Trans-Local Government Collaboration as an Approach for International Development Assistance: The Saemaul Globalization Project in Balincaguing Village, Philippines
Keywords:
local government, collaborative governance, international development assistance, Saemaul Undong, rural developmentAbstract
The implementation of development programs in rural areas has continued to be one of the most problematic responsibilities for international assistance and development agencies around the world. Neoliberal development policies have failed to resolve the urgent problems of reducing inequality and eradicating poverty, while current trends in international development assistance are yet to obtain sustainable and beneficial results. Consequently, a non-traditional instrument for international development assistance has drawn attention for researchers and policymakers. This approach is characterized by the active involvement and collaboration of local governments from around the world, otherwise known as ‘decentralized development cooperation’, hereinafter, ‘trans-local government collaboration’. At the very core, this paper aims to examine this approach though the case study of the Saemaul Globalization Project (SGP) in Balincaguing village, collaboratively implemented between the provincial government of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and the municipal government of San Felipe, Zambales, The Philippines. The SGP is a comprehensive rural development project that originates from South Korea’s Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement), promoting sense of ownership and self-reliance among the beneficiaries. In terms of the provision of livelihood opportunities, construction of infrastructures, capacity-building, and skills and technology transfer, the project is deemed as a success during its implementation from 2012 to 2016. Hence, this paper hypothesizes that the successful implementation and administration of SGP in Balincaguing village is a result of the effective trans-local collaboration between the local governments of North Gyeongsang and San Felipe. With the success of SGP in Balincaguing village, this paper suggests that an effective trans-local government collaboration is a supplemental approach for international development assistance and a determining factor in the successful implementation of development programs in rural areas.
References
Arndt, C., Jones, S., & Tarp, F. (2010). Aid, growth, and development: have we come full circle?. Journal of Globalization and Development, 1(2).
Gulrajani, N. (2015). Dilemmas in donor design: organisational reform and the future of foreign aid agencies. Public Administration and Development, 35(2), 152-164.
Fenglian, Y., & Narrot, P. (2017). The Role of Local Government in International Relations: A Case Study of Friendship City Agreements between Khon Kaen City and Nanning City. Local Administration Journal, 10(3), 139-158.
Jain, P., & Yoshida, H. (2003). Japan’s new channels of aid and cooperation: local governments as an actor.
Nakamura, H., Elder, M., & Mori, H. (2011). The surprising role of local governments in international environmental cooperation: The case of Japanese collaboration with developing countries. The Journal of Environment & Development, 20(3), 219-250.
Nganje, F. (2015). Decentralized Cooperation and the New Development Cooperation Agenda: What Role for the UN?. United Nations University Centre for Policy Research.
Perez (2018). The international aid of subnational governments: the case of Spain. Working Paper 10/2018. Real Instituto Elcano.
Pikner, T. (2008). Reorganizing cross-border governance capacity: the case of the Helsinki—Tallinn Euregio. European Urban and Regional Studies, 15(3), 211- 227.
Sumner, A., & Mallett, R. (2012). The future of foreign aid: development cooperation and the new geography of global poverty. Springer.
Vallejos et al. (2016). Saemaul Undong in Philippine Context: The Case of Brgy. Balincaguing in San Felipe, Zambales. College of Social Work and Community Development. Quezon City, Philippines. Retrieved from https://iskwiki.upd.edu.ph/flipbook/viewer/?fb=-Saemaul-#page-1
