Creating favorable business

climate thru LoGIC in Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol November 23, (PIA)—Governments which dream of striking shortcuts to development that redound to their people are more keen on getting tangible projects, very few are rooting for the logic of finding a sustainable way of doing it.

Enter LoGIC, or Local Government Integrity Circles, a project but is more of a program that could make local governments craft a system of building a culture of integrity that could propel the towns into their desired niches in the competitive world of development, explains Robert dela Serna, LoGIC consultant in Bohol.

Here for LoGIC orientations to local government units, dela Serna as well as Rhoda delos Santos have moved about in Bohol, along with staff from the local Go Negosyo, trying to sell to local government units a way to make them attain more sustainable development through the institutionalization of integrity in their business dealings.

“We visit LGUS and orient the mayors, urge them to bring their department heads participation and enlarge the movement to promote the culture of integrity among LGUS, he said.

Such is to facilitate and create a better business environment through good governance and integrity in processes, dela Serna explained during a chance interview.

And in time when the government strictly implements the Anti Red Tape Act (ARTA), LoGIC would be very helpful in streamlining processes and usher in a business climate that is conducive for investments.

First among LoGIC’s engagements is the Integrity Self-Assessment Tool, which assesses an LGU’s vulnerability to corrupt practices.

ISAT is adopted for LGUs, it allows them to assess their strengths and weaknesses, and work from there to make the processes better.

LoGIC sees that several LGUs may have come up with innovations in streamline business processes, but when a new leader comes, the practice is hardly sustained, notes dela Serna.

In short, LoGIC would comes as a technical support program for LGUS who are intending to make better their circuitous processes especially when it comes to putting up and nurturing a good business environment for investors to locate.

The end result is for LGUS to adopts an integrity brand, which would also be a crucial support to the LGU’s aims to make it to the Department of Interior and Local Government’s Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).

While there are already LGUs who have attained SGLGs on their own systems innovation, the question of sustaining the award in good management is now always maintained.

The LoGIC approach is for multi-sectors as widely represented in a council that drafts the new systems, test runs it and fixes it for a most efficient and transparent system that works, added Rhoda delos Santos.

We operate on the same framework that once we provide a favorable investment environment, we will have jobs that will generate more income for the LGUS and then elevate the economic status of people, dela Serna capped his pitch.

Asked what would be the more tangible offer that LGUS can get in the program, LoGIC said since the project that is programmed to facilitate good business climate is a project by the European Union and implemented by the Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung Foundation, LGUs with LoGIC implementation are invited to regional summits where LGUs can meet investors.  

LoGIC is also in partnership with the European Economic Council of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, League of Provinces of the Philippines.

The program for LGUs has been endorsed by the Department of Interior and Local Government, Trade and Industry, the LMP and civil society organizations in Bohol, dela Serna ended. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)   

CREATING FAVORABLE BUSINESS CLIMATE. While LGUS have been scouring for programs to elevate their local business environment to be favorable to investors, making Local Government Integrity Circles (LoGIC) is one sure way to a sustainable and more inclusive strategy, said Robert Dela Serna in an interview. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)