of Mayor

Villamayor and Vice-Mayor Victor Saguinsin

The Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA) of former Mayor

Aurora Villamayor and the Sangguniang Bayan under former Vice

Mayor Amado Victor U. Saguinsin can be summed up as follows:

A. Administrative Systems and Procedures

55

a. Creation of a systematic working environment that

would promote productivity and efficiency among

employees

b. Creation of a staff development plan

B. Local Empowerment

a. Encourage citizens’ participation through

accreditation of non-government organizations (NGOs)

and people’s organizations by the Sangguniang Bayan

b. Transparency in LGU’s actions and programs through

the adoption of information technology (IT)

c. Development Planning by activating the Municipal

Development Council and the enactment of a

comprehensive land use ordinance.

C. Legislative Services

a. Codification of General Ordinances and formulation

of a local code for children, environment and GAD

Code

56

b. The adoption of a legislative tracking system and a

performance monitoring system with the use of IT

D. Social Services

a. Improve the delivery of health services

b. Renovation of Municipal Health Center and upgrading

of its facilities

c. Regular medical mission and feeding program

d. Supply of free medicines

E. Education Services

a. Free books for day care centers

b. Establishment of barangay libraries

c. Scholarship program for poor but deserving students

d. Creation of Guro (“teacher”) Award to raise morale

of public school teachers

F. Housing and Shelter

a. Provide decent housing at affordable cost to

informal settlers

b. Low-cost housing projects

57

G. Agriculture and Fisheries Development

a. Maximize use of idle but arable lands to increase

food production

b. Establishment of fish sanctuary to increase fish

supply

c. Anti-rabbies vaccination for domestic animals and

inoculation of livestock

H. Environmental and Natural Resource Management

a. Formulate an environmental protection program

b. Creation and appointment of a Municipal

Environment and Natural Resource Officer (MENRO)

I. Waste Management and Pollution Control

a. Construction of a Material Recovery Facility

Chapter 5

The Sangguniang Bayan Under Vice-Mayor Amado Victor

Saguinsin

58

I will analyze the performance of the Sangguniang Bayan from

2007 to 2010 based on the quality and quantity of ordinances

enacted and the cost incurred to pass each ordinance. I will also

examine the type of ordinances passed to determine if they were

in accordance or pursuant to the ELA as stated in the preceding

chapter.

5.1 The Sangguniang Bayan from 2007 to 2010

The performance of the Sangguniang Bayan shall be assessed

based on the following criteria: (1) the quality and quantity of

ordinances passed, and (2) the cost per ordinance. In assessing

the quality of the ordinances I will be guided by certain

qualities according to my own standards, however taking into

account that the former members of the Sangguniang Bayan were not

apprised of such standards before they discharged the duties and

functions of their office.

59

An ordinance is a permanent rule of government requiring

greater formality and involves matters upon which the muncipal

corporation desires to legislate. On the other hand, a resolution

is an act of special or temporary character, and ministerial or

administrative in nature, not prescribing a permanent rule of

government, but merely declamatory of the will or opinion of a

municipal corporation in a given matter.39

Based on my training and experience as a practicing lawyer

for 18 years it is my personal opinion that a good ordinance must

be able to withstand a direct constitutional attack. All

municipal laws must conform to the Constitution which is the

fundamental law of the land. Ordinances should possess intrinsic

and extrinsic qualities that ensure equal protection of law and

due process. These intrinsic qualities are: (1) the ordinance is

based on facts; (2) the ordinance is couched in clear and39 Sibal, Jose Agaton, R., Philippine Legal Encyclopedia, Central BookstorePublishing Co., 1986, p. 593, 658)

60

unequivocal language; (3) there was prior consultation with

intended beneficiaries; (4) the ordinance has a clear purpose,

and (5) the ordinance addresses a specific need. The extrinsic

qualities are: (1) the executive has the capacity and resources

to enforce the ordinance, and (2) the ordinance has achieved the

purpose for its enactment.

My personal evaluation of the ordinances passed by the

Sangguniang Bayan from 2007 to 2009 show that:

1) Most of the ordinances enacted do not possess the

intrinsic and extrinsic qualities of a good ordinance.

2) Most of the proposed priority measures of Mayor

Villamayor in the ELA were not passed.

The following are my bases for arriving at such conclusion:

The Sangguniang Bayan passed more budget ordinances than general

ordinances from 2007 to 2010. In 2007, it passed 7 budget

61

ordinances out of a total of 8 ordinances. In 2008, it passed 9

budget ordinances out of 24 ordinances enacted. In 2009, 15 out

of 26 ordinances were budget ordinances. [See Tables 6, 7, 8 and

9, on ordinances passed from 2007 to 2010, Appendix “E,” “F,”“G”

and “H”]

Budget ordinances include the approval of the annual and

supplemental budgets and reversion of funds. A reversion

ordinance authorizes the return of the unexpended balance of the

budget to the general fund. Generally, a budget ordinance do not

require much legislative work since the executive has prepared

the budget in detail. Moreso, if the legislative and executive

have agreed on a common agenda which makes the approval of the

budget ministerial. On the other hand, a general ordinance

requires knowledge, diligence and writing skill to enact.

Examples of a general ordinance are the revenue code, investment

code, market code and creation of an office.

62

Some ordinances were apparently enacted without thorough

research. An example would be the ordinance imposing laboratory

examination fees for services rendered by the municipal health

office40, and the ordinance imposing fees for the use of

computers.41 These ordinances had to be later amended because the

fees imposed were found to be high.42 Other ordinances were

enacted without the requisite public hearing, such as Ordinance

09-575 which seeks to protect the public against stray animals,

and the ordinance banning garbage trucks from Angono.43 One

ordinance that regulates the selling price of subdivision lots in

Palomo Subdivision44 in my opinion may be constitutionally

infirmed as it encroaches on the prerogative of the executive to

enter into contract and set the terms of the sale.

40 Ordinance 09-564, authored by Coun. Genato G. Reyes41 Ordinance 08-546, authored by Coun. Raynaldo Pinon42 As per interview with Ms. Josefina Reyes, Secretary of the SangguniangBayan43 Ordinance 09-579, authored by Coun. Florinio Matusoc44 Ordinance 08-543, authored by Coun. Genato G. Reyes

63

Some ordinances that were passed were not priority measures

like the banning of garbage trucks which was specifically

requested by Mayor Villamayor in response to the clamor of other

municipalities to unite against dumping of garbage in their

province. The ordinance establshing a fish sanctuary,45 although

enacted pursuant to the ELA, did not have sufficient factual

basis as there was no data to show that the fish catch in the

area where the fish sanctuary is located had been dwindling and

therefore need to be protected.

Examples of a good ordinance are the Comprehensive

Ecological Solid Waste Management System46 and the ordinance

prescribing rules and procedures governing investigation of

administrative cases against barangay officials.47 Both

ordinances were the product of months of laborious work and study

by their authors. At least three (3) public hearings were

45 Ordinance No. 08-551, authored by Coun. Genato Reyes46 Ordinance No. 08-561, authored by Coun. Florinio F. Matusoc47 Ordinace 09-565, authored by Coun. Ma, Carolina P. Orias

64

conducted on the solid waste measure attended by different

stakeholders estimated at 110.48 The solid waste management

ordinance had a clear purpose but it failed to provide for the

immediate transfer of the composting and recycling facility from

its present location near Laguna de Bay to another site.

