CASE STUDY I: MAYOR

BELMONTE AND QUEZON

CITY
MARK J. ABELON
GERRY DELA ZERNA
 QUEZON CITY BACKGROUND
• CREATED BY CA 502, OCT. 12, 1939
• NCR ACCOUNTS 37.2% GDP OF THE PHIL.
• QC COMPRISES ONE-FOURTH (25.23%) OF METRO MANILA’S AREA (638.55 SQKM)
• NO. 1 EARNER IN 2009 AMOUNTING TO 10.3B
• POPULATION OF 3,179,536 BY 2012
• 706,564 HOUSEHOLDS
• 35% OF POPULATION 21 AND BELOW
• GROWTH RATE OF 2.92
• LITERACY RATE OF 98.3
• 373 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ELEMENTARY
• 223 HIGHSCHOOL
• 90 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY
• MOST COMPETITIVE CITY IN 2007
• 62,679 REGISTERED BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS
• HOSTS 125 NATIONAL GOVT INSTITUTIONS, 25 GOCC
 Q.C. DURING BELMONTE ADMINISTRATION
• DEFICIT INTO SURPLUS IN JUST 1 YEAR
• COMPUTERIZATION OF THE ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION OF TAXES, FIRST SUCH PROGRAM
• UPDATED INVENTORY OF TAXABLE PROPERTIES
• APPLIED GIS FOR PROPERTY AND OWNER IDENTIFICATION

• REAL PROPERTY TAX (RPT) PAYMENT IMPROVEMENT

• STREAMLINED PROCESSING OF RPT FROM 20 STEPS INTO 5 STEPS.
• CAN CENTRAL DATA SYSTEM CAN PROCESS MORE THAN 440,000 RPT PAYMENTS WITH 20,000 PER DAY.
• MINIMIZED CORRUPTION BY PROVIDED CHECKS AND BALANCES AND LESSENING NEED FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCRETION IN ASSESSMENT
AND PAYMENT SYSTEM.
• ENTICED TAX PAYERS BY PROVIDING AIR CONDITION LOUNGES WITH PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF COFFEE, TAXPAYERS COULD OPT TO PAY
THROUGH ACCREDITED BANKS, OFFSITE BRANCHES AND SPECIAL TAX TEAMS
• AUCTIONED DELINQUENT RP WHICH RAISED 10.7B AND POSTED ON 300 BILLBOARDS IN MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AUCTION DATE
• INCREASED DISCOUNT GIVEN TO RPT PAYERS FROM 10 TO 20% AND QUARTERLY 5 TO 10%

• BUSINESS TAX PAYMENT IMPROVEMENT

• GROSS RECEIPTS OF OVER 500K TO SUBMIT TO BIR STATEMENTS OF MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF VAT AND NON-VAT FOR 2005
• UTILIZED CONCEPT OF PRESUMPTIVE INCOME LEVEL TO MAKE GROSS TAX DEC MORE REALISTIC AND CURRENT
• GROUNDED REVENUE EXAMINERS WITH LOW MONTHLY COLLECTION OUTPUTS AND REWARDED GROSSING EXAMINERS WITH TRIP TO
HONGKONG
• REASSIGNED PERMANENT EMPLOYEES TO AVOID FAMILIARIZATION WITH TAX-PAYERS
• FILED ANTI-GRAFT CASES IN OMBUDSMAN VS ERRING EMPLOYEES
• COST SAVING MEASURES
• REVAMP PAYMENT SCHEME FOR GARBAGE COLLECTION FROM AS PER TRIP BASIS TO PACKAGE CLEAN-UP
• LAPSE OF CONTRACTS FOR 7000 CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES TAPPED +ON AN AS-PER-NEED BASIS
 ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• ECONOMIC
• BETWEEN 2001 AND 2008, INCOME ROSE TO 629,300,053 OR 13.3%
• IN 2002, AFTER JUST 1 YR, SURPLUS OF 262,610,094
• ANNUAL AVERAGE RISE UP TO 2008 IS 1.8% FOR THE SURPLUS
• SETTLE ALL OBLIGATIONS WITH GSIS MORE THAN 3M PESOS IN GSIS

