SPEECH OF VICE PRESIDENT NOLI DE CASTRO

STEP-UP Recognition Event

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, MANDALUYONG CITY

Good AFTERNOON.

Congratulations to the Philippine Business for Social Progress for three years of successful STEP-UP implementation. As a private-sector-led program, the STEP-UP OR THE STRATEGIC PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS FOR URBAN POVERTY REDUCTION PROGRAM has indeed been an instrument for private sector involvement in addressing urban poverty.

Let me ALSO extend my GRATITUDE FIRST, TO THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FOR MAKING POSSIBLE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STEP-UP UNDER THE JAPAN FUND FOR POVERTY REDUCTION; SECOND, the partner organizations of this program; AND THIRD, the local government executives who worked with us under the step-up framework.

Support for STEP-UP

I also wishto take this opportunity to reiterate the support of government, IN PARTICULAR the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, to the objectives, strategies, and projects being implemented by STEP-UP. WHAT I PARTICULARLY LIKE ABOUT THE STEP-UP FRAMEWORK IS ITS APPROACH OF ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE NON-FORMAL SECTOR IN THE NON-FORMAL WAY.

I am a firm believer in public-private cooperation as the best approach towards reducing poverty.

I have seen it work many times in the past, even while I was still in the private sector. And I have seen its effectiveness in the implementation of many of our HOUSING projects FOR THE POOR AND THE NON-FORMAL SECTOR.

Elements of Success

I WILL NO LONGER DISCUSS WITH YOU WHAT STEP-UP IS ALL ABOUT AND ITS ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR I WILL JUST be REPEATING WHAT YOU, STEP-UP STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERS, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AND TALKING ABOUT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS AND TWO HOURS AND A HALF.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE STEP-UP as an example of a best practice. YET even best practices have certain prerequisites to be consistently successful. AND THIS IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.

Allow me to call these basic requirements as the 4 C’s of successful public-private sector partnership.

The first C is commitment. By commitment, I do not simply refer to an official declaration of support from the head of the organization. Rather, I am talking about an organizational orientation towards the values and strategies being espoused by the partnership. The desire to help urban poor communities should actually form part of corporate values --- and should be seen as a concrete expression of the organization’s corporate social responsibility.

The second C is communication. This is quite tricky, as genuine communication is not the same as information dissemination. Information dissemination is a one-way activity. This is the pitfall of many government PUBLIC RELATIONS outfits. AND the same can be said of private sector groups and even community organizations.

Communication entails dialogue, and necessarily requires both parties to listen to what the otherS haVE to say. It is only when talking --- or in some cases shoutinG --- accompanied by listening, that consensus can EVENTUALLY be achieved. Otherwise, we end up repeating that refrain from a popular song from the 60’s: “people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening…and no one dared disturb the sound of silence.”

The third C is collaboration. This is perhaps the most visible aspect of partnership. Collaboration covers all phases of the project cycle: from conceptualization, to detailed planning, to actual implementation, to termination.

It requires sharing of resources and time in order to achieve common goals. It entails working hand-in-hand with community leaders, and dealing with them as equal partners in a grand alliance against poverty and hopelessness.

Let us never forget that collaboration should empower the beneficiaries, rather than increase their dependence on outside intervention.

And finally, the fourth C is continuing change ACCOMPANIED BY FLEXIBILITY. Those of you in the private sector have more experience in dealing with change. You are the successful ones. Otherwise you would not be here today.

On the other hand, we in government thrive on following established rules of precedents and bureaucratic processes. But I would like to assure you that we are also learning---and learning fast (I HOPE) ---that we should embrace change as a necessity of public service.

LET ME CITE AN IMPORTANT POINT WHICH WE LEARN FROM STEP-UP. STEP-UP HAS ADOPTED A VERY FLEXIBLE MECHANISM WHICH I THINK ALL OF US --- BENEFICIARIES, GOVERNMENT, DONOR COMMUNITY, AND PRIVATE SECTOR --- HAVE LEARNED a lot FROM. WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY CHANGES THAT SHOULD BE NOTED IN STEP-UP? STEP-UP IS COMMUNITY DRIVEN. THE PROJECTS ARE TAILORED-FIT TO THE NEEDS OF A COMMUNITY. THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK CHANNELED THE GRANT DIRECTLY TO A NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION (WHICH IS, THE PBSP). AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR ARE PROVIDING FOR THE INCREMENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY. THESE ARE SOME NEW DIMENSIONS AND ORIENTATIONS THAT ALL OF US STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK TO EXAMINE THIS MECHANISM. SPECIFICALLY, THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING LOANS (NOT JUST GRANTS) TO QUALIFIED NGOS TO IMPLEMENT SIMILAR PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO MORE COMMUNITIES. IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT THE DONOR COMMUNITY BEGIN TO TRUST NON PROFIT PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTRACT A LOAN FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, SUCH AS SHELTER AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES.

We all know that development is a continuing process. And institutions who take part in development should deal with this reality IF WE TRULY WANT TO MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES AND REFRAIN FROM COMMITTING PAST MISTAKES.

Keep the Fire Burning

Commitment;

communication; collaboration; AND

change WITH FLEXIBILITY. COMBINED, these four elements can fORM a potent antidote to the hopelessness that permeates poor communities.

My friends AND FELLOW WORKERS, we are here today because we all believe that something can be done to reduce and probably eRADICATE poverty. We are optimists. We choose to see in urban communities real opportunities for development rather than unending cycles of misery.

This is the attitude of STEP-UP since its inception, and I hope that this will continue and become more intense in the coming years.

Let us keep the fire burning, and burning brighter, so that we can touch more communities and improve the lives of more families.

LET IT BE OUR GOAL TO WORK AT TRANFORMING THE FAMILIES’ VALUE SYSTEM. OUR HOPE IS FOR OUR STEP-UP FAMILIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ADVOCATES OF THE VALUES OF VOLUNTEERISM, OPEN-MINDEDNESS, AND TRUST.

THROUGH THE STEP-UP, LET US REKINDLE THE “BAYANIHAN SPIRIT” WHICH WE FILIPINOS ARE KNOWN FOR.

Thank you and good AFTERNOON to all of you.

Mabuhay tayong lahat!

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