Signed by former and present government officials and staff, representatives from the private sector, academe, civil society organizations and NGOs, friends and supporters, and local government units. (Click to view full version with list of names)

This statement appeared on page A27 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 24, 2012.

Secretary Jesse M. Robredo valued public office as a covenant with the people and a privilege from God. He showed us how to listen so that policies and programs can reflect the needs and priorities of citizens. He demanded that every citizen should have access to decisions made by government and should be served well.

He called on every citizen to be part of the process of building better government. He advocated measurement of performance so that every public official and employee can be accountable for their powers and responsibilities. His life is proof that a true public servant leads and serves by example. He was the change that we wanted to see in our country.

We call on His Excellency, President Benigno Aquino to lead the movement of honouring Secretary Jesse M. Robredo by continuing his legacy especially in the Department of Interior and Local Government.

He inspired local government officials to rise to a new level of public service by becoming transparent, participatory, accountable and honest. His institution of the Seal of Good Housekeeping gives the public an instrument to measure the true worth of their local government. The shoes of Secretary Robredo are almost impossible to fill. But we believe that Secretary Robredo has inspired young, dedicated, bright, honest, and competent Filipinos, especially among local government officials, to carry out the noble and heroic work he has started. We pray for the President as he searches for Secretary Robredo’s right successor. We vow to be the empowered citizens Secretary Robredo has always wanted us to be by demanding transparency, honesty, and excellence from our government and from ourselves.

Pinakamamahal naming Kalihim, thank you for showing us that we can be proud to be Filipinos, and that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Thank you for challenging us to help in paving the way for a new and better way of governance. Thank you for reminding us that we will be remembered not because of the power and wealth we amassed but how well we related to every citizen especially the poor. We pledge to carry out your ideals and examples, especially in providing our fellow citizens with opportunities to realize their fullest potential.

We fellow civil servants grieve over the untimely demise of a co-idealist Jesse Robredo, one who epitomized the Filipino dream of transforming his native town to world recognition earning him a Ramon Magsaysay Award. He can teach many of us politicians to junk the trappings of power, commutes, with no bodyguards among the flank of ARMM governors the he usually convenes for the reform ARMM program. Multi-awarded, Robredo has extended the good governance campaign to the Philippines’ poorest in armm.

- Reform ARMM Now (RAN) via text message to Team Robredo

“We do not need another EDSA… for our country to move ahead. EDSA must be everyday. That means everyone understands he has an obligation to serve. That means reform is an every day activity. That means the daily grind is more important than the one-time heroic moment.” — Hon. Jesse M. Robredo

To honor Sec. Jesse, we will heed his call to be everyday heroes.

I am very pleased to meet each one of you. If you so desire, you can remind the nation that there is greatness in the Filipino. You can be the symbols to prove that we don’t have to be bogged down by the “impossibles” and the “difficults”. You can prove to Filipinos that truly, heroes are made every day whether in Metro Manila or in Saranggani or in Bicol, and when they work together, the normal rules of mathematics do not apply.

You’ve all heard this before. One plus one in collaborative change equals so much more than two. Two heroes who want to change the world together could bring about mountains of change.

I was only 29 when I first became Mayor of Naga City. The challenges seemed overpowering in the beginning. But the triumph is sweeter when the road that leads to it is difficult to climb.

The one connection that links all of you is your advocacy, and therefore your desire to educate and inspire others. With the complex movements of thought that occupy your daily lives, I am sure that while you have already achieved much, you can push yourself to go many steps further.

I urge you to take on more challenges. Dive into deeper conversations. We need young thinkers in good governance and good citizenship, and in pushing for transparency and accountability. We need you to be more involved in protecting marginalized groups, because many of them do not know how to do a better “shoutout” for themselves. We need you to speak up so that those in far-flung areas can be heard.

Might I even suggest that you get involved in government? Not a lot of people realize this, but there is a group of very young people right now making a lot of contribution in pushing the wheels of government to move. Once, while I was waiting for my next appointment, I saw Joan, (she tells me where to go and what time because she handles my schedule) talking to a group of young people.

She introduced me to them; they were her classmates in Ateneo de Manila. They were all 23ish, and they prepare the schedules of many of the cabinet secretaries. They know each other well, so bridging common concerns among the different departments seem to be so easy. I told her and her friends. “Pretty soon, before we know it, you will be running the government.”

They could have taken other jobs that paid much better, are less demanding, and will allow them to have time for more dates. But they decided to serve, and that’s something the nation should be grateful for.