• ENVIRONMENT
• OVERHAUL OF GARBAGE COLLECTION BY TASKING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT (EPWMD)
• CONDUCTED FEASIBILITY STUDY OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PATTERNED SIMILAR TO JAPAN’S.
• FORMULATED “PACKAGE CLEAN-UP”
• DIVIDED BARANGAY INTO CELLS AND ASSIGNED GARBAGE CONTRACTORS PER CELL.
• GENERATED 20M IN SAVINGS
• COMPLEMENTED BY ASSIGNMENT OF 275 STREET SWEEPERS TO CITY’S 450KM MAJOR THOROUGHFARES
• BARANGAYS TASKED TO MONITOR GARBAGE CONTRACTORS
• BARANGAYS WERE TRAINED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
• SANGGUNIAN PANLUNGSOD PASSED TWO ORDINANCES WHICH ENJOINED BARANGAYS
• TO FORMULATE THEIR OWN ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO REDUCE VOLUME OF GARBAGE
• ALLOWED AUTONOMOUS BARANGAYS TO MANAGE THEIR OWN GARBAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SYSTEM USING CRITERIA SET BY EPWMD
• REHABILITATION OF PAYATAS DUMPSITE
• INTRODUCED ENGINEERING INTERVENTIONS BY TRANSFORMING IT INTO CONTROLLED WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY WHICH INCLUDES SLOPE
REPROFILING, STABILIZATION AND GREENING, LEACHATE COLLECTION AND RECIRCULATION, DRAINAGE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT, FORTIFIED ROADWAYS
AND ACCESS TO SITE, GAS VENTING AND MATERIAL RECOVERY
• ORGANIZING PAYATAS STAKEHOLDERS BY CONDUCTING SERIES OF ACTIVITIES WITH WASTE KEEPERS OR SCAVENGERS, RECYCLERS AND JUNKSHOP
OPERATORS. GROUPED ORGANIZED INTO FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS, ACCREDITED AND PROVIDED WITH FINANCING AND SKILLS TRAINING TO ENABLE
TO SEEK ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVE INCOME OPPORTUNITIES
• QC & PNOC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT TO PUT UP A PILOT METHANE POWER PLANT IN DUMPSITE WHICH CAN GENERATE UP TO 100 KW OF ELECTRICITY.
• QC & PANGEA PARTNERSHIP FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF BIOGAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION PROJECTS IN 2007. CONSIDERED AS FIRST CLEAN DEVELOPMENT
MECHANISM IN PHILIPPINES AND SOUTHEAST ASIA. PANGEA ABLE TO SELL 7 MILLION PESOS CARBON CREDITS EQUIVALENT
 AWARDS
• 2003 GALING POOK AWARD FOR EFFECTIVE FISCAL MANAGEMENT
• AWARDED PAYATAS DISPOSAL FACILITY (GALING POOK FOUNDATION)
• MOST BUSINESS-FRIENDLY CITY AWARD FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS AND
ELEVATED AS HALL OF FAME IN 2005 BY PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AND INDUSTRY
• 7 OUT OF 200 ASIAN CITY CONTENDERS IN TOP ASIAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE
2007-2009 BY LONDON FINANCIAL TIMES
• IN 2009, PH+A CREDIT RATING FROM STANDARD AND POOR’S
• SIKAP BUHAY CENTER TO ADDRESS UNEMPLOYMENT
 MAYOR BELMONTE
• DREW ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TURNING AROUND FINANCIALLY AILING
GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS
• TAPPED RICH REPOSITORY OF EXPERIENCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACY
• STUDIED ROOT CAUSES OF SUCCESS AND FAILURES
• OBSERVED OTHER LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLES
• CREATED A MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY HIMSELF AND COMPOSED OF 11
CLOSE AND TRUSTED ADVISERS IN LAW, BUDGETING, ACCOUNTING, MANAGEMENT,
ARCHITECTURE, AND RELATED FIELDS WHO HE WORKED WITH BEFORE.
• CLOSELY WORKED WITH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF 50 HEADS OF CITY
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, OFFICES, TASK FORCES AND OTHER UNITS.
• MET WITH MANCOM AND EXECOM ALTERNATE WEEKS
 LEADERSHIP STYLE
• NEVER PLAYED THE BLAME GAME AGAINST PREDECESSOR
• AVOIDED FIRING OR FLOATING PERSONNEL AFFILIATED TO PREVIOUS ADMIN
WHICH EXTENDED TO HIS MANCOM
• MONDAY KEPT AS PEOPLE’S DAY WHICH HE RECEIVED PEOPLE FROM ALL
WALKS OF LIFE IN HIS OFFICE WITHOUT PRIOR APPOINTMENT TO KNOW
EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND OTHER ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED
• HANDS-ON VISITED PROJECTS PERSONALLY
• LED BY EXAMPLE AND MANAGES BY EXCEPTION
• INSTITUTIONALIZED PARTICIPATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN
CITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
 Q.C. LEADERSHIP DIGEST
• PHRONETIC LEADERSHIP MODEL IS SUITABLE TO QC SETTING
• HAS FOUNDATION IN JAPANESE COMMUNITY HARMONY
• NONAKA FRAMEWORK HAS BENN SUBCONSCIOUSLY “GLOCALIZED” IN PHILIPPINE SETTING

