Governing the pandemic

Politics and Crisis: A Discussion Series

(Second of an eight-part series) control as much as it can. Doing so lessens or even stifles the ability of LGUs to decide what is best for their localities, given the unique conditions that they have. This runs counter to the principle and spirit behind devolution, enshrined in the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991.

Devolution is unapologetically political. It is a critical part of deepening democracy since its primary goal is the increase of citizen participation in local decision making. Devolution as such makes the LGU more accountable and responsive to the needs of the people it serves. sides of governance. What makes a local government stand out compared to others is not how much resources it has at its disposal, but how its leadership is able to make strategic choices, even in the face of political opposition and uncertainty in the next round of elections. For this kind of leadership to thrive, it needs the backing of local institutions that are: strong - able to resist capture of local predatory powers; flexible — not afraid to innovate administrative routines to make it more responsive to the demands of the time; and modern — professional, well-trained local bureaucracy able to generate evidence-informed and proactive policies at all times.

Procedural policies have long-term substantive consequences. The National Action Plan (NAP) along with other national and local resolutions will continue to have an impact on the ways by which the national and local governments relate to one another beyond the COVID -19 pandemic. It will also affect how we will look at and appreciate public goods: health, education, housing, transportation, social security, just employment, and food sufficiency, to name just a few. The one good thing that this pandemic arguably has caused us is that it has flattened our curve of individualism and has forced us to think and behave collectively.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE