October 5 marked the renaming of DLSU’s La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG) to the DLSU Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance (JMRIG). The change in name was enacted to reflect the changes that the late Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Jesse Robredo implemented in the management of Naga City, and his leadership of the DILG as an appointee of President Aquino. The formal ceremony was held at the Marilen Gaerlan Conservatory from 3:30 pm until 6:00 pm.
Jana Cabuhat, USG President, began the 3:30 pm launching with the invocation. Br. Bernard Oca FSC led the welcoming remarks before proceeding to the addresses delivered by several key figures to the inauguration of the JMRIG.
Dr. Francisco Magno, Director of the LSIG, now JMRIG, elaborated on some of the governance and civil monitoring projects of the institute and its portfolio of services. He emphasized the need for a knowledge coalition that is necessary for genuine reform to take place. The existing projects of the LSIG, continued through the JMRIG, are available at the institute’s website, http://www.lsig.org/.
Dr. Maria Cynthia Rose Bautista, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education, delivered an address citing the importance of integrating Robredo’s example into the curriculum of tertiary level education.
Naga Mayor Hon. John Bongat was also there to laud the efforts of Robredo in transforming Naga. He quotes the latter’s philosophy, “Hindi lahat ng matino ay mahusay, at lalong hindi lahat ng mahusay ay matino. Ang dapat ay ang matino at mahusay na karapat-dapat pagkatiwalaan ng pera ng bayan (Not all those with integrity are brilliant, and even less would you have the brilliant with integrity. What should be are those who have integrity and are brilliant, who are worthy to hold the public’s resources).”
Dr. Eddie Dorotan of Galing Pook Foundation, a close friend of Sec. Jesse, was present to share his own experiences with the Naga leader, and their dream of replicating the Naga case all over the Philippines. “How do we make an archipelago of good governance? Kailangan natin ng mga mag-iinspire at magiging direct.”
He also spoke of bringing down governance theory to the application and groundwork through the JMRIG. “We can do this [good governance] not only for the intellectual, but also for Lasallian education. The Jesse Robredo brand should not just be a name, a wish, but an inspiration we should emulate. Academe and politicians, and citizens alike, if we really wanted change, we can do it,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Social Development Adviser for the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID) Dr. Andrew Parker did not know Sec. Robredo well, but he says he’s had the fortune to hear the latter speak on a number of occasions. “Straight-talking, jargon free, and straight to the point to get to the situation at hand,” he describes the no-nonsense secretary.
He spoke of how Robredo conveyed ideas so simple but with the power to transform such as the Seal of Good Housekeeping, Robredo’s project which awarded the best performing LGUs a financial grant of P25 million from the DILG Local Government Support Fund and P3 million from the Performance Challenge Fund.
He also spoke of the practice of transparency, and how, through Robredo’s example, other LGUs around the country had “records that were fully accessible for all to see, for all to read, for all to act on. These [steps] are, as economists say, necessary but not sufficient conditions. In this case, absolutely necessary.”
Joan dela Cruz from the DILG shared anecdotes about Sec. Jesse, and how he would have commented on the ceremony were he alive. “Hindi naman kailangan ito [This is unnecessary],” he would have said.
She shares that the late secretary always made La Salle his priority, should it request his assistance. She said that by tying up with educational institutions, universities such as DLSU can be the laboratory of better local governance, developing Robredo-like mechanisms to be enacted around the country.
The response to these addresses was delivered by Atty. Leonor Maria Robredo, the widow of the late secretary. Atty. Robredo apologized to her husband for praising him, “Pagbigyan mo na kami ngayon [Forgive us just this once].” She states that her husband always felt uncomfortable with praise.
“His life was worth all the honor he has been getting,” she cites. She discussed the breakthroughs of his projects, such as the Citizens’ Charter, i-Governance, total information openness, public disclosure policies, streamlined procurement processes, among others. She told the audience of the lessons Jesse, the family man, imparted on his daughters: “Maintaining a simple lifestyle, having no sense of entitlement, making a difference wherever you find yourself in, and giving life as much as it had been good to you”.
The addresses were followed by the unveiling of the institutional marker of the Institute. De La Salle Alumni Association (DLSAA) President Johhny Sy then introduced the Institute’s inaugural lecturer, whose lecture would be the first part of the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series entitled Green Spark.
Atty. Antonio Oposa, 2009 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and public servant, discussed Robredo’s inclination to care for the environment of the Philippines, and how such initiatives played a key role in shaping the governance policy of the former Naga mayor.
Br. Ricky Laguda ended the ceremonies with an optimistic note on the role of the JMRIG in shaping the future of good governance in the Philippines.
Political Science Department Assistant Professor Antonio Pedro Jr., served as master of ceremonies.
