Expansion of a local education resource expansion model in bohol province by Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines

Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines

Exploration of a Local Education Resource Expansion Model in Bohol Province 09 June 2014

Report developed by: Czarina Medina-Guce, M.A. (Executive Director), Genixon David, Ernesto Cifra Jr., and Dan Drebb Eusalan (Project Officers), of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines. Contact us at czarinamedina@gmail.com or ulapnatsec@gmail.com.

LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Appendix B

Executive Order No. 26, series of 2011, Provincial Government of Bohol News Articles/Media Releases about the Bohol Convergence Education Summit

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW This project, which ran from March to May 2014, is a continuation of ULAP’s partnership with the AusAid (DFAT)-The Asia Foundation (TAF) partnership in the Philippines under the Coalitions for Change (CfC) program. In the first phase of the engagement, “Developing Local Capacity for Institutionalizing Education Reforms – Preliminary Phase” which was implemented in March to October 2013, ULAP sought to map out the needs and issues of local education and eventually was able to successfully push for the commitment of the Local Government Units (LGUs) on local education governance, particularly through the Local School Board (LSB). From the outputs and evidences gathered from the first phase of engagement, there emerged a compelling need to identify and explore how local resources for education may be expanded in order for LGUs to complement the Department of Education (DepEd) to deliver services more effectively and collaboratively in the grassroots level. Thus the main objective of the second phase of the engagement is to develop a workable and replicable model of better provincial LGU-DepEd collaboration that will improve local resource allocation to education. Systems, processes and relationships in provincial local governments that would allow for better program development and complementation with DepEd will also be explored. From ULAP’s knowledge of the provincial practices on education, and upon consultation with the CFC network and the Department of Education, the Province of Bohol was selected as a case reference for the local resource expansion model.1 Results and recommendations from this project will be used as inputs for the work of ULAP in the Revised Special Education Fund (SEF) Guidelines and Local Government Code revisions with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and for the Capacity Development Programs that are pegged to be developed for LGUs and DepEd Superintendents and Supervisors. This narrative report is divided into the following sections: a) b) c) d)

Discursive trends and emerging discussions Methodology The Provincial Government of Bohol and its Current State of Education The Model for Expanding Local Resources: Structures, Processes and Relationships (State Actors, Non-state State Actors and Assessment of Emergent Relationships) e) Issues and Recommendations (The Bohol Model, Policy-related and Capacity Development-related Recommendations)

The sole case of Bohol was selected because of the following: (a) selection preference of the Department of Education; (b) viability of exploring cases within the three-month time frame allowable in the DFAT (AustralianAID)-TAF Coalitions for Change project.

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A. DISCURSIVE TRENDS AND EMERGING DISCUSSIONS ULAP undertook the project with due consideration of other discussions and issues that it is closely involved in. The table below summarizes these issues, followed by a brief discussion: Table 1. Summary of Discursive Trends and Emerging Discussions

LGC Revision • Restructuring education • Reconstituting Local School Boards • Financing local education

SEF Guidelines Revision • Expansion of allowable spending items • Inclusion of ECCD, K+12 complementary provisions

Education in Local Government Performance • Seal of Good Housekeeping • Seal of Good Local Governance • Open Government Partnership • Evidence-Informed Policy Making

1. On the 1991 Local Government Code Revision There is renewed interest and allocated resources on the national level to review and push for revising the Local Government Code.2 Part of the revisions forwarded is the restructuring of the education system to institutionalize more co-shared responsibilities between the DepEd and the local governments, give that in the current Code, education is a decentralized but not a devolved function. There is also clamor to expand the constitution of the Local School Board to include more stakeholders. Furthermore, there is strong suggestion to review and revise the law on financing local education to empower local governments to access and use more funds to respond to education needs in the community level. 2. On the Special Education Fund Guidelines Revision The Local Government Code stipulates that one percent of the local Real Property Tax collection shall constitute the Special Education Fund (SEF), which allocation and use shall be determined by the Local School Board. However, there are difficulties with the amount,

ULAP co-conducted an LGC revision workshop with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Galing Pook Foundation in March 2014. A full report of the summary recommendations and the workshop outputs is available upon request.

