In a recent forum sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the European Commission (EC), and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), local government units (LGUs) were urged to form alliances with the private sector and non-government organizations (NGOs) to better address issues on environment, health, and governance.

Leaders and personnel of LGUs all over the country, along with representatives of the private sector and NGOs gathered at the Second Inter-LGU Summit to discuss means of promoting and sustaining LGU alliances and address pressing issues on environment, governance, and health.

The forum aimed to assist LGUs in strengthening mechanisms for inter-local cooperation and learning from best practices already established, so that they can better formulate common solutions and take immediate actions on pressing problems of their constituents. The conference was highlighted by the validation of the GTZ-sponsored "cookbook" on setting up institutional financial arrangements and legal instruments in starting, managing, and sustaining inter-LGU alliances.

The program is part of the EC-funded project on Dialogue on Governance: Strategic Projects Facility (SPF2). This was initiated in 2008, to strengthen the capacity of LGUs to improve governance and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Second Inter-Local Government Units Summit definitely provided a clearer view of the opportunities available for collaboration among themselves and between the LGUs and the private sector in bringing about greater efficiency in delivering services and in protecting and effectively managing natural resources.