5.2 Standing Committees

A standing or regular committee of the Sangguniang Bayan is

a body composed of three (3) councilors assigned to perform

continuing tasks or functions. Membership in a standing committee

is through appointment, usually by the vice mayor. The selection

of the chairperson and members should be based on professional

training, technical expertise and business acumen, although it is

not uncommon that the chairmen of important standing committees

are appointed on the basis of party affiliation.

48 As per estimate of the Secretary of the Sangguniang Bayan and her staff whowere present during the public hearings

65

The standing committees play an important role in the

legislative process because they hold public hearing and

dialogues with affected stakeholders, conduct research on

proposed measures and recommend actions to take to the

Sangguniang Bayan. The committees are mandated to submit a

comprehensive report and their recommendation to the presiding

officer within a prescribed period.

The following are the regular committees:

1. Agriculture and Natural Resources*2. Disaster and Calamity3. Education*4. Games and Amusement5. Good Governance, Public Ethics and Accountability6. Housing and Urban Poor Settlement7. Information and Technology8. Women, Family and Senior Citizens9. Human Rights10. Public Works*11. Planning and Subdivision12. Barangay Affairs13. Finance and Budget*14. Youth and Sports15. Health and Sanitation16. Arts, Music and Tourism*17. Peace and Order*

66

18. Environment* 19. Business, Commerce and Industry20. Rules*21. Public Utilities and Facilities *Considered major committees by Vice Mayor Saguinsin

A committee will be effective in performing its duties if

two (2) conditions concur: (1) the chairman of the committee

possess the expertise required in his committee, and (2) the

members have the ability to prepare an extensive report complete

with all the facts, data, comments and observations gathered

during the hearing and dialogue, and make appropriate

recommendations. This is not the case however in the Sangguniang

Bayan since most committee members cannot write a substantive

report on subjects they are supposed to be informed because their

appointment were based on political affiliation rather than

competence.

5.3 Budget of the Sangguniang Bayan from 2007 to 2010

67

In 2007, the Sangguniang Bayan spent a total of

P8,335,798.09 of its annual budget of P8,782,086.22. In 2008, it

spent P8,336,829.21 of its P8,718,523.00 budget, and in 2009 it

spent P8,729,423.81 of its approved annual budget of P9,339,377.

The table below shows the Sangguniang Bayan’s approved budget

from 2007 to 2010.

Table 9. Approved annual budget of the Sanguniang Bayan from 2007 to 2009

Type of Expense 2007 2008 2009 2010PersonalServices

7,424,186.22

7,474,523.00 7,892,677.00 10,817,822.00

MOOE* 996,400.00 1,028,000.00 1,356,700.00 1,502,000.00

Capial Outlay 361,500.00 216,000.00 90,000.00 -TOTAL 8,782,086.2

28,718,523.00 9,339,377.00 12,319,822

.00Source: Municipal Accountant*Maintenance Operation & Other Expenses

From its allotment, the Sangguniang Bayan actually spent the

following:

68

Table 10. Actual amount spent by the Sangguniang Bayan from its

approved budget

Type ofExpense

2007 2008 2009 2010

PersonalServices

7,411,881.08

7,466,829.27

7,879,134.01

5,612,188.34

MOOE 574,906.56

710,832.94

840,292.80

550,067.78

Capital Outlay 349,010.45

159,167.00

10,000.00

-

TOTAL 8,335,798.09(4,167,899.04)*

8,336,829.21

8,729,432.81

6,162,256.12(4,362,256.12)**

Source: Municipal Accountant* Recomputed amount based on 6 months** Recomputed amount after deducting terminal pay

The P8.3 million actually spent by the Sangguniang Bayan in

2007 covers the whole year, while the P6.1 million actually spent

for 2010 is only up to June 2010. Since the term of office of

locally elected officials is three (3) years49 commencing on the

thirtieth day of June following their election, I pro-rated the

amount actually spent by the Sangguniang Bayan in 2007 to

correspond to the term of office of the elected members. Hence,

49 Art. X, Sec. 8, 1987 Constitution.

69

the amount actually spent by the Sangguniang Bayan from January

to June 2007 is P4,167,899.04. On the other hand, the amount of

P6.1 million spent up to June 2010 includes the terminal pay of

councilors who were ineligible to run and their co-terminus

staff, in the total amount of P1.8 million. I deducted the

terminal pay from the amount spent in 2010 leaving a balance of

P4,362,256.12.

From 2007 to 2010 the Sangguniang Bayan enacted a total of

61 ordinances, 81% of which were enacted in 2008 and 2009, which

is quite understandable considering that the councilors had 12

months to perform their legislative functions during these 2

years whereas in 2007 and 2010 they barely had 6 months. The

table below shows the number of ordinances enacted from 2007 to

2010 grouped according to the six (6) classes under the LGC of

1991.

70

Table 11. Type of Ordinances Passed from 2007 to 2010

Class of Ordinances2007(June-Dec)

2008(Jan-Dec)

2009(Jan-Dec)

2010(Jan-June)

For efficiency and effectivity in municipal governance

0 6 6 0

To maximize the useof resources and revenues*

6 9 15 3

To tax and regulatebusinesses 1 2 3 0To regulate the useof land, building and structures

0 4 0 0

For efficient and effective delivery of basic services

0 1 2 0

Others imposed by law 1 0 0 0

TOTAL 8 24 26 3

Source: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Sangguniang Bayan * This include appropriation ordinances (approval of budget and

reversion ordinance)

5.4 Cost per Ordinance

71

The cost to pass an ordinance is important to determine if

the benefits supposed to derive from the ordinance outweighs the

taxpayers’ money spent on it. I used the following formula to

calclate the cost per ordinance per advise of Prof. Edel Guiza:

Cost per ordinance = Total Budget of Sangguniang Bayan ÷ number of ordinances

Based on the approved budget and the number of ordinances

enacted from 2007 to 2010 I calculated the cost per ordinance

using the above formula. I used the approved budget in Table 8

instead of the actual amount spent in Table 9 because the

Sangguniang Bayan is supposed to maximize its appropriation for

legislative work, and therefore, any unexpended sum shall not be

deducted from the budget in computing the cost per ordinance.

For the years 2008 and 2009 the cost per ordinance is lower

compared to 2007 and 2010 since the members of the Sangguniang

Bayan had more time to enact ordinances in 2008 and 2009 compared

72

to the years 2007 and 2010. The table below shows the cost per

ordinance per year computed using the above-stated formula.

Table 12. Cost per Ordinance

2007 2008 2009 2010Cost per Ordinance(in Pesos)

520,987.38 363,271.79

359,206.80

1,454,085.37

Source: Computation of the author based on formula

Based on the Sangguniang Bayan’s approved budget of P8.7

million in 2008 and P9.3 million in 2009, the cost per ordinance

for 2008 and 2009 amounted to P363,271.79 and P359,206.80

respectively. This is on the high side compared to other LGUs

like Bacolod City and San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

According to Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson the cost per

ordinance of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod averages

73

between P30,000 to P50,000, while the cost per ordinance of San

Carlos averages between P50,000 to P100,000.50

In 2007 and 2010, the Sangguniang Bayan incurred a cost per

ordinance of P1.0 million and P4.1 million respectively. This is

again on the high side compared to Bacolod City and San Carlos

City in Negros Occidental. There are however two (2) factors that

have to be considered. First, the councilors had only six (6)

months to work before and immediately after the elections.

Second, the councilors who are no longer eligible to run are

given their terminal pay depending on their length of service

which is included in the Sangguniang Bayan’s budget for 2007 and

2010.