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sharing, and allocative guidelines of the SEF.3 Furthermore, the SEF is also identified as a funding source for the local governments to implement the recently passed Early Childhood Care and Development Law, and the K to 12 Curriculum. Because of these, the DILG, DepEd, and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), with ULAP and other stakeholders, are currently working on the revised guidelines for the spending of the SEF. 3. On Education in Local Government Performance Recent policy innovations, such as the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) and the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) have placed local education governance and processes. Both Seals are awards facilitated by the DILG to assess the performance of local governments. A component of the SGH looks at how Local School Boards are composed and perform according to guiding laws, while a component of the SGLG looks at how the LSB plans, allocates and spends its budget. These then allow for a renewed look and prioritization of education in the local levels, as the Seals open other platforms for access to additional resources to LGUs that pass the standards. Moreover, the Philippines is a founding member of the Open Government Partnership, an international multilateral initiative that gathers commitments from governments for more transparent, inclusive, progressive governance and supporting technologies. Under this initiative, the Philippines has committed to “Open Data”, which aims to give people access to raw information that may be processed to help improve government policies and programs. There is space to put education data in the “Open Data” platforms, which will enable better collaborative private-CSO engagements for evidence-informed policy making. The exploratory study takes these discussions into consideration so that the emergent model can contribute as input to the discussed policies and initiatives.

B. METHODOLOGY In order to achieve the main objective of the project, which is to develop a workable and replicable model of better provincial LGU-DepEd collaboration that will improve local resource allocation to education, the following specific objectives and corresponding activities were done by the team:

These are discussed in an earlier report of ULAP on the needs and issues on local education governance. A full report may be provided upon request.

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Diagram 1. Research Methodology

Gather evidences on current practices at the provincial level in education program development and budgeting/financing

Preliminary Consultations (Interviews and FGD)

Document how currently provincial local governments and DepEd engage in education program development and budgeting/financing

Local Education Workshop and Monitoring and Evaluation

Provide research on existing DepEd budget allocation for local education programs that may be complemented by LGU budgets and how these may be accessed by them

Bohol Convergence Education Summit (Alignment of SBFP and Abot-Alam)

1) Preliminary Consultation (19-21 March 2014; Governor’s Mansion, Tagbilaran, Bohol) The preliminary consultation aims to have a glimpse of – and eventually gather initial information on – current practices, projects and programs of the Provincial Government of Bohol and local DepEd. This activity also looks into the decision-making processes, policy environment and resource sharing arrangements. The team invited selected city and municipal governments (Tagbilaran City, Bilar, Dauis, Talibon and Alburquerque), with their district supervisors, school heads and teachers. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. 2) Bohol Convergence Education Summit (23 April 2014; Bohol Plaza, Panglao, Bohol) School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP)4 and Abot-Alam5 Program, both National DepEd projects, were introduced and discussed in the summit. A workshop on local alliance 4

The School Based Feeding Program refers to the Php1 billion fund allocation from the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) and DepEd to curb malnutrition among “severely wasted” children in schools. DepEd and its partners, ULAP included, are innovating with the program by engaging local governments to form local alliances with private and civic organizations to mobilize resources that will cover the feeding of children under the “wasted” category. 5 The Abot Alam program is a program of the DepEd and National Youth Commission that seeks to map out all the out of school youth (OSYs) in the Philippines, and to set up local alliances that create opportunities for education,

