ENHANCING LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AS A TOOL FOR

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GOOD URBAN GOVERNANCE

Local development planning is a crucial tool for enabling sustainable development and

good urban governance in the Philippines. Enhancing this planning process has been a significant

focus for the last decade, driven by increased recognition of the benefits that local-level planning

can bring in terms of equitable and sustainable development. Major initiatives by national,

regional, and local government agencies have led to substantial improvements in the quality and

effectiveness of local development planning.

These improvements center around three key areas – organization, process, and capacity

– which have been targeted to ensure that local development planning is tailored to a local

context. Specifically, this involves streamlining organizational structures and strengthening links

between local, regional, and national agencies in order to create greater harmony in planning

processes. Furthermore, local governments have been encouraged to establish participatory local

planning groups to ensure that the planning process includes a diverse range of stakeholders and

that local capacity is built along the way.

At the same time, initiatives have been established to strengthen capacity amongst local

governments, particularly around incorporating evidence-based planning into their processes.

This includes training local officials in new research methods, strengthening data systems to
support better decision-making, and providing tailored technical assistance for developing local

development plans. These initiatives are underpinned by a series of legislative and financial

incentives, such as matching-funds and access to credit, which are designed to motivate local

governments to develop and implement their plans.

Overall, the efforts to enhance local development planning in the Philippines have

succeeded in creating increased coordination amongst different stakeholders, improved quality in

development plans, and increased capacity amongst local governments. This has in turn created a

ripple effect of positive impacts on the local socio-economic environment, from improved access

to basic services to increased opportunities for investments. Looking forward, local development

planning has the potential to be an even more effective tool for achieving sustainable

development and good urban governance in the Philippines..