An average of 85% of the Sangguniang Bayan budget is spent

on “Personal Services,” which includes salaries and wages, Personal

Economic Relief Allowance (“PERA”), additional compensation

50 Per phone interview with Vice Mayor Jude Sayson and Mayor Gerry Valmayor.

74

(“ADCOM”), representation allowance, transportation allowance,

life insurance premium and year-end bonus. The PERA and

Representation and Transportation Allowance (“RATA”) form part of

the compensation of government officials and employees. The top

five (5) items in the Personal Services category are:

Table 13. Top Five (5) Items in Approved Budget

Personal Services 2008 2009Salaries and Wages 4,123,402.0

0 4,242,032.00

TransportationAllowance

731,560.00

698,220.00

RepresentationAllowance

628,60.00

698,220.00

Life Insurance premium 495,409.00

509,543.00

Additional Compensation 414,000.00

397,500.00

Source: Statement of Estimated and Actual Expenditures. Municipal

Accountant

Ms. Josefina Blanco Reyes, the Sangguniang Bayan secretary,

had opined that the cost per ordinance cannot be quantified using

the above formula because several items in the budget do not

75

directly contribute or are not related to legislative work. Ms.

Reyes believes that it is difficult to calculate the actual cost

per ordinance due to the following reasons:

1) In 2007, the newly elected councilors had only six (6)

months remaining in the year after their assumption of

office in June.

2) There are regular employees whose item is with the

Sangguniang Bayan but are assigned or detailed

elsewhere by the mayor.

3) The Municipal Library gets its budget from the

Sangguniang Bayan but do not contribute to legislative

output.

To address the concerns of Ms. Reyes I re-calculated the

cost per ordinance for 2007 by pro-rating the budget for the

entire year to the period within which the newly elected

councilors performed their duties. Since the councilors had only

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six (6) months remaining in 2007 after their installation to

office I divided the total annual budget of P8,782,086.22 by 2 to

get an approximation of the budget for six (6) months.

Anent the second concern of Ms. Reyes, I gathered that were

two (2) employees whose items are in the plantilla of the

Sangguniang Bayan but detailed in other municipal offices.51 The

2 employees earn a total monthly salary of P13,000.00 which

amount I deducted from the actual amount spent by the Sangguniang

Bayan for each year. To address the third concern of Ms. Reyes, I

also deducted the monthly salary of the municipal librarian

amounting to P12,000.00, and the cost of maintaining the library,

from the actual amount spent by the Sangguniang Bayan.

The table below shows the revised expenses of the

Sangguniang Bayan after making the necessary adjustments on the

expenses based on the opinion of Ms. Reyes.

51 Per interview with Donna, a staff of Ms. Reyes at the Sangguniang Bayan

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Table 14. Revised Expenses

DeductedExpenses

2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Budget 4,167,899.04

8,718,523.00

9,339,337.00 4,362,256.12

Less:

LibraryCost: Salary Books

(72,000.00) (25,000.00)

(144,000.00)( 55,000.00)

(144,000.00)

(72,000.00)

Salary of 2SB employees

(78,000.00)

(156,000.00)

(156,000.00)

(78,000.00)

TOTAL (3,992,899.04)

(8,363,523.00)

(9,039,337.00)

(4,212,256.12)

Source: Based on calculations of the author

The revised cost per ordinance in my re-calculation after

taking into account the the observations of Ms. Reyes are as

follows, viz:

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Table 15. Revised Cost Per Ordinance

2007 2008 2009 2010Cost per Ordinance(in Pesos)

499,112.38

348,480.00

347,666.80

1,404,085.373

Source: Based on calculations of the author

The revised cost per ordinance is still on the high side

compared to Bacolod City and San Carlos City, Negros Occidental,

even after taking into account the comments of Ms. Reyes. The

high cost per ordinance relative to the cost of other LGUs can be

attributed mainly to the small number of ordinances enacted by

the Sangguniang Bayan, particularly in 2010.

5.5 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Sangguniang Bayan

The strength of the Sangguniang Bayan under Vice-Mayor

Victor Saguinsin is the diversity of its membership who are

mostly professionals, i.e., a lawyer, teacher, artist and

entrepreneurs. Among the former councilors the most notable was

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Genato “Boy” G. Reyes. Coun. Boy Reyes was a veteran lawmaker who

had served for several terms, holding the distinction to have

authored the highest number of budget and general ordinances.52

Coun. Boy Reyes is a medical technologist, a businessman and a

teacher. He was the author of the revenue code, investment code,

and market code, among others. Coun. Ma. Carolina P. Orias-De

Ocampo is a lawyer and chairperson of the Committee on Rules.

Coun. De Ocampo authored the ordinance prescribing the rules and

procedures in the conduct of an investigation against elected

Barangay officials. The rest of the councilors are entrepreneurs,

artists, professionals and the academe.

The ELA was supposed to be a strength that the previous

Sangguniang Bayan could have leveraged in crafting ordinances but

it lacked an enabling mechanism to implement it. Thus, only a few52 08-542 – Naming the legislative building as “Pangilinan Bldg.” 08-543 – Selling price of subd. lots in Palomo Subd. 08-554 – Charges for use of municipal waterworks system 08-551 – Establishing a fish sanctuary 09-566 – Fees to implement the NSO Batch Request Entry System by MunicipalCivil Registrar 09-564 – Laboratory examination fees

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ordinances contained in the ELA were passed from 2007 to 2010.

But the greatest asset of the previous Sangguniang Bayan

according to the secretary was Coun. Boy Reyes, or Coun. Boy as

he is fondly called, because he mentored the councilors in the

proper way of writing ordinances and committee reports. The

councilors would draft an ordinance or resolution and then give

it to Coun. Boy to improve on. During his hiatus from 1995 to

2001, Coun. Boy was retained consultant by the Sangguniang Bayan.

The personnel of the Sangguniang Bayan would attest that a number

of ordinances enacted from 2007 to 2010 although credited to

other councilors were actually written by Coun. Boy.

The most prominent weakness of the previous Sangguniang

Bayan is the inability of its members to write an ordinance or

resolution. The councilors lacked the skill to express in plain

and unequivocal language the purpose and intent of the proposed

ordinance. The legislative intent must be clear and determinable

in the provisions of the ordinance to avoid ambiguity that may

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lead to confusion and chaos in the enforcement. The councilors

also lacked the skill to interpellate their colleagues,

preferring instead to discuss proposed measures during informal

gatherings. The Sangguniang Bayan, as discussed earlier, is a

deliberative body, and as such, its members should deliberate on

proposed measures to test its wisdom, and to extract relevant

information from other members in the course of the deliberation

to enable them to vote intelligently.

Another weakness of the Sangguniang Bayan is the

unfamiliarity of its members with the Philippine Constitution,

the LGC of 1991 and its amending laws, and the law on municipal

corporations. It is postulate in constitutional law that

municipal laws53 must conform to the Constitution and statutes

passed by Congress. Hence, councilors must have a working

knowledge on the constitution so that damage suits like the one

53 A municipal law is the law operating within the State, or the internal lawof the State, as distinguished from international law. It is also the lawdealing with municipalities or municipal corporations. (Sibal, Ibid, p. 592)

82

filed by a former cockpit operator against the councilors of the

previous Sangguniang Bayan to enjoin them from granting a

franchise to a new applicant to operate the cockpit may be

avoided.54

Other weaknesses of the previous Sangguniang Bayan can be

summarized using the 7s framework which is a tool to analyze and

assess the performance of an organization. The 7 “s” stands for

strategy, structure, system, shared values, style, staff and

skills.55

Strategy – Refers to the organization’s goals and objectives,

and the process to attain them. The strategy of

Mayor Villamayor and the Sangguniang Bayan was to

craft an executive-legislative Agenda (ELA) at the

start of their term but the strategy was not

effective because it did not have an implementing54 Bularin vs. Reyes and the Municipal Government of Angono, SangguniangBayan, et al.55 Marcel Van Assen, Gerben Van Den Berg and Paul Pietersma, “Key ManagementModels”, 2nd Ed., Ashford Colour Press Ltd., Gosport Hants, United Kingdom,2009, pp. 83-86. The 7-s framework was created by McKinsey & Co.