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formation and action planning were initiated during the activity. Commitment signing was also done with regard to the implementation and continuous development of local education in the province. A total of 78 participants attended the Education Summit (Governor Chatto of Bohol, DepEd Undersecretary Mario Deriquito, 14 municipal mayors and 1 city councilor). The rest of the participants were district supervisors and elementary school principals from different municipalities of Bohol. The SBFP and Abot Alam programs were included in the engagement with the Provincial Government of Bohol as part of ULAP’s commitments to DepEd and to have platforms to observe the dynamics of collaboration among the stakeholders in Bohol. While the project was only for three months, the ULAP team was able to follow the planning and initial alliance-building in some municipalities. 3) Local Education Workshop (14-15 May 2014, Metro Centre Hotel, Tagbilaran, Bohol) Three (3) municipalities (Trinidad, Valencia and Balilihan), representing the three districts of Bohol, and the City of Tagbilaran were invited. Representatives from LGUs, schools districts, private sectors and NGOs attended the workshop. Participants were asked on the education stakeholders’ roles and counterparts/resources in the implementation of local education programs and projects. They also identified the key issues faced in the implementation and the skills and capacities that were needed for the enhancement of the implementation process. 4) Monitoring and Evaluation (2-4 April 2014 and 20-21 May 2014) 1st Monitoring and Evaluation:  Meeting with Dr. Cerina Bolos, Consultant/Head of Education and Development Center, Office of the Governor, Provincial Government of Bohol to discuss the preparations of the Bohol Education Convergence Summit and finalize all the details needed for the event.  Meet and interview the Divisions of Bohol and Tagbilaran School Superintendent regarding the planned education summit and gather their insights on the results of the initial consultation with different stakeholders from city and four municipalities of Bohol.  Visit the Bernido’s Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF) in Jagna, Bohol, the first school where the Dynamic Learning Program was implemented and interview the CVIF Principal.

training and employment for the mapped OSYs. ULAP is in the Steering Committee of the Abot Alam program and is helping DepEd engage local governments for the mapping and local alliance-building.

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2nd Monitoring and Evaluation:  Interview Ms. Vera Gesite of Synergia- Bohol, representing the CSOs, Ms. Reyna Deloso (Executive Director, BCCI) and Mr. Jun O. Ayag, Jr., representing the private sector.  The interviews conducted are in relation to the development of the Bohol Model in building local alliances and expanding local resources for education.  The team conducted investigation and analysis on how the CSOs and the private sectors as non-stake education stakeholders help in the expansion of local resources for education and how they contribute to the improvement/development of local education in Bohol. After conducting data gathering, ULAP conducted a “Lessons Learned Session” on May 27, 2014 with the CFC partners, DepEd representatives, and ULAP’s private partners, to present the model and the emergent recommendations. The discussion points and inputs gathered from the session were included in this report.

C. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF BOHOL AND ITS CURRENT STATE OF EDUCATION With the help of DepEd, ULAP has identified the Provincial Government of Bohol as site of implementation of the program because of its excellent track record and best practices on including education in their agenda (“HEAT IT Bohol”), through the initiative of the Local Chief Executive, Governor Edgardo Chatto6.

Documentation reference can be seen here: http://edcom.bohol.gov.ph/chattos-education-program-go-full-blast

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Diagram 2. HEAT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IT BOHOL7

HEAT-IT Bohol HELPS LIFE BIG LEAP is the overarching development framework of the Provincial Government of Bohol formulated in the first term of Governor Edgardo Chatto. In this framework, he identified the sectors that his administration will developed and how these sectors will contribute to the development of the whole province. In the creation of the framework, the Governor conducted series of consultations with different stakeholders: city and municipal government units, private sectors, civil society organizations, non-government organizations, regional and provincial offices/units of different national government agencies, religious groups and representatives from other organizations and groups. The Provincial Government told the city and municipal local chief executives and other LG officials (vice mayors, councilors and barangay captains) to align their projects and programs in their respective communities to HEAT-IT Bohol so the provincial government can help in the implementation of such projects and projects since the budget of the province focuses on the sectors in the development framework. The Provincial Government conducted the HEAT-IT Bohol caravan all over the province, visiting each municipality. The purpose of this caravan is to explain the development 7

For more information about the program, please check: http://edcom.bohol.gov.ph/heat-bohol

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framework and engage everyone to support it. During the caravan, the provincial government invites other stakeholders such as NGOs, CSOs and private sectors to provide free services and consultations such as education training skills, financial literacy trainings, medical and dental check-ups. Diagram 3. Provincial Government of Bohol’s Education Development Framework