This is what I mean by heroes working together. In our discussion, we can then talk about how public-private partnerships can enhance nation building. Again, thank you for coming to see me.

I have one last request. Could you please “like” DILG on Facebook? ☺

Message
Asia21 Philippines Young Leaders’ Forum
DILG, Quezon City
August 26, 2011

Heroes Working Together:
Higher Math in Collaborative Change
Hon. Jesse M. Robredo
Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Government

- William E. Cabanag, Bias City via text message to Team Robredo

- Nonoy Nagueño via Facebook

Thank you to the fishermen and the Red Cross Masbate Chapter who first responded to the crash site, the Coast Guard and Masbate local officials, to Sec. Mar Roxas for spearheading the SaR Operations, to President Noynoy for his support and presence, to the police and the military, the local as well as foreign divers, for putting your life on the line.

Your selfless acts are proof that we all have a Jesse Robredo in us, fighting the good fight, willing to sacrifice for others. We also thank the countless Filipinos who showed support by kneeling down in prayer and keeping vigil. And we above all thank God for answering our prayers and for watching over the Filipinos in this time of grief.

We will not be able to name everyone but we nonetheless salute you for standing by our man, our kapitan, our hero Jesse Robredo.

Just to show you what kind of a leader he is. Here is our Jesse leading an education summit in Naga:

Mayor Jesse and me in Jolo:

Mayor Jesse in Synergeia’s first covenant with then DepED’s Secretary Butch Abad. He came without anything and asked Chingkel for a diskette so that he can download his paper from the web.

Mayor Jesse when we opened Synergeia’s ARMM program in Upi. He rode on MVP’s plane that was borrowed by Fr. Nebres. Sana, pinahiram na lang siya ng plane ni MVP.

Mayor Jesse in New York. American mayors were just warming on on leading education programs–eh nagawa na ni Jesse sa Pilipinas. So, he was brought there to share his experiences. I was so proudly mentioning that he was a Magsaysay awardee when he passed by the hotel lobby in his chinese slippers. Ayos!

Mayor Jesse spending his first Christmas in Synergeia as a Cabinet member. Pareho pa rin, checkered pa rin ang shirt at walang medyas.

Mayor Jesse traversed the entire country mentoring Mayors and LSBs on how to reinvent Local School Board. And daling dalhin–nag-bus, sleeps in cheap hotels, and with just one assistant, Willie Prilles, who speaks like him.

Mayor Mayor Jesse is the 2005 Synergeia retreat. He was late, pero dumating din at naka-barong pa.

Last post for today. Pagod na ang puso ko. Here he is during a crying session with Mayors and Governors after the elections. The results were disappointing especially for the champions of good governance. But he asked everyone to have hopes and transform good governance into good politics.

Prof. Ernie Garilao said that we cannot find another Jesse but we should be like Jesse. At least, try our very best to live up to his ideals and virtues.

We miss you so very much Jesse.

- Milwida M. Guevara via Facebook

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo has advanced reforms in local government and the interior sector that are crucial for the country’s “matuwid na daan”, government officials, lawmakers, civil society organizations, the academe, urban poor groups, and other supporters said on Sunday.

Sec. Robredo’s body has been found this morning by search and rescue teams in Masbate City, ending almost three days of waiting. He was on his way home to Naga City after two speaking engagements in Cebu City, when the twin-engine Piper Seneca aircraft he was on crash-landed off Bgy. Obingay, Masbate City around 500 meters away from the airport runway.

Fishermen rescued Sr. Police Inspector Jun Abrazado after he lost consciousness trying to protect the secretary, but Sec. Robredo and the two pilots remain missing.

Movement for Good Governance chairperson Solita Monsod said it was crucial that the reforms Sec. Robredo has begun be continued and that his replacement would make sure that the ideals he fought for be protected.

Up until the night before his departure for Cebu, Sec. Robredo has been pushing his management team to find more effective ways to advance reforms in local governance and the interior sector. He was particularly focused on drumming up public support for the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP), an instrument that he hoped would advance transparency and accountability in local governance.

The FDP, the crown jewel of Sec. Jesse’s work in local governance, requires LGUs to disclose in public places 12 key financial documents that show how funds are spent. As of June 2012, 1,697 or 99% of LGUs have complied with the policy. This is validated by latest Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations surveys that show more Filipinos now observe transparency and accountability in their localities.