83

plan, budget and a monitoring mechanism. Thus, most

of the ordinances passed were not aligned to the

plans and agenda of Mayor Villamayor as stated in

the ELA.

Structure – The organizational structure of the previous

Sangguniang Bayan, which was carried over to the

present, is lean. The councilors do not have a

staff to assist them, and administratve functions

are performed by only one officer, the secretary,

who is assisted by 4 staff, 2 of who have not

finished college. Although the organization is easy

to manage it lacks competent personnel who can

assist the councilors in research work and drafting

ordinances.

Systems – Refers to the primary and secondary processes in

the organization pertaining to operations and

administration. The Sanggunianag Bayan lacks

internal systems and procedures to track and

monitoring the enforcement of ordinances and to

disseminate information and notices of public

hearings.

84

Shared Values – These are the values that hold together the

Sangguniang Bayan, such as beliefs and aspirations,

which are the underlying reasons for the existence

of the sanggunian. The shared values and

aspirations of the Sangguniang Bayan is to showcase

the artistic talent and rich cultural heritage of

the inhabitants of Angono.

****

85

Chapter 6

The Municipal Government Under Mayor Gerry Calderon

6.1 Vision and Mission

The vision of the municipal government under Mayor Gerry

Calderon is to uplift the lives of its people through fast and

efficient delivery of social services, and the creation of a

business climate that is conducive to investment, in order to

bring about sustainable economic development to Angono. To

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achieve this vision it is imperative to have clear and relevant

policy direction. The vision of the municipal government is:56

Vision

A clean, healthy, peaceful and orderly community, a just prosperous andhumane society with the blessings of God Almighty

Mission

Guided by the principles of public services and accountability, themunicipal government of Angono seeks to uplift the life of its people,promote socio-economic development in harmony with nature, creates aclimate conducive to business, tourism and education, music and the artsand its rich cultural heritage

6.2 Executive Agenda of Mayor Gerry Calderon

To boost tourism arrivals Mayor Calderon constructed access

roads, rehabilitated the sewerage system and public market, and

cleared easements of garbage, informal settlers and ambulant56 Mayor Calderon has opted to replace the vision statement of MayorVillamayor with his own vision statement adopted during his tenure as mayor.

87

vendors during his tenure. Consequently, tourism-related services

and enterprises expanded and the municipality’s income grew from

P36 million in 1998 to P106 million in 2007. In 2004, Angono

became a first class municipality.57

Mayor Calderon is a dynamic leader and a visionary. His

vision for Angono is a peaceful, clean and safe community, where

art and culture can flourish, which he calls the “Angono Dream.”

The centerpiece of Mayor Calderon’s EA is the promotion of arts

tourism. The EA of Mayor Calderon is anchored on five (5)

components:58

(1) Peace and order,

(2) Economic development,

(3) Physical rehabilitation,

(4) Integrated land use plan, and

(5) Education. 57 Prof. Guiza, Turning Around the Angono Municipality, p. 17.58 Based on an interview with Mayor Gerry Calderon

88

These five components will precipitate the development of arts

tourism and integrated in the development plan of Mayor Calderon.

Figure 3. Diagram illustrates the parts of the Integrated

Development Plan

PhysicalRehabilitation

Peace and

Order

Economic Developmen

t

Primary and

Secondary

Education

Revised Land Use

Plan

Arts Tourism

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The economic development component focuses on the

establishment and support of small to medium scale enterprises

through livelihood programs and skills development. Mayor

Calderon plans to continue improving the physical structure of

the public market to make it sanitary, orderly, safe and

convenient to shoppers. For Mayor Calderon, peace and order

results in economic development, and economic development uplifts

the lives of the people.

Mayor Calderon believes that the continuous dredging of the

Angono river is a primary solution to the perennial flooding. In

addition, he plans to construct a sewerage system and continue

clearing easements and pathwalks to ease the flow of water to

Laguna de Bay. The mayor also plans to transfer the waste

recycling facility and rehabilitate the recycling plant for

composting and recycling of residual waste which will not only

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help the environment but also generate additional income for the

municipality.

Mayor Calderon plans to build parks in open spaces for

promenaders and artists to enjoy the beauty of nature.59 Physical

rehabilitation also includes the relocation of informal settlers

and urban poor to LGU acquired relocation sites that will prevent

or minimize lawless activities and improve peace and order in the

community.

The existing land use plan of Angono is passe and needs to

be re-examined so that land is utilized efficiently and sparingly

for the benefit of the municipality and its inhabitants. Mayor

Calderon will not allow the conversion of upland areas suited to

agro-forestry into residential or commercial use as more

residential communities and open spaces will attract in-

59 Excerpts of the interview with Mayor Gerry Calderon

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migration, particularly informal settlers, which will aggravate

traffic congestion and pose a threat to peace and order.

Finally, Mayor Calderon believes that education is essential

in promoting arts tourism and uplift the lives of the people. To

attain this objective without encroaching on the function of the

Department of Education (DepEd) Mayor Calderon plans to construct

primary school buildings and provide educational materials to

augment the provisions of the DepEd. This is, according to him,

in line with his physical rehabilitation program that he started

during his tenure as mayor which he plans to continue in his

present term.

The executive agenda of Mayor Calderon will be difficult to

implement without the support of the Sangguniang Bayan and his

constituents. To pursue his 5-point agenda Mayor Calderon has

called on the Sangguniang Bayan and representatives of different

sectoral organizations to participate in the Municipal

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Development Council (MDC) which he plans to convene soon to draw

a Comprehensive Development Plan for Angono.

6.3 Organizational Structure and Staffing

The structure of the MGAR as discussed in the previous

chapter remains the same. At the moment, Mayor Calderon does not

have any plans to re-organize the bureacracy as he continues to

rely heavily on the culture of volunteerism in Angono. This

volunteer service is the Bayanihan spirit that is an admirable

trait of Angonians that is uniquely Filipino and yet seldom

practiced in other communities. Mayor Calderon calls it “Bayani

Walang Bayad.” The willingness of townfolk to render public

service pro bono has contributed significantly to the successful

implementation of the various projects of Mayor Calderon during

his tenure. At present, there are about 1,037 part-time and full-

time volunteer workers serving in various capacities under the

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Office of the Mayor who receive an allowance of P3,000 per month.

The MGAR has a lean workforce of 154 regulars despite the 21

offices under the mayor. The table below shows the plantilla of

the MGAR.