The Provincial Government of Bohol conducted an education summit during the first term of Governor Chatto. With a theme of “Bohol: Breaking Local and Global Challenges and Blazing Trails in Education”, the purpose of the said summit was “to thresh out the issues and concerns of the province’s education sector and chart future educational policies and strategies”. In the 1 st summit attended by the different stakeholders of education, the Provincial Government was able to craft visions and strategies for education and set commitment of all stakeholders. They were also able to create the Provincial Government’s Education Development Framework. Local Education Projects and Programs Under the Office of the Provincial Government, the following education programs were implemented:

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Table 2. Summary of Bohol Provincial Government’s Key Education Programs

Education Development Center Dynamic Learning Program

Bayanihan Program / Long Term Partnership for Education Program

Educational Subsidy Program and Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Scholarship Program

(Infrastructure)

(Scholarships)

(Curriculum)

1. Education Development Center If there is a program that is not under the focus of regular departments in the Provincial Government, Governor Chatto creates a unit under the Office of the Governor. In the case of education, he created the Education Development Center (EDC), headed by Dr. Cerina Bolos, a unit that handles all education issues and concerns in the province. Executive Order No. 26 entitled “Creating the Education Development Center” was signed by Governor Chatto on 27 October, 2011. EDC operates as a conduit of the Provincial Government of Bohol and the Provincial Local School Board in implementing and coordinating local education projects and programs initiated by the Province and PLSB to the city and municipal local governments. (Further discussion on EDC’s functions on Section D of this report) 2. Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) 



The DLP is a program conceptualized and initially implemented by Dr. Christopher and Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido in their school Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF) located in Jagna, Bohol (2010 Ramon Magsasaysay Awards for their innovation in education). DLP is a program centered on activity based multi-domain learning that requires students to work independently, to discover and understand the lesson on their own by reading the concept notes and by doing the exercises before the lesson is discussed and explained. Governor Chatto and the LSB conducted a bottom-up consultation with the stakeholders (parents, educators/teachers, mayors and barangay officials) before the implementation and approval of DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro. Training and seminars of the teachers c/o Provincial Government; communicating the project to the grassroots c/o Mayors

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3. Bayanihan Program or Long Term Partnership for Education Program  



The objective of this program is to reduce the cost of constructing a school building. The school buildings were built through funds from the Provincial Government and then constructed by the 53rd Engineering Brigade of the AFP, reducing the manpower costs of the construction. DepEd finances another classroom building from its special funds for every classroom built by the Provincial Government of Bohol, together with the AFP providing the manpower. Private sector donates classroom materials and chairs.

4. Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBhs) Educational Subsidy Program and Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Scholarship Program is a financial support program to poor but deserving students to pursue their formal education in selected schools of provinces. Currently, there are 2,225 scholars under the two programs. Education Indicators Based on the data gathered in the Division of Bohol, the National Achievement Test Results of Bohol is increasing over the last three school years since the implementation of the different locally innovative projects and programs in the province. There is also an increase in the number of enrollees and students promoted. Subsequently, there is a decrease in the number of drop-outs both in elementary and secondary. Though not entirely attributed to the DLP and other projects and programs, the Provincial Government of Bohol believes that these are the results of the effective implementation of the projects and programs. Table 3. Education Indicators of Bohol from 2010 to 2013 Indicators

2010-2011

2011-2012

2012-2013

Elementary

73.62

76.07

77.8

Secondary

54.71

54.43

58.62

Elementary

203,542

206,018

208,391

Secondary

67,415

69,461

73,018

# of Students Promoted

Elementary

186,376

192,946

199,922

Secondary

59,843

59,840

64,044

# of Drop-outs

Elementary

2,565

1,883

1,353

Secondary

3,298

3,077

2,433

NAT Results Enrollment

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Currently, the classroom: pupil ratio and classroom: student ratio in the province is 1:30 and 1:44 respectively. This is lower compared to the national classroom: pupil ratio and classroom: student ratio, which is 1:39 and 1:508. Local Spending for Education The table below summarizes the Bohol provincial governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spending for education from 2010 to 2013, collated from the LGUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reports in the Transparency Portal: Table 4. Summary of Local Education Spending in Bohol Year

