ANAYARAHMA

Observing advocacy in Naga City, Bicol, Philippines

NCPC or Naga City People Council is a system for partnership in Local Governance between The City Government and People in Naga City. NCPC is composed of 90 members who divided 14 sector, they are:

1. Urban Poor

2. Youth and Children

3. Business

4. Labor

5. Senior Citizen

6. Woman

7. Person With Disabilities

8. Peasant

9. Barangay People Council

10. Education

11. Civic

12. Professional and Enthusiast

13. NGO Sector

NCPC is set up in May 1996. They have made by City Ordinance No 095-092 as legal base.

Philippines needs NCPC. Why, because in NCPC citizen can directly participate in Governance. NCPC is a power for citizen in Naga to influence Local Government. NCPC is a place to give advice, recommendation critique, to examine, monitoring, and discuss with local Government. NCPC is a place for people in many sectorial engaging with government, argue, and in the same time NCPC helps government to implement the policy. NCPC is part of people empowerment.

NCPC work hard to make both the people and the government ready for partnership. In this place, between members giving capacity building, help government to identify their development agenda in pursuit of each sector’s vision.

NCPC conduct the meeting with government minimum once for month. They have also regularly meeting between members to arrange recommendation.

I believe Local government in Indonesia needs the same system. If we want develop our people, Government needs to know what people want. The people voice will accommodate if the same system implemented. And in this system we can find relation between agenda in one sector to the other sector. I believe with this system is a modern engagement between NGO, Government and citizen.

But many challenges to implement this system in Indonesia. People in Indonesia are not believed with government. They think government corrupt, collusion, lack capacity, arrogant, bad service, etc. The solution is the government should show their performance, say war to corruption, open and listen the people. People will believe if the government opens for engagement, transparent, accountable and humble.

But I believe in the future we can work together with government. We have same culture, same face, and same color with Filipino in Naga. If they can we can.