Table 16. Plantilla of Municipal Employees of Angono

Municipal Office Total No.of

Employees

Permanent Elective/Temporary

Casual

Office of the Mayor 49 2 1 37Office of Human Resources

4 4 0 0

Office of General Services

35 35 0 0

Budget Officer 6 6 0 0Office of the Accountant

11 11 0 0

Office of the Assessor 7 7 0 0Office of the Treasurer 9 9 0 0Office of the MunicipalPlanning & Development Coordinator

4 4 0 0

Office of the Engineer 5 5 0 0Office of the Social Welfare & Development

7 7 0 0

Office of Health Officer

17 17 0 0

TOTAL 154 107 1 37

Source: Lina M. Intalan, Head of Human Resource Management Office

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6.4 Opportunities and Threats

The comparative advantage of Angono vis-a-vis other

municipalities in Rizal is its distinction as the “Art Capital of

the Philippines.” Angonians are natural born artists, and their

collective talent and creativity attract tourists from all over

the country and aborad. The art galleries and petroglyphs are a

must-see for tourists visiting Angono. Mayor Calderon also

considers as an opportunity the industry and resilience of the

people who provide services to government and the private sector

owing to the proximity of the town to the metropolis.

On the other hand, Mayor Calderon considers apathy and

indifference as a principal threat to Angono. While the Bayanihan

culture is still alive and well among traditional Angonians the

youth who are exposed to urban lifestyle and pop culture in the

big cities tend to care less for their town as they go about

their daily routine. This diminishes the opportunity for Angono

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to tap its youth as a pillar of strength and partner in community

building.

Mayor Calderon also considers the influx of informal

settlers from the cities as a potential threat to Angono’s

security and way of life. These type of migrants come in droves

to settle along riverbanks and in public parks and open spaces,

discharging their waste and garbage in the river. Despite the

continuous dredging of the Angono river the town experiences

occasional flooding mainly due to improper waste disposal. During

high tide the banks of the Angono river swell, submerging low-

lying areas in waste-deep flood water. Another cause of the

flooding is the loose soil and mud that is carried downstream

from the hills of Antipolo, Taytay and Binangonan which clogs the

outlet of the Angono river preventing it from expelling excess

water to Laguna de Bay. This environmental debacle is caused by

deforestation and unabated slash and burn practices of mountain

dwellers according to Mayor Calderon.

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****

Chapter 7

The Sangguniang Bayan Under Vice-Mayor Ronald Patrick Rubin

97

This chapter treats of the Sangguniang Bayan today as it

aims to improve the health condition and uplift the lives of the

people by supporting the executive agenda of Mayor Calderon in

his quest to achieve the vision and mission of the municipality

during his term.

7.1 The Sangguniang Bayan Today

The members of the Sangguniang Bayan are mostly newly-

elected councilors a majority of who belong to the political

coalition of Mayor Calderon, including the vice mayor. This is a

good start for the chief executive who is assured of the support

of the sanggunian. The present councilors represent various

sectors and organizations, from business to government and the

arts. This diversity should spark healthy deliberation on the

floor which enhances the quality of proposed measures. However,

the backlog of pending legislative measures of the previous

Sangguniang Bayan has taken its toll on the present Sanguniang

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Bayan, especially the committee members who are assigned to study

and report on it.60

The present Sangguniang Bayan has inherited from the

previous sanggunian an outdated ELA and a defective tracking and

information dissemination system. The vice mayor is grappling

with what ordinances to pass to support Mayor Calderon’s

executive agenda because the Sangguniang Bayan’s agenda is not

aligned with the executive. At the same time, the Sangguniang

Bayan does not have the necessary systems and tools in place to

track and monitor the enforcement of ordinances. The skill of its

members in legislative writing needs to be improved so that the

quality of the ordinances, resolutions and committee reports will

be further enhanced, and the time to prepare them shortened.

7.2 Standing Committees

60 According to Vice Mayor Rubin there are about thirty (30) pendinglegislative measures and administrative matters left behind by the previousSangguniang Bayan

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The Sangguniang Bayan is a collegial body that performs

legislative functions either in plenary session or through

standing committees. The standing committees of the present

Sangguniang Bayan are carry-over of the previous sanggunian.

Majority of the members of the Sangguniang Bayan, including the

ex-oficio members, belong to the political coalition of Mayor

Calderon and Vice Mayor Rubin. Thus, the chairmen of the

committees were hand-picked by Vice Mayor Rubin.

The standing committees considered important by Vice Mayor

Rubin, and therefore chaired by his party mates, are the

following:

Education Finance and Budget Health and Sanitation Arts, Music and Tourism Peace and Order Environment Rules

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The present Sangguniang Bayan does not have a way of

tracking its ordinances. The method used by the Sangguniang Bayan

is simply by asking the enforcing officer about the problems

encountered during enforcement. However, not all enforcers hold

office in the municipal building, and therefore, the tracking is

selective. The lack of a scientific method of validating the

claims and observations of enforcers has left the councilors in

the dark as to the impact of the ordinances, and the need for

amendment, if any, to make them more effective.

7.3 The Legislative Agenda of Vice Mayor Ronald Rubin

The Sangguniang Bayan today is presided by a young, dynamic

and hard working vice mayor who comes from a politically-inclined

family, and a family of artists and scholars. Vice Mayor Ronald

Patrick Rubin believes in the importance of an ELA to guide the

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Sangguniang Bayan in its policy directions and to align its

legislative agenda to the plans and programs of Mayor Calderon.

The vice mayor expects the Sangguniang Bayan to support the

plans and programs of Mayor Calderon, especially his priority

measures, through the formulation of policies and enactment of

ordinances that are aligned with the executive agenda. The

Sangguniang Bayan will also support any marketing effort

initiated by the executive to promote arts tourism by approving

any item in the budget on arts and tourism. The vice mayor also

vowed not to interfere with the executive style and manner of

marketing Angono as the art capital of the Philippines.

The challenge faced by Vice Mayor Rubin is to dispose with

dispatch the backlog of 30 proposed ordinances, resolutions and

administrative matters left behind by the previous Sangguniang

Bayan. These items are included in the regular agenda of the

Sangguniang Bayan. The committee reports prepared by the former

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members are also being reviewed, and revised if necessary, based

on prevailing circumstances.

The legislative agenda of Vice Mayor Rubin is focused on

three (3) areas:

1) Health and Sanitation Code

2) Codification of ordinances

3) Exercise of oversight functions

The vice mayor plans to institute reforms in the internal

systems and processes of the Sangguniang Bayan to improve its

performance. He observed that committee reports are ususally

submitted on their due date although the vice mayor believes that

the committee can prepare and submit its report much sooner. [See

Figure 4 on Flow Chart of legislative process in the Sangguniang

Bayan, Apendix “I”]

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Vice Mayor Rubin subscribes to the idea that public

consultation should start from the grassroots. The public hearing

shall be conducted by barangay officials in their respective

territorial jurisdiction. This will enable barangay officials to

hear their constituents on matters that may not even affect their

barangay, giving them the opportunity to actively participate in

the legislative process. The barangay is the smallest political

unit, and as such, barangay officials have a better feel of the

public pulse compared to municipal officials or civil society

groups.

To address the lack of a system to properly disseminate

information on proposed and enacted ordinances and notices of

public hearings, the vice mayor proposes to create a Sangguniang

Bayan Information Office that will be tasked to disseminate

information to the public, improve the municipal library

services, and track and monitor Sangguniang Bayan and barangay

ordinances. To further strengthen the LTS the vice mayor proposes

104

to invite the Executive Secretary of Mayor Calderon to their

regular sessions held every Monday to guide the Sangguniang Bayan

on the details of the priority measures of the mayor.

7.4 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Sanguniang Bayan

The strength of the present Sangguniang Bayan is the

diversity of its members, a strong and dynamic leader, a “non-

traditional” political orientation and a harmonious relationship

among its members regardless of political affiliation.

Using the same 7s framework to analyze the strengths and

weaknesses of the previous Sangguniang Bayan based on my

observations and personal interviews with the vice-mayor,

secretary, councilors and staff, I conclude that:

Strategy – The strategy of Vice-Mayor Rubin is to conduct

consultative meetings with barangay officials on

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legislative measures he plans to push. He also

plans to strengthen the information dessimination

system of the Sangguniang Bayan through the

creation of an Information Office, and codify

ordinances to avoid duplication of proposed

measures.

Style – This refers to the manner by which the Sangguniang

Bayan discharges its functions and sets its

priorities. It is how the members and their staff

behave in relation to their work and the people

they serve. The councilors and staff show

extraordinary interest in their work but lack the

necessary skills to improve their performance.

Staff – The councilors and staff are diligent and

hardworking. They are also friendly and

accomodating to their constituents, especially

those with special needs. I observed that the

councilors and staff are willing to learn new

things to improve the quality of their work.

106

Skills – These are the distinct capabilities of the

councilors and their staff. The councilors possess

below average skills in lawmaking, particularly in

preparing proposed measures and committee reports.

Except for the secretary, the staff do not possess

writing skills, research and data gathering, as

their tasks are purely perfunctory.

A skill that councilors need to learn is in interpellation.

The councilors lack the ability to debate, to articulate their

ideas and views, and to speak their mind in Pilipino or English,

although the prefered medium of communication is Pilipino. The

councilors need to build self-confidence, to rise to the occasion

and be heard, and to say their piece in parliamentary manner

befitting their office.

Another communication gap is in crafting ordinances and

resolutions. The delay in the submission of proposed ordinances

and committee reports is attributed by the vice mayor to the

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difficulty of some councilors to express themselves in written

English, and sometimes in Pilipino. While most councilors have

completed tertiary education, only about 5 of the 10 possess

average writing skills, while the rest could hardly write a

substantive ordinance. The writing handicap of some councilors

results in ambiguity in the provisions of proposed ordinances and

committee reports. To correct the ambiguities the vice mayor

returns the report back to the committee for clarification,

thereby causing undue delay in the passage of the proposed

measure.

****

108

Chapter 8

The Strategy

8.1 Gap Analysis:

The dismal performance of the Sangguniang Bayan from 2007 to

2010 under Vice-Mayor Saguinsin may be attributed to the

109

following reasons: (1) performance gap, (2) alignment gap and (3)

systems gap.

8.1.1 The Performance Gap

The performance gap of the previous Sangguniang Bayan is the

inability of most councilors to craft ordinances and write

resolutions. Except for Couns. Boy Reyes and Ma. Carolina Orias,

the other councilors found it difficult to craft a general

ordinance. This explains why most ordinances enacted from 2007 to

2010 were budget ordinances and only a few were general

ordinances.

8.1.2 Alignment Gap: Lack of an Executive-

Legislative Agenda

President Abraham Lincoln once said that “a house divided against

itself cannot stand.” While the president was referring to the state

110

of the Union, the same philosophy applies to the 2 coordinate

branches of government – the executive and legislative. The

significance of a harmonious relationship between the 2 branches,

and the alignment of their agendas, cannot be overemphasized.

For, a discord of plans, policies and priorities will inevitably

result in confusion, bickering, chaos and consequently, non-

delivery of basic services and non-implementation of projects, to

the detriment of the people.

The legislative agenda is a list of things to do by the

Sangguniang Bayan. It is a schedule of proposed legislative

actions and measures to address the development needs of the

municipality and its inhabitants, usually covering the period

corresponding to the term of office of the elected officials. The

legislative agenda is an important tool to enable the Sangguniang

Bayan to plan its course of action over the next three (3) years

by identifying priority measures based on the development plan of

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the mayor and the needs of the LGU. With a legislative agenda the

Sangguniang Bayan can set targets that are measurable.

The executive agenda of Mayor Calderon and the legislative

agenda of Vice Mayor Rubin are mis-aligned. The priority of Mayor

Calderon is arts tourism whereas Vice Mayor Rubin’s priority is

on health and sanitation. The mayor plans to improve the quality

of education through the construction of public school buildings.

In contrast, the vice mayor plans to codify ordinances by

instituting necessary systems and processes, and by updating

demographic data.

On procedure, their style in conducting public consultation

also varies. While both local officials adhere to participatory

governance, the vice mayor plans to solicit public opinion at the

grassroots, through the barangay, while the mayor intends to

convene a multi-sectoral Municipal Development Council (MDC) to

be participated in by business, labor, academe, law enforcement,

112

department heads, barangay officials and members of the

Sangguniang Bayan.

The re-aligment of the executive and legislative agenda can

be done through a joint meeting of the mayor and members of the

Sangguniang Bayan for the purpose of harmonizing and

consolidating their plans and priorities. The executive and

legislative must therefore reach a consensus on priority measures

that would reinforce and sustain the development thrust of the

mayor. Either way, a planning conference or convening of an MDC

will give the executive and legislative an opportunity to discuss

their plans and priorities together.

The crafting of an ELA is mandatory on an LGU but it does

not end there. There must be an implementation plan to execute

and implement the ELA. The first step in crafting an ELA is to

formulate a comprehensive development plan (CDP).

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A CDP is significant because:

In planning and budget:

It provides a development roadmap for the LGU It identifies priority programs and projects to

realize the LGU’s logn-term vision It organizes and allocates resources in a rational and

results-oriented manner

In promoting transparency and accountability:

It informs the constituents of the LGU’s medium-termdevelopment plan

It makes the mayor and other locally elected officialsaccountable for the implementation of the developmentplan

It facilitates consultation process between the mayorand stakeholders

For social mobilizaion:

It promotes active and quality participation of thecommunity in local development planning,

It helps rally support from stakeholders, It helps unite the inhabitants of the LGU

For communication:

It allows the councilors and the mayor to articulatetheir respective political agenda

It creates an opportunity for the community to voiceout their concerns

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It encourages closer coordination and collaborationbetween the executive and legislative branches

A CDP must connect to other development plans, like the

Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Local Development Investment Plan

and Annual Investment Plan. Aside from these plans the LGU is

also expected to prepare sectoral or thematic plans as needed,

such as Local Poverty Reduction Plan (especially if poverty

incidence is high), Solid Waste Management Plan, Gender and

Development Plan and Local Agricultural Development Paln (If the

economy is agriculture-based).

The vision and mission of an LGU serves as the basis for all

planning activities. The CLUP is a long term plan which lays down

the development directions of the municipality for at least 10

years. The CDP on the other hand is a medium-term plan ranging

from 3 to 6 years that actualizes the mission of the LGU, while

the LDIP is a short-term plan that defines the investment program

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of the LGU for 3 years. The AIP is also a short-term plan that

sets the priority programs of the LGU that would require

financing on a yearly basis.

A CDP not only articulates the priorities of the executive

and legislative but also provides the link between planning and

implementation by connecting the various plans to the budget. It

also facilitates the implementation of plans by providing the

processes by which the private sector can get involve through

public-private-partnership. [See Figure 6 the relationship

between the CDP and the LGU plans, Appendix “J”]

8.1.3 Systems Gap

The remedy for a monitoring and tracking gap is a

legislative tracking system (LTS). The LTS is a tool to track and

monitor the enforcement of ordinances by the executive branch.

The LTS is also a means by which the Sangguniang Bayan may assess

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and evaluate the impact of its ordinances on the intended

beneficiaries or stakeholders (e.g. social amelioration for

indigents, or granting of special privileges to physically-

challenged), or determine the amount of revenue generated by the

municipal government from say an ordinance levying a 30% tax on

the sales of lottery tickets.