Net Amount Available for Appropriation (SEF and other sources)

Total Annual Expenditure

Unappropriated Balance

Actual

% of Net Amount

Actual

% of Net Amount

2010

31,211,238.09

28,327,180.00

90.76

2,884,058.09

9.24

2011

38,160,970.33

29,789,192.08

78.06

8,371,778.25

21.94

2012

52,704,270.44

45,262,341.79

85.88

7,441,928.65

14.12

2013

46,645,554.82

27,105,151.03

58.11

19,540,403.79

41.89

The table shows that the net amount available for appropriation in the province is increasing. Also, the total annual expenditure is increasing. However, during 2013, the Provincial Government of Bohol decided to hold some of its budget from other sources like the SEF for its rehabilitation projects on earthquake-affected areas in the province, which gives insight to the decrease in spending.

Source: http://www.deped.gov.ph/index.php/resources/facts-figures

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D. THE MODEL FOR EXPANDING LOCAL RESOURCES: STRUCTURES, PROCESSES AND RELATIONSHIPS Diagram 4

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The framework was developed by the team during the initial consultation and preliminary investigation with some of the invited stakeholders, and was further refined as the other activities progressed. The team gathered all the data needed for the framework, specifically took note of all the stakeholders contributed to the development of local education in Bohol and their roles. The stakeholders were also identified as to whether state actors or non-state actors. State actors refer to the stakeholders who have legal mandates in carrying out their duties and responsibilities in local education, while the non-state actors refer to the stakeholders who choose to advocate education even without statutory mandates. What follows are discussions on the structures, processes, and relationships that emerged because of the innovation of the creation of EDC and the programs in the province of Bohol.

1. State Actors (DepEd and the Provincial Government of Bohol) In terms of the structures, processes and relationships of the state actors in the province of Bohol, the Education Development Center under the Provincial Governor’s Office plays a significant role. As discussed on an earlier part of this report, the EDC acts as a conduit of the Provincial Government of Bohol and the Provincial Local School Board (PLSB) in implementing and coordinating local education programs initiated by the Province and PLSB down to the community level. It is also responsible for the coordination with other educational institutions and proposes innovations and support mechanisms for the development of high quality education in Bohol. In EO No. 26, s.20119, EDC’s functions and responsibilities can be divided into: (a) Implementation, (b) Administration, (c) Facilitation, and (d) Knowledge Management, of projects and programs for the development of local education in Bohol. The table below shows how EDC performs its functions and responsibilities with regard to the different state actors of education in the province. Table 5. Roles of EDC with the Different State Actors in the Province State Actor Pairing

LGU

Roles of EDC

EDC with the Provincial Local School Board

• •

Complementing resources (outside of SEF) Collation and Processing of information from the LGUs and DepEd units for policy-making

EDC with the City10 and Municipal LGUs

•

Complementing resources (outside of SEF, and capacity limitation of C/MLGU) Guidance in implementation of local education

• 9

Please see Annex A (Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, Provincial Governor’s Office, Provincial Government of Bohol) 10 City here refers to Tagbilaran City, which, while an independent DepEd Division, is a component city of the Provincial Government of Bohol

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State Actor Pairing

Roles of EDC •

EDC with the Barangay LGUs

• •

EDC with the Division Office

• • •

DepEd

EDC with the District Offices

• •

EDC with Schools

• •

projects and programs Non-partisan disposition: The PLGU provides programs no matter what the political affiliation is of the C/MLGU mayor.11 Creation of Barangay Local School Board (which is being developed with Synergeia Foundation) Complementing resources Inclusion of the Division Superintendents in Provincial planning Implementation of provincial projects and programs Provision of Provincial Government-paid teachers Guidance in implementation of local education projects and programs Co-implementation of projects (with the Division Offices) Use of SIPs for planning and policy-making Alignment of Provincial Government’s education projects and programs with SBMS

