RATIONALE

The College of Governance and Public Policy (CGPP), University of Makati is at the precipice of vast changes. This is borne out of recent events that put the City of Makati at the centre of major challenges and transformations in politics and governance. The assumption of Mayor Jejomar C Binay to the Vice Presidency signals an opportunity for UMak to be at the forefront of being a positive agent for reform and innovation in the country.

This coincides with the end of Senator Aquilino ‘Nene’ Q Pimentel Jr’s twelve-year term in the Senate, where he has distinguished himself as a brilliant legislator, an effective ‘fiscalizer’, and a most ardent advocate of safeguarding the people’s rights and welfare. Among observers of public policy and local government reforms however, Senator Pimentel’s magnum opus is the passage of the Local Government Code of 1991. This single piece of legislation is regarded in the whole world as the strongest, most comprehensive, and most serious attempt to bring the government closer to the people.

As he bows down from his legislative duties, this proposal to establish the ‘Senator Aquilino Q Pimentel Jr Center for Local Governance’is a fitting tribute to the man who paved the way for local government units (LGUs), such as Makati, to find its rightful place in articulating and realizing the citizens’ dreams, goals, and aspirations. In addition, this endeavor will certainly open windows of opportunity for the College and the University in the areas of research and instruction.

The list of concerns for the incoming Aquino administration seems endless. However, one specific area where both Vice President-Elect Binay and Senator Pimentel have figured prominently in a considerable number of years pertains to governance – to be specific local governance. Their familiarity with the subject, both in terms of theory and practice, is unquestioned. Perhaps this was what prompted former President Corazon C Aquino to appoint Senator Pimentel as her Minister (then later Secretary) of Local Government.

For his part, Vice President-Elect Binay has undoubtedly become the poster image of excellent local governance. This has created a special niche for him - a ‘best practice’ as it were for all to emulate. It is also quite clear that the policy direction of the incoming administration of Makati Mayor-Elect Junjun Binay veers towards a philosophy of wider inclusion – true to the spiel ‘Ganito kami sa Makati, ganito sana sa buong bansa’ often repeated during the campaigns.

The University of Makati, in keeping with its avowed role of being a gatekeeper of academic knowledge and information, must play an important role in this equation. ‘Best practices’ attain iconic status generally through word of mouth, which elicits people’s interests, attracting further attention to an otherwise routine task. This is even more logical in the case of CGPP, as it houses UMak’s flagship programs in Political Science and Public Administration. Over the last years, the College has lead seminal works in this area, examples of which include the modular program on Barangay Governance, the Binay Forum, and several other conferences that deal with the ever complex issue of governance.

STRATEGIC FUNCTIONS

The Senator Aquilino Q Pimentel Jr Center for Local Governance, a unit within the College of Governance and Public Policy, University of Makati, is envisioned to be a premier provider of world-class education in governance studies, as well as a research and training outfit that aims to enhance the competencies of local government executives, staff members, academics, and other interested individuals and organizations in the areas of governance and public policy. Its three-fold functions include the following:


Teaching:

SAPCLG will administer CGPP’s existing Certificate Program for Barangay Governance, the take-off point for those who intend to enroll in the graduate level-Master in Public Administration Program (MPA) Major in Local Governance.

Currently, CGPP has in its roster a number of students who have already completed the certificate course stretched over the last few years. They are intently waiting for the University’s equivalency program, which became possible through endeavors such as the BS Life Studies program offered by the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE). For its part, SAPCLG will be handling the BA in Political Science Major in Local Government Administration offering, to be delivered via an Executive Program, and the proposed Bachelor of Arts in Governance – Executive Program, CGPP’s ventures into equivalency and accrediting real life experience as equivalent course credits.


Research:

As a research outfit, SAPCLG will lead efforts to properly document and analyze all researches, monographs, conferences and the like that CGPP faculty members, SAPCLG staff, and students are involved in. With proper funding, the unit will also conduct researches on areas of politics, governance, and public policy. Current efforts to document the City Government of Makati’s best practices will also be subsumed under SAPCLG’s functions.


Extension:

SAPCLG will also launch and manage short courses, training, and seminars intended for local government executives, staff members, and other interested individuals and organizations, all in line with Makati City’s thrust of further expanding its brand of governance.

The unit shall also establish external linkages with other organizations such as other local government units, NGOs, international organizations, and other academic institutions in order to further enhance the thrust of the College.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The following are the specific objectives of SAPCLG:

• To serve as a center for teaching, research, in-service training and consultancy services in the field of governance and public policy;
• To assist local government executives, staff members, academics, and other interested individuals and organizations in improving their practice on specific areas of governance and public policy;
• To organize and make available information on different aspects of local governance and to contribute to the advancement of studies in governance and public policy;
• To advance the study and practice of governance and public policy in the entire country; and
• To inspire and guide local government executives, staff members, academics, civil society actors, and other interested individuals and organizations in their practice of governance and public policy.

DESIGNATION OF SENATOR PIMENTEL AS ‘DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR’

Propagating Makati’s brand of governance, with the end in view of sharing information, analyses, and experience to the rest of the country, perhaps in an effort to create and chronicle ‘best practices’, will be better achieved through a system of research and documentation lead by individuals with the proper education and training. As the demand for these kinds of projects are increasing, the College believes that it is best to create a center within its fold to formulate and oversee the implementation of these tasks.

Hence, the CGPP is respectfully proposing the designation of Senator Pimentel as ‘Distinguished Professor of Local Governance.’ By tradition, appointment as a Distinguished Professor is only done when a person has made a significant contribution to a body of knowledge or an academic field of interest. In the case of Senator Pimentel, his involvement as the principal author of the Local Government Code of 1991, his role as former President Aquino’s Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, and his continued involvement in uplifting the status of LGUs across the country, are more than enough reasons to support his proposed designation.

SAPCLG Responsible Stakeholders

Concurrent Director : Prof Ederson Delos Trino Tápia
Program Head : Dr Norma D Camunay
Senior Fellows : Dr Jaime G Ocampo, Prof Andrew Lou L Mungcal and Prof Ederson Delos Trino Tápia
Fellows : Prof Arturo B Maravilla, Prof Raymund John P Rosuelo and Prof Julius L Porley