An LTS will help the Sangguniang Bayan in effectively

addressing the needs of its constituents at any given time. It

involves four (4) basic steps:61

1) Determine whether an ordinance was actuallyimplemented or enforced by inquiring with the localgovernment department concerned (in the case ofAngono, the Municipal Planning and DevelopmentCoordinator).

2) For enforced ordinances, determine through fieldsurvey whether the measure had been sufficientlydisseminated and the public was made fully informedof it.

61 Basic Course on Local Legislation, p. 52.

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3) Assess the effectivity of the ordinance throughdialogues and interviews with the targetbeneficiaries and stakeholders.

4) Prepare a report with recommendations on findings tobe submitted to the Sangguniang Bayan.

The lack or absence of an LTS is a serious gap because it

leaves the councilors in the dark as to whether an ordinance they

have passed was enforced or had made an impact on the intended

beneficiaries. The LTS is also important for the sanggunian to

determine if the budget appropriated for the implementation was

sufficient or not so that the appropriate remedial measures may

be adopted to correct the deficiency.

The tracking and monitoring of ordinances involves three (3)

steps. In the case of an actually implemented ordinance, the first

step is to inquire about the problems faced in the

implementation. In the case of ordinances that have not yet been

implemented, the first step is to conduct a field survey to

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determine whether the ordinance had been properly disseminated.

The second step is to assess the effectiveness of the ordinance

and its impact on the intended beneficiaries through dialogue,

and the last step is the preparation of an evaluation report on

the pertinent facts and recommendations.

The previous Sangguniang Bayan was not able to optimize its

potential because most of its members lacked the knowledge and

skill in lawmaking. As a result, the ordinances enacted were

wanting in intrinsic and extrinsic qualities. The Sangguniang

Bayan also lacked systems, procedures and competent manpower to

track, monitor and provide feedback on the enforcement of

ordinances.

8.2 Strategy Map

I have mapped out a strategy to close the gaps mentioned

herein, and to align the executive and legislative agendas. The

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strategy can be illustrated through the use of a strategy map

which is a visual diagram containing a checklist of the

strategy’s components showing the inter-relationship of each

perspective. The strategy map serves as a guide for the

implementation of the strategy from the point of the balanced

scorecard.62

The successful implementation of a strategy is the summation

of the strategy map and the balanced scorecard. Strategic

management starts with the vision and mission of the

organization, which asks the question “Why do we exist?” The

mission is linked to the strategic outcomes or objectives, which

are: (1) Financial Perspective, (2) Customer’s Perspective, (3)

Internal Processes, and (4) Learning and Growth.63 The drivers to

attain the vision of the organization are called “lead

indicators” or the causes while the goal is called the “lad

62 Prof. Raymundo L. Roberto, “Strategy Maps in Social-orientedOrganizations.”63 Id.

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indicator” or the effect, and the process to achieve the goal is

the strategy.

The alignment strategy will focus on one strategic theme:

for the Sangguniang Bayan to have a Clear and Relevant Policy Direction.

The Sangguniang Bayan is the policy maker of the LGU, and

therefore, it is responsible in formulating a platform or course

of action for the municipal government on specific areas of

concern like land classificaion, security, economy, environment

and social services. The policies must be supportive of the

executive agenda towards the attainment of the municipality’s

vision.

Figure 5. Alignment Strategy

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The executive is the customer in the strategy map. From its

perspective arises the need for a tourism code and a new zoning

ordinance. The passage of these ordinances will enable the

executive to promote tourism and create a climate conducive to

business and investment, and consequently uplift the lives of the

people. From the financial perspective arises the need to

increase internally-generated revenues, like RPT, BT, market

stall rental, terminal fees, waterworks, etc. This would however

require the enactment of a code on general ordinances.

Clear and Relevant Policy

Direction

Delivery of Basic Social Services

Climate conducive to Business and Investment

Economic Development

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The Strategy Map for the “alignment strategy” is thus

illustrated:

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Chapter 9

Implementation of Strategy

The alignment strategy shall be implemented in accordance

with the strategic theme in the strategy map. To manage the

implementation of the alignment strategy each perspective shall

have its own set of objectives, measures, targets, initiative

programs, action plans and resources. The objectives of each

strategic perspective can be accomplished only if the targets set

are achieved, using the alloted resources, and within the

prescribed time, through initiative programs and a clear action

plan, barring any unforseen event. Juxtaposing the strategic

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perspectives and objectives, measures, targets, etc. is the

matrix known as the Balanced Scorecard.

9.1 Balanced Scorecard

The balanced scorecard is a tool to implement the alignment

strategy described in the strategy map. It is a creative process

that shows the logic and sequence of things to do and actions to

take in order to achieve the goal or lag indicators. While there

is no hard and fast rule in formulating a balanced scorecard, the

matrix must nonetheless show the priority of the organization

that is stated in the strategic theme. The balanced scorecard for

the implementation of the alignment strategy in the strategy map

is shown in Table 16.

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126

127

128

129

9.2 Budget

The funds to implement the alignment strategy shall be

sourced from the IRA and internally generated revenues of the

MGAR. The executive department shall propose in the annual budget

for 2011 the cost for implementing the proposed programs in the

CDP. The proposed budget for the implementation of the strategy

shall cover both recurring and non-recurring items. The non-

recurring cost consist of the acquisition of personal computers

and office equipments, consulting and training fees, food and

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rental of seminar venue, and up-grading of the municipal library.

The recurring cost shall be the salaries and allowances of the

would-be appointed Sangguniang Bayan Information Officer (SBIO)

and staff.

The funds for the recurring cost shall be sourced from an

increase in RPT, BT, rental of public market stalls and terminal

fee for public utility vehicles. The MGAR can also tap the

services of volunteer workers as messengers and office staff for

the proposed SBIO to minimize or reduce recurring cost.

The annual budget of the LGU must not exceed the ceiling set

by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) which should not

be more than the total receipts of the local government. The

proposed annual budget of MGAR for 2011 is P168 million, or about

8% higher compared to its 2010 approved annual budget of P156

million. The proposed budget of the Sangguniang Bayan for 2011 is

P12,019,776, which is slightly lower compared to its 2010 annual

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budget of P12.3 million due to the exclusion of the terminal pay

of P1.8 million in the 2011 budget. The amount of P600,000 has

been alloted in the 2011 proposed budget of the Sangguniang Bayan

for salary increase and the creation of a new office.64 The

increase of the budget of the Sangguniang Bayan for 2011 should

not exceed P984,000, which is approximately 8% of its 2010

budget.

