In a brief amount of time, local government research and extension work in the Philippines has dramatically improved, with several institutions looking to push the boundaries of the field. After several years of service, the Center for Local and Regional Governance is grateful to see that the discipline is thriving with new opportunities for growth and deeper understanding. We at the Center see this as an opportunity, and a chance to refine our work and prepare our community of practice to lead the charge in venturing towards new horizons.
Bolstering its foundations, the Center will further strengthen its ties with its stakeholders through partnership programs with different local government bodies at home and abroad; learning through theory and practice hand-in-hand. We seek to refine our existing training programs and develop more specialized courses so that local government officials can be better equipped to face the rapidly changing socioeconomic, environmental, and geopolitical reality of the 21st Century. Moreover, we are pushing boundaries in the study of devolution, big data at the local level, local special bodies, women in local governance, crisis management and local media.
The Center is expanding its reach by developing new training programs and resources catered to fourth to sixth class municipalities, barangays, and local government support staff. In addition, we are exploring new avenues of information delivery to make local government research more accessible to the greater Philippine public. In unwavering pursuit of our mandate, the Center looks to firmly cement its claim as the prominent institution for local governance research, extension, and publications. We invite everyone to take part.
ALICIA B. CELESTINO Assistant Professor and Director of CLRG