The FDP is a requirement in the conferment of the Seal of Good Housekeeping, which is awarded to LGUs every year. The Seal of Good Housekeeping rewards honesty and excellence in local governance. As of June 2012, 856 LGUs who have qualified for the SGH have been granted P1.1 billion from the Performance Challenge Fund—money that based on the guidelines are spent for the poorest of the poor.

“Lagi ko pong sinabi na itinaas na natin ang antas o sukat ng paglilingkod. Hindi na sapat na tayo ay matino lamang. Hindi rin sapat na tayo at mahusay lamang. Hindi lahat ng matino ay mahusay, at lalo namang hindi lahat ng mahusay ay matino. Ang dapat ay matino at mahusay upang karapat dapat tayong pagkatiwalaan ng pera ng bayan,” the Secretary is fond of saying.

Last Friday, he wanted to start an advocacy campaign so that ordinary citizens would use the maximum benefits from the tool to demand good governance and transparency from their local leaders.

He also gave instructions that illegal logging be stopped, and those involved be made accountable.

Sec. Robredo has also been tirelessly improving disaster risk reduction and mitigation capabilities of local government units across the country. He has introduced the Seal of Disaster Preparedness, another incentive mechanism to help LGUs deal with disasters and calamities. “The important thing here is reducing casualties to zero,” he said.

As of the first semester of this year, 8,504 LGUs already have functional disaster management councils. Exactly 1,539 have command centers and alarm systems. They now have emergency response, rescue, and medical teams, and evacuation centers.

Having been a Mayor in Naga City for 19 years, Sec. Robredo was strict about ensuring that each LGU’s business process licensing system are streamlined and highly effective. The Department committed to the Millennium Challenge Corp. to streamline the BPLS of 120 LGUs in four years. As of June 2012, 748 LGUs have already streamlined their BPLS within a two-year period. This has raised revenue collection by as much as 7% in Lapu-Lapu City and 18% in Butuan City.

The latest National Competitiveness Survey results showed that 70% of businessmen respondents received permits in three days or less. In fact, 17% did so and less than two hours.

Sec. Robredo believed that measuring outcomes lead to improvement. He enhanced the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS), a tool to measure LGU performance, by turning it into an assessment tool validated by third-party assessment. This is a departure from the old system of self-assessment.

Consolidated results of the LGPMS shows that there has been a consistent increase in the number of LGUs with high overall performance ratings, from 913 in 2009 to 1,050 in 2010, to 1,261 in 2011.

There has also been a 200% leap in the number of LGUs that allow civil society organizations, public organizations, the academe and religious groups to participate in local governance. A concrete example of this is the DILG’s partnership with the Ugnayan ng mga Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS) to monitor LGU budgets and with Ateneo School of Government and De La Salle University’s monitoring of public services in the local governments.

In ARMM, Sec. Robredo was instrumental in the promotion of transparency and accountability among local governments through the Seal of Good Housekeeping in ARMM. The DILG is also on top of the reform program in ARMM with funding of P8.59 billion.

In the interior sector, Sec. Robredo batted for a vision that every Filipino can walk the streets unafraid 24×7. In 2011, crime rate went down 23.8%. Financial reforms in the Philippine National Police also led to the 54% increase in the budget for field units to P1,000 per capital from P650. This means the police have more funds for uniform, shoes, bullets and other needs. Police visibility has also increased with the field deployment of 90% of the police force, as opposed to 85% previously.

Through the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the DILG initiated investigations and formally filed charges against individuals involved in spurious procurement contracts.

“Tatapatin ko po sainyo, minsan mabigat sa dibdib ko ang gawaing ito. Subalit pag nakikita ko po yung ordinaryong pulis sa kaduluduluhang istasyon, sinasabi ko po sa aking sarili kailangan ko pong gawin ito para sa kanya. Ito na lang po ang kaniyang pag-asa at magsilbing huwaran din na dapat ang matuwid na daan ang syang dapat nating tahakin,” Sec. Robredo told officials of the interior sector during his New Year’s Call early this year.

Sec. Robredo declared just last week that he intended to pursue all these reforms at whatever cost, to ensure that the “matuwid na daan” of the President is well lighted and easy to traverse for every citizen.

“Pinapangako ko po na marami pa tayong pakikinabangan sa mga repormang pinalakas natin sa DILG. Paiigtingin pa natin ang pagbabago sa lokal na pamahalaan at sa interior sector upang suportahan ang ginagawa nyo sa national. Sa tulong ng opisyal at kawani ng DILG, gagawin ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya para maabot natin ang pangarap ng isang bansang matuwid at maayos ang daan,” reads his prepared statement for his upcoming Commission on Appointments hearing. #