20 EROPA Bulletin
Government (Institutions...)
(From page 19)
Decentralization in the Philippines After 21 Years
Dr. Remigio Ed.
Ocenar assessed the
achievements of
decentralization,
particularly on the
delivery of basic
services, and how
these are supported
by fiscal transfers.
He started off
by providing a
background of the localgovernment structure and the
legal framework for local autonomy. In assessing the
basic service delivery, agriculture, one of the oldest
devolved function, has improved under the devolved
set-up. However, it is beset with lingering problems
of capacity building, funds, and vertical coordination.
Similarly, health, albeit the expansion of facilities,
is pestered with issues of corruption and lack of
personnel, among others. Education, he mentioned,
was not a devolved function, while environment is
only partially devolved. He noted that public works
service has been receiving about 50 percent of the
development funds. Trade, industry and tourism,
which are national and local concerns, have made
significant progress, particularly the establishment of
one-stop shops. Good practices have also been
observed, documented and promoted in the areas of
local finance, people’s participation and inter-local
cooperation. Despite these successes, challenges
abound. Accordingly, he proposes a local government
reform agenda that will focus on reforming local
structures and functions, strengthening local finance,
enhancing corporate powers, improving national-local
relations, reforming leadership terms, and continuing
studies and debate on local governance. When asked
about the driving force behind decentralization, Dr.
Ocenar noted that a series of decentralization efforts
and policies had been introduced even before the new
decentralization law was enacted in 1991.
Vol. 34 Nos. 3-4 (July-December 2013)
Trend of Dual Representative System Unique
to Japan: Multilayered Check-and-Balance
System
Prof. Shunsuke Kimura’s presentation dealt with the
recent controversies concerning the dual representative
system in Japanese local governments. Accord