This one has been overdue for we should have written about the technical workshop of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) last Sunday shortly after our arrival from Manila but the HNU College of Law sports festival and honoring deprived us to sit down and scribble fast.

You see, Tagbilaran being one of ISA's dream cities is closely monitored in implementing the Public Governance Scorecard (PGS) system with City Mayor Dan Neri Lim, himself an ISA fellow, leading with his level one scorecard.

Last month, the city presented its first level and second level scorecards to the ISA solidarity team at the Flushing Meadows in Dauis town. The technical workshop held the other Friday at the RCBC Building in Makati City is in preparation for the third level scorecard.

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While on the way of Makati City for the technical workshop, we candidly asked City Planning Officer Ed Macalandag what could the city get out of the ISA?

Initially, we were of the impression that the sole benefit that the city can derive out of its inclusion in ISA's list of dream cities is its high rating from financial institutions. This impression is not uncommon among local government units with the introduction of programs akin to ISA such as EcoGovernance.

Macalandag shared our view but he made reservations that after fully implementing its PGS, the city would be left alone by itself without any concrete support, financial or otherwise. We were thus, consoled with the thought that being identified with ISA being headed by Dr. Jesus Estanislao, former finance secretary, would be a prestige enough for the city.

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However, the end of the one-day technical workshop, we discovered that our impression is only at the surface level.

For in "cascading" to the third level scorecard, it would be a multi-sectoral coalition to be forged by the city among the various sectors of the community which would undertake a "shared responsibility" on the city's executive-legislative agenda which we tried to incorporate in our ISA mission.

At this point, it would rather be hard to explain the nitty-gritty of this technology in local governance but we are convinced that with or without any financial returns from ISA, the PGS would redound to an ideal city that it envisions.

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For the record, the city's technical team was composed of City Budget Officer Rose Palma, Kurt Bungabong of the office of the vice-mayor, Jo Tortor-Cemine of HNU Research Center, Macalandag and yours truly.

Another round of technical workshop in preparation for the third-level scorecard presentation of the city will be held momentarily.

By the way, Estanislao was on hand to lend support to the various technical teams of ISA's dream cities which include Marikina, Iloilo and Sorsogon among others.

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The honoring of HNU's new lawyers last Sunday at the Bohol Tropics was attended by RTC Judges Baudilio Dosdos and Suceso Arcamo.

Arcamo swore in the officers of the HNU College of Law headed by Gov. Joe Caberte while Dosdos was the guest of honor and speaker.

Fr. Ernesto Lagura, SVD, HNU president, also graced the affair together with Dean Paulino G. Clarin. City Mayor Dan Neri Lim was originally set to be the guest of honor but we were tasked to speak for and in his behalf.

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