ESEA lauded Gordon

Olongapo City recently rolled out the red carpet for delegates to the 16th East and South East Asian Conference (Esea) on seeking innovative ways to turn cities into ideal communities.

It was the sixth time that the regional conference was held in the Philippines—and all of the six Esea conferences were held in Olongapo. Mayor James “Bong” Gordon said this underscores the fact that the Esea member-countries acknowledge the pioneering accomplishments of the city in initiating reforms in the bureaucracy to achieve efficiency and productivity in governance.

The Esea delegates lauded Gordon’s efforts to infuse experiment with new ways of governance and to learn from experience. They said the city’s successful programs have been replicated in the Philippines and in neighboring Asian cities.

Gordon has managed to turn the once-sleepy, base-dependent community into a showcase of reforms and of best practices in local program implementation. The foreign delegates to Esea returned home after seeing for themselves how a world-class Philippine city has blazed the trail in good governance despite suffering economic dislocation with the pullout of the American naval base. By Jojo Robles - Lowdown, Manila Standard Today