It is widely accepted that our local government units or LGUs, including the barangays which constitute the smallest unit of our political system, are veritable engines for growth and development in our collective task of nation building.

In the context of the highly politicized Philippine setting, and in the face of development challenges, many are pinning their hopes not on national leaders but rather on executives at the local level who have set a high benchmark for excellence in governance.

As a nation blessed with a wide array of assets in terms of natural and human resources, it is disheartening that despite these endowments the pace of development and quality of life have significantly lagged behind compared to our neighbors in this part of the world.

Admittedly, there are so-called islands of good governance as exemplified by Mayor Edward Hagedorn of Puerto Princesa in Palawan and Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City in Camarines Sur. They are models of leadership at the grassroots level worthy of emulation and ought to be replicated across the nation.

Development is a function of local governance and, if one look at the big picture, it can be said that development is the main rationale for the existence of government. It is a key factor that spurs economic growth, development and investment.

As early as 1986 a UN Declaration on the Right to Development (UNCRD) stated thus:

“The right to development is an inalienable right by virtue of which every human person and all people are entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.” It further said, “The human person is the central subject of development and should be the active participant and beneficiary of development.”

Over the weekend I came across a news item saying that Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government has launched a human rights program purportedly designed to enhance good governance and people empowerment at the barangay level.

This reminds me of an essay showing that the human rights way to development have the following key criteria reproduced hereunder and abridged for lack of space:

1. The human person is the central subject of development. This is a fundamental criterion, deriving as it is from the raison d’etre of development.

2. People have the right to participate in development. This means people’s participation, particularly those who will be affected by projects, to participate in whole development process – from conceptualization and planning to implementation and monitoring.

3. People are the beneficiaries of development. This implies fair distribution of the fruits of development to all members of society, especially the marginalized sectors.

4. The right to development is universal, indivisible, and interdependent in relation to all other rights. This refers to the limits set by human rights on development particularly in cases where development
projects tend to trespass on other rights. It also points out how seemingly conflicting rights should be handled and resolved.

5. The State has the primary duty and responsibility to create the favorable condition for the realization of the right to development. This implies the State’s duty for ensuring human rights, including the right to development, in the course of the whole process of development.
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Email: businessagenda_report@yahoo.com.ph.