The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) has enjoyed the full support from the Philippine Government through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in its first ever large-scale initiative to promote green public space. The Green, Green, Green Programme was launched in 2018. Spearheaded by DBM and implemented in partnership with LCP, the programme has earmarked PHP 2.5 billion (approx. USD 48 million) to support cities’ effort to create green and open public space.
The Green, Green, Green Programme was borne out of a series of dialogues between the LCP and the DBM to explore how the national government can concretely support cities in the enhancement of their local infrastructure—a complement to the countrywide Build, Build, Build initiative. The programme emerged as a viable model for collaboration between the two levels of government in the Philippines. On top of financial assistance, the DBM has provided technical expertise to ensure that city governments effectively implement their open space projects in accordance with the set standards.
In a matter of months after the launch of the programme, the DBM received a total of 142 project proposals from cities, which consisted of public parks and plazas, waterfronts, streetscapes, institutional open spaces, and mangrove parks. Majority of these proposals have already passed vetting and are waiting for fund release. The next phase of the programme in 2019 will be marked by increased consultancy services and other technical support in line with the DBM’s commitment to help he cities further enhance their project designs and maximize the impact of the funding available to them.
