Conclusion

a. The community's development planning

For the immediate needs of the community of Bulacan, the province has formulated and implemented programs for efficient delivery of health and social services. They wanted to improve the hospital facilities and services. They wanted to decrease the number of infant mortality rate, and other related deaths connected with severe illnesses across the province. They also wanted to strengthen programs related to maternal and children’s health. Moreover, they have formulated and implemented programs for upgrading the quality of public education. The government of Bulacan wants to have equal opportunity to education by giving scholarship programs to the youth. They had agreed with the DepEd to become partners in order for them to build new schools for the Bulakenyos. Lastly, they wanted to mold and to harness talented and skillful young bulakenyos for the betterment of the society.

For the needs of individual and family development, Bulacan has formulated and implemented two programs for this particular area. First, they promote positive Filipino values among the families. In order for the province to prosper, they wanted to build on its people first by strengthening their moral values. In this way, Bulacan could have responsible and good citizens. Second, in relation with promoting positive Filipino values, Bulacan implemented programs for drug free and responsible youth sector. They wanted to remove the vices of the youth and make them more productive. This is done by empowering the youth. Bulacan started the YIPEE, it means Youth-Initiated Program for Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship. It aims to give the youth the skills and the knowledge to build their own business.

For the needs of sector and sub-communities, Bulacan has formulated and implemented programs for strengthening SME’s, promotion of arts, culture, and tourism, and provision of quality services of all sectors. Strengthening the SME’s will make the province more productive. This will eventually increase the production of the province in terms of good and services in the microeconomics scale. In addition, bulacan wanted to foster the development of arts, culture, and tourism. It means that they wanted to enrich and to enhance the tourism sector. In this way, more opportunities and jobs will come to the province of Bulacan. Lastly, they wanted to provide the best quality of service of all sectors. They don’t want to concentrate on the development of one sector but to they wanted to make the entire sector to give the best quality of service that they can. Having this kind of mentality, Bulacan aims to have a strong province that will satisfy their people and the tourist as well.

Bulacan wanted to make their province as a complete package for all. Not only focusing on a particular area but making sure that all areas are equally important to the province, they wanted to integrate and to harmonize the province as a whole. They wanted to make sure that all the important parts of the province is harnessed and built to make it a well-rounded province ready to provide all kinds of services.

For the needs of the inter-local and regional cooperation, it has basically three main objectives which are programs for sustainable development, programs to develop highly competent information technology in local governance, and proficient, motivated and inspired workforce in the bureaucracy. All of these three program aim to address the needs of the inter-local and regional cooperation. Nowadays, a sustainable development program is very critical to one province because this particular program will be the foundation of all the programs of the province. It is evidently clear that sustaining the needs and wants of the people in the province is the primary concern of the government which make this program more needed. Likewise, having a competent information technology is equally important. Technology today is very necessary to make things possible especially creating plans and framework for the province. Technology is a powerful tool that would make the programs and plans easier to implement. Lastly, all of these will be nothing if there are no proficient, motivated and inspired workforces. The people in the bureaucracy is very important because they are the one doing the work.

b. What are the recommendations of the study team?

A Constituency-Responsive type of Governance is being practiced in Bulacan. It started with the Vice-Governorship of Josie dela Cruz in the year 1998. This type of governance that establishes, maintains, and deepens the government’s ways of relating with its constituents, has been continued in dela Cruz’s Governorship and up to the present. Constituents and the citizenry are being treated as customers and their priorities and feedbacks are constantly monitored through scientific surveys before and after Government projects and programs. This unique method of governance has garnered Bulacan local and international awards such as: The Most Outstanding LGU in Population Development, Human Development Award for its development programs in health, livelihood and education, Konrad-Adenauer Local Governance Award for its exemplary bureaucratic innovations and vital reforms in governance and Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award for its exemplary public service.

We, the study team, commend Bulacan and its top leaders for the good quality governance it has established; unfortunately, this doesn’t trickle down in the smaller government units as efficient as expected. There are still many corrupt and unprogressive leaders in the municipalities and baranggays who don’t translate the innovative governance from their upper hands. We recommend an Ad Hoc Committee to be built for the sole purpose of monitoring how the BSDP is actualized in the smaller government units with the hope that it will encourage efficiency and accountability among leaders and stakeholders. Having the constituents and citizenry as customers, the government should make sure that opportunities are given to them equally and that the brand of leadership they receive are of good quality from the head until the smallest government units.

The development planning process in the different communities in the Philippines may be best studied through a hands-on case study in which an evaluation with a holistic approach is done. The development planning process cannot just be studied after a few visits in the government offices and short-term surveys, it needs to be evaluated in connection with the citizenry’s culture and performance, the programs’ long term effectiveness, the issues and problems that come along with it, and the over-all effect of the plan. All of these should be scientific based and supported by hard facts from in-depth study. Its assessment should not be based from Western Models or any foreign style because the most effective development planning process is the one designed by the stakeholders, which are the learned locals. The measures of its efficiency should be derived from its sustainability and capability of innovation.

c. The Conduct of the Study

Our team has planned the study by parts with the use of the LOG Frame, SWOT and Time/Task table as our bases. We were very fortunate that the officials have been very cooperative thus making us fulfill our aims efficiently. They have given us enough data about their development framework/programs and they were keen to answer our queries during the interviews. Our group followed the Time/Task table well and we have evaluated the data given to us to come up with the other bases. We have observed well how the development plan is actualized to tell that they did not just put it on paper but more importantly, on action. We have learned how democracy may be put into effective use through constituency-responsive governance and how with decentralization, it is possible for a province to do away with the culture of mediocrity. There is a big difference between studying development in theory and studying it on the field. It is best to be hands-on to get the real facts and situation of the object of study. This study about Bulacan and its development honed our skills as development studies majors for it was a challenging application of the lessons we have learned inside the class.