Other key factor: Leadership Aside from the structure and processes of the EDC in relation with other state actors, the team also acknowledged the leadership style governing the local education in Bohol as a factor in the development. Governor Chatto’s political will and the established networks and relationship of Dr. Cerina Bolos, EDC’s Head, affect the relationship and gains of the Provincial Government of Bohol with other state and non-state stakeholders: Gov. Chatto’s Political Will The Governor has a strong political will and is not affected by political differences (based on the interviews and focus group discussions with other stakeholders). The Provincial Government told the city and municipal local chief executives and other local government officials (vice mayors, councilors and barangay captains) to align their projects and programs in their respective communities to HEAT-IT Bohol so the provincial government can help in the implementation of such projects and projects.

This was strongly expressed by the stakeholders in the consultations, and explained by Gov. Chatto as a way of conducting inclusive and good governance. In an interview with the team, he said that as long as the mayors align their programs with HEAT IT Bohol and the priorities of the provinces, they can expect that the provincial government will extend its support to their programs.

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Governor Chatto also attended all the budget planning and training of all local governments, from mayors all the way down the barangay officials. This increased the willingness of the stakeholders to collaborate with the Provincial Government and felt they were “important” to Governor. Trust-building was created because of the Governor’s presence in the discussions. He also invited representatives from the field offices of national agencies during their provincial budget meetings for them to align their requested budget to their national offices in HEAT-IT Bohol. Dr. Bolos’s Established Networks and Relationship with Local Deped Officers Dr. Cerina Bolos is a retired teacher and also the previous Schools Division Superintendent in Bohol. Because of her previous works, she was able to established the networks and relationship with her previous colleagues i.e. teachers, school heads and district supervisors. This is evident when the team conducted the different activities in Bohol. Her approach to her previous colleagues is somehow personal, a verification of the close relationship she has with the local DepEd. This helps the Governor in disseminating the provincial government’s projects and programs and the support of local DepEd.

2. Non-state Actors The known non state-actors in the framework are: 1) Civic Society Organizations (NonGovernment Organizations and People’s Organization), 2) Private Sector, and 3) Parents and Alumni. Each non-state actor plays a big role in the development of the local education in the province. With the establishment of EDC, efforts from these non-state actors are put together in order to harmonize education-related programs and projects funded and initiated by the Provincial Government and the non-state actors. These non-state actors are tapped for counterparts in projects and programs of the LGU and local DepEd, mostly either for financial or manpower support. The team identified four (4) areas where the non-state actors engage in the local education of the province. The table below shows the range of engagement of the non-state actors, with the counterparts from the LGU and DepEd.

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Table 6. Range of Roles in Engagements of LGU, DepEd and CSO/Private Range of

LGU

DepEd

CSO & Private

Engagement Planning

PLGU Development

Representation/

Planning

Participation

Participation (in

HEAT IT Bohol

provincial level)

Technical

Seminars and

Seminars and Capacity

Assistance

Capacity Building for

Building for Teachers in

LGUs in Education

Teachers in Education

Education Projects and

Projects and

Projects and Programs

Programs

PLGU Bayanihan

Transition Classrooms

Program

Manpower/volunteers

Resources

(Counterparts)

Programs Infrastructure

C/MLGU Maintenance of School Buildings School Supplies

The range of the roles and counterparts of the different actors are facilitated by the EDC under the Provincial Government. It is observed that without the EDC, harmonization and coordination of the work would not have been as effectively done. The Provincial Government owned the roles and responsibilities that the LSB cannot do (because of current policy and funding limitations) and the local DepEd cannot do as well (because it is limited to its mandate from the national DepEd). Resources – financial, political, people – were allocated to make the EDC as effective and efficient with its work as possible.

