The Mayor: At the centre of e-Governance in Dinalupihan, Philippines
Joel Payumo is Mayor of the Municipality of Dinalupihan, Bataan Province, Philippines. As Mayor he has many people seeking his attention. This week I was one of those people.
I’m here in Dinalupihan as a Volunteer Advisor (VA) to the eGov4MD project, with the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO). The eGov4MD project is an international collaborative, orchestrated by the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), bringing together various Filipino organizations, municipalities, and foreign nonprofits (e.g., CESO). The project will help Filipino municipalities develop and leverage their Information Technology (IT) staff and capacities.
Mayor Payumo is a strong advocate for using information technology to improve the services delivered by the Municipality. One of the strategies being actively promoted by Mayor Payumo is Internet ng Bayan (loosely translated as Internet for the Public). It is on that front that I initially engaged him, in the following video…
Mayor Payumo’s vision for Internet ng Bayan and e-Governance includes:
- Community facilities. Establishing community facilities where anyone can have access to the Internet, for free
- Educational opportunities. Providing educational opportunities for the less fortunate (many working people in Dinalupihan earn the equivalent of $5/day), on how to use the technology available in the Municipality and/or com munity facilities
- Staffing. Staffing the Municipality with the right people for moving Internet ng Bayan and e-Governance forward (this week I’ve worked closely with Decker Cristobal, Municipal IT Officer – I’ve been impressed with Decker, and what he and his staff are accomplishing)
- E-Applications. Supplementing Municipal staffing and personnel development with actual e-applications that staff can use and deploy (= building Municipal capacity)
- Focus on citizens. Applying information technology in ways that actually “serves the people”; e.g., improves access to Municipal services, reduces red tape, and constrains graft and corruption (e.g., via secure, transparent, technology applications)
- Communications. Enhancing the Municipal website so that anyone can easily understand what services (electronic or otherwise) the Municipality offers
- Economic investment. Using the Internet to better communicate how business is done in Dinalupihan (= being business friendly)
- Services extension. Extending Municipal services, via the Internet, to constituents not living in the community, and yet who are part of the community (e.g., Filipinos working and/or living overseas)
- Sharing and collaboration. Sharing Municipality information technology resources and expertise, and working together, with other Municipalities and organizations
Mayor Payumo comes from a family that are no strangers to Dinalupihan politics, and the role of Mayor. His father, mother, and brother were themselves Dinaluphian mayors (read more about Dinalupihan history and politics here). First elected in 2004, Mayor Payumo is currently completing his second term of office (the maximum under Filipino law is three terms or 9 years).
And, as I mentioned kicking off this post, the Mayor always seems to be in the middle of things. I took the photo below when I saw the Mayor addressing a large crowd of people, young and old, inside his Office:
And for you the reader of this post … what suggestion or advice would you give the Mayor, about using information technology for the community’s benefit?
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Dear Mr. Mayor, Although I had been absent for many years from Dinalupihan, Bataan due to my present employment status, I was able to visit last Christmas of 2009. Noticed a lot of improvement in the community, however, I would like to brought up something in regards to community development especially pertaining to residents health and living conditions. Can the present management change or reconstruct our sewage system in Dinalupihan? Also can you ban the use of Videoke machine in the community. During my short stay there, I was deprive of real well deserve vacation due to the neighbors using loud videoke machine. Just want to sent you what I do really think about the town. Also, I personally know your Mom Lucy because she is the Godmother of my first child. My abode is located at Mabini Proper and still living there. It is my pleasure to be able to relay my concern to you being the leader and head of my town. Thanks and Godspeed.