Findings

Findings would be detailed further in our paper. It contains...

• The development needs of the people
• Aspirations of the community (VISION)
• The 9 Development Thrusts

1. Barangay Governance
2. Youth Empowerment
3. Build alliances in governance
4. Improve productivity, employment and income
5. Efficient and modern healthcare
6. Quality Education
7. Intensify management of the environment and natural resources
8. Peace and order
9. Character Change

• Major Issues and Opportunities
• Transportation

Methodology

Examining the development planning processes of Bulacan was in the form of a descriptive, exploratory and evaluative type of case study. The group wanted to study Bulacan’s case by first describing what Bulacan is in terms of development planning and then from that coming in to evaluate its development planning processes. The design of the case study that was conducted by the group was longitudinal. The analysis of the development plans occurred during the 10-week time frame. It would not be possible to evaluate the development plans in one sitting.

For the case study itself, the methods the groups used for data collection were internet research, library research, document research, participant observation and field immersion. These methods were helpful in carefully examining the development planning processes of Bulacan. For the internet and library research, the group intended to find out information about Bulacan and the status of its development plans. For the document research and field immersion, the group visited the Provincial Office of Bulacan and gathered necessary information by interviewing the project coordinator of the Provincial Planning Office and then requesting for a copy of the development plans itself.

Framework of the Analysis

The case study focuses on the review of the development planning processes, for our group, in Bulacan. The end goal of the study is to identify how plans are drafted, how they are implemented and how they benefit the constituents. Here is the list of the initial questions the group wanted to ask to the officials of the Local Government Unit of Bulacan.

- What is your development plan? What is its aims and objectives? What does it want to achieve?
- Who are the beneficiaries of the plan?
- What are the problems that the development plan addresses? How did you find out that those are the problems of your constituents?
- How is your development plan implemented today?
- Why is it necessary to implement this kind of plan? Is it necessary?
- When did the implementation start and when is the expected time of completion?
- Who are the authors of the development plan? How long did it take to finish?
- If ever the priority plan fails, is there an available contingency plan?
- How do you deal with external problems regarding the plan?
- Is there a way to know that your plan is effective?

Basically, the questions are directed to the development plan of Bulacan itself. The group was concerned on how these plans are implemented and how has these plans contributed to the overall performance of the province.

Objectives of the Case Study

1. To be able to review the current state of the development plans in Bulacan.

2. To be able to identify the specific concerns and corresponding actions being done.

3. To be able to calculate the kind of development planning Bulacan has.

4. To be able to know what the constituency thinks of the development plans of Bulacan.

5. To be able to closely examine the development planning processes, not only in Bulcan, but as a whole.

Background of the Study

Bulacan is one of the provinces in the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region. It is found in the north of manila, around Bulacan provinces like Pampanga (west), Nueva Ecija (north), Auroa and Quezon (east), and Rizal (south) can be found. The province itself can also be found on the shores of Manila bay. Today, the province of Bulacan is one of the most popular provinces of the country, not only because of its rich history, culture, and arts but also because of its people. The people of Bulacan, who is known for being educated, kind and industrious type of people, are called the Bulakeno (Bulakenyo).

Bulacan very attractive because of the fact that many historical sites, old houses and churches, ecological attractions, developed infrastructure, religious attraction, colorful festivals can be found. Aside from these things, many beautiful resorts, hotels and restaurant are established here to give you selfless service. In addition, it is also a place for starting good businesses and investments, where by good governance is implemented throughout the place. Also, the province of Bulacan is a very peaceful and ordered place. It is well known for its rich history. Many of the national heroes and national artists came from this wonderful province. Examples of these national artists and heroes are Marcelo H. Del Pilar (The Great Propagandist), General Gregorio Del Pilar (The Hero of Tirad Pass), Francisco “Baltazar” Balagtas (The Legendary Poet), Nicanor Abelardo (The Musician), and Guillermo Tolentino (The Nationalist Sculptor).

Bulacan was also one of the eight provinces who first fought the Spain Regime. And the province is honored as one of the eight rays of the Philippine national flag. Moreover in the year 1899, the First Constitutional Democracy in Asia happened in the Barasoain Church in the capital city of Bulacan, Malolos City. Furthermore, Bulacan is much known for its wide variety of industries. Examples of these industries are marble and marbleized limestone, jewelry, pyrotechnics, leather, aquaculture, garments, high-value crops, etc.

Being unaware of the given the desirable characteristics of the province, the group still chose Bulacan as the subject of the case study because it was a different compared to the other choices. Also considered was the proximity of Bulacan to most of the group members because it would be easier to conduct field work. At first, the group did not see Bulacan as a progressive province. Unknown to the group are the achievements of the Local Government Unit of Bulacan and how these achievements led to the development of the province. The group thought of Bulacan as merely a province – mountainous and rich in natural resources. It was not clear whether Bulacan was a developed province. Also, the group associated the province with the North Luzon Expressway since the expressway passes through Bulacan. The group did not see beyond what really was Bulacan and thought only of what was heard and seen of the province. With our initial ideas, it was a blur whether Bulacan was really a competitive province.

Out of curiosity as to how Bulacan is in its current state right now, the group decided to further on the case study. It was unknown to the group what makes up Bulacan and so this motivated us to examine the province. This paper introduces readers to the development planning processes of the province of Bulacan and how this has contributed to the overall performance of the province. Whether or not development planning is successful in Bulacan, this paper gives an overview of what really happens inside Bulacan and what has brought the province to its progressive state at present.