3. Assessment of Emergent Relationships The exploration of the roles of the state and non-state actors vis-à-vis each other given the EDC set-up has also revealed the strength of the relationships of the stakeholders, summarized by the table below:

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Table 7. Relationships between State and Non-State Actors in the Bohol EDC Model STAKEHOLDERS

RELATIONSHIPS

STATE

Strong relationship

STATE

NON-STATE

PLGU: strong relationship C/MLGU: weak (no) relationship

NON-STATE

Weak relationship

a. State-to-state actors The local DepEd and the Provincial Government of Bohol have a strong relationship. This is evident in the effective implementation of province-wide projects and programs. Also, the provincial government supports the local DepEd by providing provincially-paid teachers to complement the needs of the local DepEd. b. State-to-non-state actors There is also a strong relationship between the non-state stakeholders (private sector and CSOs) and the provincial government. However, based on the interviews and workshops conducted, most of the municipal governments lack (or has weak) relationships with the non-state stakeholders. Stakeholders from municipal governments who were interviewed explained this in terms of the lack of CSOs in the municipal levels that have the capacity to engage local governments. This makes the municipal governments dependent on the convening power of the provincial government because the province has the capacity to engage CSOs and distribute their assistance to the municipalities based on their level of need. Moreover, the roles of the CSOs are usually limited to the provision of infrastructure or supplies counterparts. There are few CSOs in the municipal level that have the capacity to directly engage the local governments for planning and policy formulation. The CSOs that have the capacity usually operate larger in scope, and are involved in the provincial governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planning and policy-making through the EDC. Meanwhile, the local alliance in the Provincial level is clearly defined and structured because of the EDC. The EDC acts as the conduit of all stakeholders. In the municipalities of Alburquerque and Panglao, the LCEs designated specific point person for education projects and programs (Education Reform Coordinator in Alburquerque and Exec. Asst. for Education in Panglao). c. Non-state-to-non-state actors There are no established relationships between the non-state actors that are captured by institutional or policy arrangements. In certain instances, however, non-state actors partner with each other, i.e., CCI has partnerships with NGOs and CSOs (for funding) in implementing

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their education project, Transition Classrooms, but these are also facilitated and/or implemented with and/or through the Provincial Government.

E. ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS This last section summarizes the findings in the Bohol Model, and forwards recommendations for policy and capacity-building work. 1. Issues in the Bohol EDC Model Though the model towards the development of the local education in the province, the team was able to identify issues on the Bohol Model that can be addressed to strengthen its operations:

Areas Resources



Table 8. Summary of Issues in the Bohol EDC Model Particulars Even with model and the expansion of local resources and alliancebuilding, SEF and other funds are not enough to respond to all the needs down to the community/school level. There is a slight shift of concern towards rehabilitation projects and disaster risk management in the provincial level because of the October 2013 earthquake. There are low-class municipalities, which has very limited budget for SEF. Municipalities then are dependent on the Provincial Government for financial counterpart.

People and Relationships



Stakeholders accounted for an initial “natural” resistance to change given the innovations in the Education Governance in Bohol. But this was curbed with their “learning curve”, helped by the Provincial Government and the local DepEd showed complete resolve to implement the innovations, and the education indicators eventually showed improvements.

Partnerships



There are no/very few non-state partners in component city/municipal level. Municipal governments, while they have the capacity to convene local alliances, cannot expand education resources on their level because there is a general lack of stakeholders (with financial resource counterparting capacity) to engage.

Sustainability



Most of the local education projects and programs are still largely an executive-level initiative, thus there is a need for “institutionalizing” these projects and programs beyond the current administration’s term.

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Areas 

Particulars There are local policies that institutionalize the provincial government’s education governance innovations. However, even with local policy support, some stakeholders expressed worry that their effective structures and processes will discontinue if the next governor (after Gov. Chatto finishes his term) will not support the EDC and its programs.

