Becoming a knowledge-based University Town
The city of Balanga is not only blessed with a rich nature, but has recently also developed into a booming center of trade, commerce, and services.
Vision and Motivation
Balanga pursues to build a family-oriented city with a strong learning atmosphere that will ensure sustainable development and participatory governance. The city’s vision in encapsulated in the slogan ‘Balanga University Town 2020: the emerging hub for knowledge-based businesses in the Philippines. Education is also the city’s key to true sustainable development.
Challenges and Goals
The challenges that the city encounters are the facts that the city of Balanga has very limited financial resources available and the local government units are not able to independently plan, budget and implement education programmes due to the centralization of education at national level. The city will focus on education as a means of spurring local economic development.
Plan and Implementation
In 2008, the city government of Balanga signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia that provides training and advisory to its partners enrolling in the Performance Governance System (PGS). PGS is a program of good governance and responsible citizenship that utilizes the globally acclaimed Balanced Scorecard framework, recognized by the National Government. By adapting a strategic vision that promotes several strategic initiatives anchored on a balanced scorecard, the city has been executing learning advocacy throughout the whole city. It involves both its internal stakeholders through Vision-Aligned Circles (VAC) and external ones by a Multi-Sector Governance Coalition (MSGC) in the execution of programs, projects and activities.
Mr Francis Anthony S. Garcia
UIL is not responsible for the content of this city profile.