The proposed 2011 annual budget of the Sangguniang Bayan is

P12,990,776, or an increase of P971,000, which shall cover the

cost of implementation, as follows:

Non-recurring Cost:

Skills Training Program on Parliamentary Writing forCouncilors

a. Trainors’ Fees - P30,000b. Seminar venue & food - P50,000c. Rental of equipment - P 5,000d. Seminar Materials - P 2,000

64 Source: Zenaida S. Bacani, Municipal Budget Officer

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________Total P 87,000

Team/Confidence Building Workshop

a. Trainors’ Fees - P30,000b. Seminar venue & food - P50,000c. Miscellaneous - P 5,000

________Total P 85,000

Consulting Services to Deisgn a Performance Monitoring andEvaluation System

and Legislative Tracking System

a. Consultant’s Fee - P20,000

Construction of Taxpayers’ Lounge

a. Contractors’ Fees - P 50,000b. Cost of Labor - P 90,000c. Cost of Materials - P120,000

_________Total P260,000

Procurement of computers, office equipments, etc.

a. Computers - P 85,000 (5 computers @P17,000 each)

b. Office furniture - P 30,000c. Other office equipment - P 20,000

________Total P135,000

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Sub-Total P587,000.00

Recurring Cost:

Salary and allowance of 1 regular employee and 1 volunteerworker

a. Regular (P13,000/mo.) - P156,000 / annum /employee

b. Volunteers (P3,000/mo.) - P 36,000 /annum / volunteer

_________Total P192,000 x 2 = P384,000

TOTAL INCREASE P971,000.00

Chapter 10

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

The strict implementation of the alignment strategy must be

monitored to ensure that it does not deviate from the

initiatives, programs and action plans provided in the balanced

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scorecard. The performance of the Sanggunianag Bayan members and

staff should be evaluated in the course of the implementation,

and at the end of the term of the councilors. The performance

evaluation system (PES) is designed to measure any improvement in

the performance of the Sangguniang Bayan, and to determine

whether the alignment strategy was effective.

10.1 Performance Evaluation System

Lina M. Intalan, the head of the Human Resource Management

Office (HRMO), claims to conduct regular PES of municipal

employees, including the legislative staff, as part of its

Performance Management System (PMS), which also includes the

following training programs:

Type of Training Frequency

Orientation briefing for newly-hired employees – case-to-case

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Values orientation workshop – uponrequest

Pag-ibig benefits orientation seminar – uponrequest

Team building workshop – uponrequest The PES of the HRMO covers only certain salary grade levels,

usually the legislative staff, which does not include the

councilors and secretary. The performance of the Sangguniang

Bayan in administrative governance is evaluated by the DILG using

a questionaire. The self-assessing questions are answerable by a

“yes” or “no” that read as follows:65

1. Is your legislative agenda supportive of the executive

agenda?

2. Is the agenda a product of research or a product of

consultations?

3. Does your sanggunian have a system that tracks information

on local legislations?

4. If yes, is the tracking system capable of generating

information on the following?

a. Existing local rules and regulations which compliment

national laws or policies65 Copy of the DILG questionaire was provided by Ms. Josefina B. Reyes

136

b. Existing local rules and regulations which are being

enforced

c. Existing local rules and regulations which are not being

enforced

d. Existing local rules and regulations to avoid

duplication of legislation

e. The status of the draft ordinance in the legislative

process

f. Nature of the legislative tracking system

5. Which of the following codes had already been enacted by

the sanggunian?

a. Code of General Ordinances

b. Revenue Code

c. Local Investment and Incentive Code

d. Market Code

e. Health and Sanitation Code

f. Code for Children

g. Gender and Development Code

The questionare is an assessment of the performance of the

entire Sangguniang Bayan and not only its individual members and

staff. It does not evaluate the lawmaking ability and writing

skills of the councilors that would enable them to enact the

various codes and ordinances mandated by the DILG. It also does

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not evaluate the competencies of the secretary and legislative

staff who ought to provide backroom support services to the

councilors in the performance of their lawmaking duties and

functions. Moreoever, the use of a self-assessing tool to

evaluate the performance of the sanggunian is hardly expected to

provide true and accurate results.

Answering the questions is done perfunctorily in compliance

with the requirement of the DILG, maybe by one of the councilors,

and in some instances, by the vice mayor if his schedule permits.

The answers are based on record and personal opinion, like if the

LTS is capable of generating information. The questions are not

given much importance by the members of the Sangguniang Bayan

because, after all: (1) the DILG does not have the time and

resources to validate the information, and (2) the performance

evaluation does not have an impact on their compensation.

10.2 Monitoring Plan

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The implementation of the plans and programs in the

alignment strategy must be strictly monitored by the Sangguniang

Bayan, either through the secretary or the Sangguniang Bayan

Information Office (SBIO), if one has been created. A majority of

the initiatives, programs and action plans in the balanced

scorecard consist of training and seminars to improve the

lawmaking skills of councilors and efficiency of the staff. The

officer-in-charge (OIC) of implementation should prepare a work

schedule of training activities and seminars in accordance with

the time line in the balanced scorecard. The OIC should also draw

a list of trainors and consultants who would design a training

program for councilors and the staff, and shall prepare a bar

chart and report on the progress of the implementation every end

of each quarter.

10.3 Performance Evaluation Plan

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The PES to be established by the Sangguniang Bayan must be

able to assess the performance of the councilors and legislative

staff with reasonbale accuracy, to be conducted semi-annually or

three (3) months after every training exercise. The PES can

either be self-assessment or peer-assessment, depending on the

nature of the tasks of the person being assessed and the desired

results. Whether it is self-assessing or peer-assessing I

recommend that an evaluation scale be used with scores from 1 to

10 as shown in Figure 9 below.

Figure 9. Evaluation Scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10

Poor Satisfactory Excellent

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The mayor, vice mayor and heads of department should

participate in the PES of the Sangguniang Bayan since after all

they are the “customers” in the strategy map. Their evaluation of

the performance of the Sangguniang Bayan can however be done

annually, while the internal evaluation must be conducted semi-

annually or 3 months after every training exercise.

The evaluation shall be conducted by the secretary or the

SBIO in coordination with the HRMO. A Human Resource (HR)

consultant or a private entity shall identify the key result

areas using performance indicators. Based on the results of the

rating, the HR consultant shall design a training and skills

enhancement program to improve on key result areas wherein the

councilors and legislative staff were found to be lacking. All

evaluation results must be kept in strict confidence and shall be

available to the mayor and vice- mayor which should be used in

the regular planning meeting.

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****

Table 1. Land Area of the 13 Municipalities and 1 City of Rizal

Sources: Official website of the different municipalitieslisted in the table.

Table 17. List of Barangays in Angono and Area

Barangay Area (in sq.

kms.)

% Distribution

Poblacion Ibaba .07940 0.56%

Poblacion Itaas .01906 0.14%

Bagumbayan .25316 1.8%

Kalayaan 1.5504 11.03%

Mahabang Parang 4.1506 29.53%

San Isidro 4.3804 31.15%

San Pedro .07941 0.56%

San Roque 2.9615 21.06%

San Vicente .49818 3.54%

Sto. Nino .08867 0.63%

TOTAL 14.85 100%

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Source: Municipal Planning and Development Office

Figure 1. Vicinity Map of Angono and the Province of Rizal

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Figure 4. Flow Chart of Legislative Process in the Sangguniang

Bayan

Proposed measure authored byCouncilor

FirstReading(Titleonly)

SangguniangBayan thruSecretary

Committee Report with findings & recommendations

Refer to Committeeconcerned

CommitteeHearing

Committee on RulesCalendarproposal for2nd reading

Committee Meeting

Proposed measure comingfrom Committeeon Rules Second

Reading(debate &amendment)

Secretary of SangguniangBayan printcopy of final

Third &FinalReading(Approval

Mayor(approval/Veto)

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Figure 6. The CDP in relation to other LGU Plans

Long-term Plan

Comprehensiv

eDevelopment

Plan

AnnualInvestment

Plan

ZoningPlanOrdinance

Comprehensive Land Use

Plan

LocalDevelopmentInvestment

Plan

ExecuiveLegislative Agenda

RegulatoryMeasures

145

Medium-term Plan

ImplementingTools

BarangayDevelopmentPlan andothersectoral

146