2. Recommendations With these issues on the Bohol Model and other issues gathered from the stakeholders in the course of the activities done, the team came up with recommendations – policies and capacity building – that will help not only the province of Bohol but also the other LGUs in developing a local resource expansion model. Policy Recommendations Policy recommendations of the team are divided into three major groups, summarized in the table below: Table 9. Summary of Policy Recommendations

Model Mainstreaming • “Devolving” Education Governance Functions • Harmonizing local DepEd-LGU relationships

SEF Guidelines • Expansion of Scope of Expenditure • Expansion of Sources of SEF • Updates on Land Valuation

Institutionalization • Within LGU: EOs, Resolutions • Agreements with partners (long-term engagements)

Mainstreaming the Bohol Model In terms of mainstreaming the model, the research shows that there are “hanging functions” – precisely those being performed by the Bohol EDC in its mandate, i.e., (a) Implementation, (b) Administration, (c) Facilitation, and (d) Knowledge Management – that have to be owned by a stakeholder with the capacity to do so. As discussed in an earlier section, the LSB is usually limited by its mandate as stated in the Local Government Code and its primary function in the planning and allocation of the SEF; while the local DepEd is usually limited to what the national DepEd mandates it to do. However, based on some local best practices, such as the Jesse Robredo model in Naga City wherein the LSB was expanded to include more stakeholders, and

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the Bohol EDC wherein the local government owned the “hanging functions”, this challenge can be solved. The question then becomes should the devolution of education functions become the permanent structural arrangement. While policy literature supporting this notion is vast, at this point what is clear is that the institutional arrangements between DepEd and LGUs in the local level must be revised in order to absorb the hanging functions. The Naga and Bohol models prove that such harmonized, progressive, and aggressive work is possible. And with the resolution of who can and will do the hanging functions, local resources are better identified, allocated, and spent. SEF Guidelines The recommendations regarding the SEF guidelines reiterate the results of the Local Education Policy Workshop conducted by ULAP in October 2013. These recommendations include: 

 

Expanding the scope of expenditure that will help the LGUs in also expanding their projects and programs and not limited to Section 272, Chapter 7 of RA 7160 (Local Government Code), Expanding the sources of SEF with the consideration of the local class municipalities with insufficient SEF because of low property taxes Updates on land valuation for higher collection of property tax

Institutionalization To address the issue of sustainability, executive orders and provincial resolutions must be in place, as exemplified by the Bohol EDC model. Furthermore, agreements for long-term partnerships must also be pushed, so that CSOs and private partners can continue demanding for local government support on education governance even with a change of leadership.12

Capacity-building Recommendations The table below summarizes the recommendations on the capacity building of all the actors, state and non-state, of local education. The team deemed that through the local alliance formation of all the actors, with the LGU as the convener, efforts can be maximized towards the expansion of local education resources.

A question was raised during the Lessons Learned Session whether or not the Bohol EDC model can withstand political transition. This cannot be answered within the scope of the research, as the sustainability of the EDC arrangements will have to be seen after the term of Gov. Chatto ends. However, as stated in the discussion above, legislative support and agreements with CSOs and private partners are already in place to address the concern at this point.

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Table 10. Summary of Capacity-Building Recommendations for Local Actors Actors / Stakeholders

1) LGUs

2) Local DepEd

3) Non-stateActors

Capacities Needed (How to do<) 

Local Resource Mobilization through Local Alliance Formation



Planning and budgeting process for education (i.e., EvidenceInformed Policy Making)



Strengthening of RPT Collection



Project Management and Resource Mobilization



Networking and Stakeholder Management



Relationship Building with LGUs



Engaging LGUs in making education as one of their priorities/thrusts



Engaging LGUs in local alliance formation

[Appendices follow]

For details and further clarifications regarding this report, please contact: UNION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES Unit 2803 Summit One Tower, 530 Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City Tel: (02)718-1812, 534-6789 Fax: (02)717-1810 Email: ulapnatsec@gmail.com ATTN: Ms. Czarina Medina-Guce, Executive Director(czarinamedina@gmail.com)

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Appendix A: Executive Order No. 26, series of 2011, Provincial Government of Bohol

Appendix B: News Articles/Media Releases about the Bohol Convergence Education Summit