“As partners for development, we need to push local government units to greater heights in their pursuit for improved local governance”, DILG Assistant Regional Director Elouisa T. Pastor stressed in her welcome remarks during the opening program of the training on Technical Writing and Documentation and Packaging of LGUs Best Practices held at Casa Eugenia Tabaco City on January 19-21, 2011 sponsored by AECID under the Strengthening of Local Governments Project (SLGP). The need to capacitate the LGUs in documenting their best practices will give them the opportunity to showcase the exemplary programs and projects in their localities that is worth emulating.
Mayor Krisel Lagman Luistro of Tabaco City manifested her support in the conduct of the activity. She believes that the City of Tabaco has many things to offer and many things to write about. In her message, she encouraged the participants to seize the opportunity to learn and be a part of the continuing efforts in achieving good governance in their localities.
The training focused primarily on how to formulate a feasible documentation and packaging of the best practices of a local government unit. To fully equip the participants with the knowledge on the process of proper documentation, competent speakers were invited to discuss the basics on news and feature writing, the principles of technical writing and desktop lay-outing as well as the fundamentals of audio visual presentation. The participants were composed of selected LGU personnel and two staff from the DILG regional office. A workshop was conducted for every activity followed by the critiquing of the outputs .
On the documentation of programs and packaging of the best practices, Regional GO-Far Coordinator Susan Emce Santiago gave the overview of the GO-FAR program. Ms. Susita Bulawit of DILG-BLGD discussed and presented the documentation guidelines. A workshop was conducted on the preparation of the draft reference documents and IEC materials of the identified good practices. The speaker critiqued the output presented by the participants. Their respective action plans will be monitored by the Regional GO-Far Team to ensure the formulation of full blown reference documents by LGUs. A total of ten (7) outputs were produced by the following LGUs: (1) Ligao City : ” Dugong Alay, Sagip Buhay; Citizen’s Lifeline Service: A rational viable and sustainable Life Saving Intervention; (2) Legazpi City : Sagip Kalusugan Program; (3) Tabaco City : Sentrong K : Making a Difference Thru People Empowerment and Gainful Employment in Tabaco City; (4) Iriga City : Magkausad: The Iriga City Environment Protection Experience; (5) Tiwi, Albay : Lingap Baybayon: A Sustainable Coastal Resource Management thru an Empowered MFARMC of Tiwi, Albay; (6) Castilla, Sorsogon : Discover the Peace and Development Impact of Barangay Defense System Across Poverty Alleviation and Development Initiatives; (7) Minalabac, Camarines Sur : Water System. – ( with reports from LGOO V Cristy L.. Bahillo and Information Technology Officer I Eden S. Lanuza)