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Lesson
Based on this performance evaluation there are three lessons. First, efficient public financial management (PFM) systems are important to ensure timely disbursements. While the Philippines has made progress in PFM reform, it clearly needs to do much more to address the low disbursement rates typical in the first semester of each year. Measures implemented in 2009 helped to improve disbursements. The government is addressing these and in February 2011 announced its PFM roadmap.

Project Number: 43300-013
Project Name: Countercyclical Support
Report Date:
Lesson
Need for improved and expeditious processing of approvals both within ADB business processes and within the government to avoid delays to approval of variation requests and other procurement matters.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Microfinance for housing should be encouraged. Housing microfinance is an important long-term development instrument. Microfinance institutions that have clienteles with good reputation as borrowers are best suited to implement such housing microfinance loans.

Project Number: 32499-013
Project Name: Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
A bigger role for nongovernment organizations (NGOs) can be envisaged. NGOs can borrow from the Developnment Bank of the Philippines if they have sufficient collateral at their disposal. However, few NGOs may have land available for housing, and may consequently rely on partnerships with other stakeholders, such as the local government units or the private sector, to access land for their projects.

Project Number: 32499-013
Project Name: Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Private sector developers need to be motivated to prefinance and build social housing schemes. The private sector modality does work if established in tandem with a take-out mechanism from Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF). While the private sector will only require short-term loans during the construction period (until a scheme is fully sold), it relies on a separate financing mechanism through HMDF or similar other arrangements.

Project Number: 32499-013
Project Name: Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Local government units (LGUs) are important as facilitators of housing projects, but should not be overburdened with housing production or housing loans. LGU-driven projects are important and strategic for targeting the urban poor. LGUs can have a crucial role in provision of land, particularly land that has been proclaimed by the President of the Philippines for social housing purposes. However, there needs to be additional innovation to make the urban poor bankable.

Project Number: 32499-013
Project Name: Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
A program should have a well-defined exit strategy. This program was designed for implementation over 3 years with specified medium-term targets. It successfully closed upon completing subprogram 3. Without an exit strategy, the program risks reform fatigue and may encourage lax compliance with policy reforms. Introducing the post-program partnership framework during subprogram 3 proved to be effective in ensuring the sustainability of key reforms.

Project Number: 40538-013, 40538-023, 40538-033
Project Name: Development Policy Support Program Cluster
Report Date:
Lesson
If necessary, triggers should be supported by technical assistance (TA), as were the subprogram 2 and 3 public financial management (PFM) triggers. During the review of subprogram 2 policy triggers, the government and ADB identified gaps in government budget execution, internal audit and controls, and reporting, acerbated by the underdevelopment of the government's computerized accounts system. The government asked ADB for longer-term integrated TA to strengthen its PFM framework.

Project Number: 40538-013, 40538-023, 40538-033
Project Name: Development Policy Support Program Cluster
Report Date:
Lesson
Using numerical targets such as the tax revenue-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio as triggers, as initially done in subprogram 2, should be cautiously approached. Ambitious numerical targets that are not supported by a realistic reform timetable are likely to fail.

Project Number: 40538-013, 40538-023, 40538-033
Project Name: Development Policy Support Program Cluster
Report Date:
Lesson
A program cluster approach with prior expected actions enveloped by a medium-term framework with flexibility built into its design is an effective approach to supporting government reforms. It promotes continuous dialogue with the government on reforms and allows for program changes to effectively and efficiently respond to new or worsening risks to the economy and shifts in government policy priorities.

Project Number: 40538-013, 40538-023, 40538-033
Project Name: Development Policy Support Program Cluster
Report Date:
Lesson
Participating local government units (LGUs) obtained several benefits. The project generated strong interest among LGUs. Most LGUs appreciated the loan terms (particularly the fixed long-term nature of ADB funds) and the assistance and services provided by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). LGUs also appreciated receiving assistance in modernized governance systems, including assistance in rationalized planning (comprehensive development plans), property tax administration, and revenue enhancement.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
LGUs see banking requirements as too tedious. Despite various introductory workshops, some LGUs kept complaining about the documentation requirements. The assistance of DILG and its consultants has helped ease their concerns, but LGUs reported that at times they felt like they were being forced into compliance with procedures that other official development assistance (ODA) providers (like Japan Bank for International Cooperation) had already relaxed. Both ADB and LBP procedures could have been simplified to better bond LGU customers with the project.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Capital grants are attractive, but should only be given as a reward for good performance. In the first years of the project the DILG offered capital grants for eligible subprojects. These were discontinued in 2005 after the cancellation of the DILG's grant source. After that, many LGUs stopped subproject preparation work because of the (perceived high) costs of ADB loans. The commitment and buy-in of LGUs was weak at times. Many LGUs were more oriented toward grants than the lending facility.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
Decentralized projects call for a better PPMS. The scattered nature of investments throughout Mindanao created substantial management challenges of reporting and data management. The disparity and decentralized nature of the subprojects should have made it imperative that the project implement a web-based project performance monitoring system (PPMS) instead of employing traditional narrative reporting methods. A web-based PPMS would have facilitated management and supervision.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date:
Lesson
More strategic and participatory planning is desirable. LGU chief executive officers (CEOs) often selected subprojects and made investment decisions on their own rather than on the basis of strategic local development plans. Although the project assisted some LGUs in formulating comprehensive land use plans, it did not succeed in ensuring that such plans are standard tools for investment planning despite an LBP requirement mandating that LGUs possess annual development plans to qualify for loan approval.

Project Number: 30551-013
Project Name: Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project
Report Date: