NGO Planning Congress Vision and Objectives

(This is a repost from an earlier one. It is apparently as relevant today as is was 20 years ago. I got it from Danny Urquico, who led the Planning Congress as President then of the Baguio Jaycees and who still has copies of the original document. This is dedicated to our would be elected officials, particularly in Baguio and the neighboring towns of Benguet. It is a gentle reminder for disaster mitigation, to avoid the ill effects of possible disasters of the magnitude of the July 16, 1990 earthquake, which killed 500 citizens, injured countless more and destroyed millions worth of property. It is also an advocacy for the city and its sorrounding towns to think beyond the three year term of the elective officials and set their mind towards the next 20 years. By then, the population of the city would have reached a million, from the present 350,000.)

NGO Planning Congress, October 1990
Focal Points

A. That the devastation by the earthquake brought the chance to “change what we did not like;”
B. That the need to rebuild should be planned with “sustainable development“ in mind;
C. That such sustainable development could be achieved only with “people empowerment” as

the exercise of so many NGOs was in itself already a statement of th government’s inadequacy;
D. That such collaboration should aim at a unity which can be achieved only through respect and

support for one another’s independent thrusts; and
E. That all these could be achieved by keeping in mind the needs, both present and future, of our

children.

Statement of Vision

“We, participants of the Baguio-Benguet NGO Planning congress, imploring the aid of divine providence, in expressing the political will our people envision and aspire for well-planned communties…

With a green, clean, safe environment and balanced ecology;

With every household provided with basic social services such as shelter, water, power, modern communications, health, transportation, education and livelihood;

With a disciplined, law-abiding and self-reliant people, proud of their heritage, compassionate, caring for the general welfare and committed to sustainable development;

With a dynamic, sincere, efficient, God-fearing, honest and corrupt free leadership, managing an efficient system, where law and justice are a way of life."
Statement of Objectives

In pursuit of the vision, we have decided on the following ecological, political, education, cultural and spiritual objectives:

A. ECOLOGICALLY, we dream of a future in which Mother Nature is given due respect so we can have a safe place conducive to healthy and happy communities now and for the generations to come.

Thus, we have to maintain a sustainable environment on the Baguio-Benguet Biosphere. This means the immediate protection of the present forest cover of Baguio (30%) and Benguet (25 %)
In the remaining years of this century and in the first two decades of the next, we must increase this forect cover so that by year 2020, we shall have attained a balance Biosphere.

B. ECONOMICALLY, we realize the need for soonest rehabilitation and development of a sustained economic program for our communities.

We have to continue Baguio-Benguet as the education center of Norhtern Luzon, preserving what educational facilities there are and encouraging the expansion of these schools and their attendant communities along the peripheries of our developed central areas, to decongest and improve the quality of life in the hihgly populated settlement areas.

We must also pusue the promotion and development of Baguio-Benguet as the Number One tourist destination, while keeping its unique culture and natural beauty.

We want Benguet to continue as the prime producer of highland products and Baguio to grow as its commerce and trade center.

C. POLITICALLY, we aspire for well-planned communities of disciplined, law-abiding and self-reliant citizens under a dynamic, sincere, efficient, God-fearing, honest and corrupt-free democratic leadership.

We aspire for a leadership that shall transform communities into a united green, clean and safe environment, a balanced ecology, with every household provided with the basic services and social amenities.

We envision the development of a self-reliant people, proud of their heritage, compassionate and caring for the general welfare, committed to sustainable development and mindful of their obligations for their own advantage and of others.

We need a leadership capable of reinstituting a managing a system that works and which will ensure that law and justice are a way of life.

D. EDUCATIONALLY, CULTURALLY, SPIRITUALLY, we seek to build Baguio-Benguet into an organizational community that is capable of re-establishing and strengthening social institutions and facilities though functional development programs.

We seek the promotion of a non-discriminating and relevant educational system, both in the formal and non-formal sectors. We want the government to genuinely prursue its efforts to reorient our educational system to needs and problems of the country, particulalry taking into consideration the local context of education in Baguio and Benguet.

We want Baguio and Benguet to be centers of culture where the heritage of our people is preserved, and where our people in their pluralism enjoy the respect and dignity of their ethnic origins, customs and traditions, and where creativity characterizes the productive interdependence of our social life.

Spiritually, we aspire for Baguio-Benguet to develop a place wherein citizens are in harmony with God, with their fellow-men and with nature, where basic human values are promoted and lived, and where people are inspired to translate their spirituality in meaning ful and fruitful actions for the community.