1.

How Rural-Urban Local Governments partnership can balance and help in sustainable development in
the Philippines? Discuss.

The Philippines is a highly urbanized nation. In 2010 the national population grew in the total of 94
million. While the annual growth rate has declined over a period of 25 years, the urban growth rate
remains higher than the national growth rate due to a high birth rate, in-migration, and to some extent
the reclassification of local government units (LGUs) .

Every developing society embarks on a process of economic change, rapid industrialization,

commercialization increase in productivity, employment generation and etc. which are the important
areas of economic development that focus on the state and due to this economic development the
population of the area also increases tremendously and so do the Infrastructure facilities. The needs of
the certain barangays, municipalities, cities and etc. is also increases thats why the National government
take the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC) or Republic Act (RA) 7160 enacted by the congress to guide
the LGU, enabling considerable administrative and fiscal devolution to LGU. It is an important
precondition for adequate service delivery given the archipelagic nature and geographical dispersion of
the country. This challenging governance environment has been linked with the country’s low
competitiveness rating, and low elasticity of poverty to economic growth thats why it is important for
the rural-urban local government to stabilize the good partnership in terms on stabilizing their good
governance mechanisms through the decentralization process by making programs and other added
projects in order them to be more productive cities or municipalities.

2. Discuss the importance of effective Internet Platforms in the operation of Local Governments in the
Philippines.

Digital technology platforms that support citizen participation can increase transparency and
accountability in local governance systems, providing new ways for citizens to participate, broadening
their access to information, and increasing feedback between citizens and local government units. It is
also relevant platform for governments to interact with its constituents and the public at large.

However, while there are local government units (LGUs) which have early on adopted these networking
platforms, this technology can still be considered as an "unchartered territory" for some which may have
demonstrated weak experience and knowledge in implementing communication campaigns using social
media.

The Philippine Government Common Platform (PGCP) aims to improve services and enhance the
operational efficiency of government agencies by developing policies and frameworks that promote
interoperability, implementing unified ICT-enabled business processes designed to work seamlessly
across public sector institutions, and establishing information infrastructure that will allow the
exchange, collaboration, and sharing of data.
Through this initiative, government agencies will be able to use and contribute information in a secure,
reliable and standardized manner, while decision makers will be able to access these up-to-date and
contextually relevant information.

3. Discuss the importance of the Rural and Urban Planning in the Local Governments in the Philippines.

The lack of a clear, coherent, and integrated institutional framework with supportive public sector
institutional arrangements will led to a dysfunctional sector with duplications and overlapping functions
due to a lack of synchronization of mandates among the various players outside the purview of the
projects and program they want to impose. It is important that the framework strategies recognize the
needs to enhance coordinative mechanisms at various levels. It also identifies fundamental issues
related to urban policy formulation and implementation, vertical and horizontal linkages among
institutions performing functions relevant to the programs they want to impose or to the developments
they want to implement, as well as the need to synchronize area-based plans and programs with sector
priorities. It is essential to improve interfacing between local government officials and representatives of
regional and national government agencies to improve implementation at the local project level. that is
imperative for broaden in its scope to coordinate urban development management to meet the
objectives and goals outlined in the updated developments and plans.

4. Does higher level Governance impact on the ability of Local Governments to plan.

Where most powers are concentrated in central government agencies and their regional branches. Local
authorities are weak, have few functions which serve as arms of the central government. More
democratic local authorities may be small, as municipal fragmentation ensures that local government
cannot form a power base to compete with central government. In addition, local government
organization influences land-use planning, and local development strategies and disparities. Local
government reforms can, therefore, serve to modify spatial patterns of development and disparities. Its
positive impact is also dependent on norms of administration at the central level, whereas reduced
competition over economic development has its negative sides. Central or higher level of government
can impact or affect the local government plan in terms of many aspects including the budget allocation
for any program and development for the small local government domain.