• KNOWLEDGE-AS-PRACTICE RATHER THAN KNOWLEDGE-AS-COMMODITY

• ITEMS OF INFORMATION FROM QC CONSTITUENTS NOT AS “REIFIED OBJECTS THAN CAN BE ACQUIRED, PROCESSED,
TRANSFERRED, SPREAD AND STORES ACROSS DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC DOMAINS” BUT AS A SYSTEM OF SOCIALLY
CONTRUCTED ACTIVITIES EMBEDDED IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS OF KNOWLEDGE WORK
• MUCH OF KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND RETENTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRY LIKE PHIL. IS TACIT. BENEFIT IS THAT IT
FORMS PART OF SPECIFIC CULTURAL NORMS THAT ARE EASILY HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
DRAWBACK IS INABILITY TO HARNESS CROSS-CULTURAL SHARING AND MANAGEMENT
• HURDLES ALONG SECI CONTINUUM:
• HIERARCHICAL NATURE OF QC ORGANIZATION DID NOT HELP IN SHARING TACIT KNOWLEDGE. BELMONTE SUCCEEDED IN
OVERCOMING THIS HURDLE, NOT BY REORGANIZING THE BUREAUCRACY BUT ESSENTIALLY BY SIDESTEPPING BUREAUCRATIC
ROUTINES USING NON BUREAUCRATIC TOOLS SUCH AS OUTSOURCING, INVOLVING NGO AND PRIVATE SECTOR
• KNOWLEDGE HOARDING MADE IT DIFFICULT TO PUT TOGETHER COHERENT, EXPLICIT RULES DURING KNOWLEDGE
COMBINATION STAGE. KNOWLEDGE HOARDING ALSO BRED CORRUPT PRACTICES. BELMONTE EMPLOYED UNCONVENTIONAL
METHODS TO OVERCOME LACK OF CRITICAL BACKGROUND INFOT BY PEOPLE’S DAY CONVERSATIONS, ENCOURAGING
TEAM0BASED DISCUSSIONS OUTSIDE TYPICAL BUSINESS-AS-USUAL ROUTINES OF DIFFERENT CITY HALL UNITS. FORMULATED
NEW TRANSPARENCY RULES TO COAX MANAGERS INTO BECOMING MORE OPEN.