The Courage to Change: How Maasin Became the First Smart LGU in Western Visayas

By Lcid Crescent D. Fernandez 

The first step is always the hardest. That first step carries with it no momentum, and requires a spark to move forward. In governance, I call this “spark” the courage to change. It is the vision to see beyond what is currently before us – and taking decisive action to see it through. For Mayor Francis Amboy of the Municipality of Maasin, that courageous first step has now made it the first Smart LGU in Western Visayas.

This column is the third in a series I am writing on building Smart Cities. This particular column focuses on the story of Maasin, a third-class municipality in the third legislative district of Iloilo, and its transformation into the first Smart LGU in Western Visayas.

At the heart of this transformation was Mayor Amboy’s vision and political will. Where other LGUs were reluctant to make bold changes for the future, he chose to transform his municipality. Pair his audacity with Ilonggo innovation, brought to life by the engineers at WARP Technologies and Innovations Inc., and you have a legacy-defining project. With The Prominent, the first AI-assisted enterprise resource planning (ERP) software built to fit Maasin’s needs, the LGU is now set to prove that being “Smart” requires making smart choices.

Let me tell you, there were no shortcuts. This endeavor took shape over four long but exciting months through a ladderized process of numerous consultations, deployment procedures, and training sessions. We meticulously scanned and encoded high-level records to preserve institutional memory. We studied workflows and began crafting solutions alongside department heads and frontline staff. Through all this, we made sure that data digitization and process digitalization were not imposed but adapted – that meant these were tailored to the way Maasin’s LGU actually worked, like a bespoke suit. Comprehensive training was done until employees themselves could test and run the system with confidence and reliability.

The results are undeniable. HR tasks such as leave applications and payroll are now automated, eliminating several dozen workhours. What previously required working days to process are now accomplished with just a few buttons. Let’s examine the budgetary process, for instance. In the past, if a department needed to know its available budget, they would have to file a request with the budget office. This meant physically sending someone to file the request, waiting for processing as the budget is manually calculated, and then receiving the update a day or two later. With The Prominent, such necessary information is already reflected on the dashboard of the officer-in-charge, and is updated in real time.

Two days turned to two seconds. Now that’s Smart.

Financial reports, performance metrics, inventory levels, and other similar information that would usually take weeks to assemble are now accomplished through intuitive dashboards which provide real-time visibility into the information needed. Human error is exponentially minimized thanks to workflow automation because clearer processes mean reduced errors in reports, data, and payments. No need to fall in line and wait two weeks for a permit or certificate. Queues are shorter, transactions faster, and responses more accurate.

And this endeavor is not a mere suggestion. It is quite literally the future. This initiative aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that all government offices digitalize vital services. This is to improve public service, and to curb corruption. Maasin’s example demonstrates that, even for municipalities outside Manila, this mandate is not only possible but practical and necessary.

Transforming into Smart Cities is inevitable. Maasin is just ahead of the curve.

While this leap is national in scope, other LGUs are having problems adopting other systems as they were not made to cater to our specific LGU workflow. The Prominent, however, is the first ERP to offer modular, governance workflow-specific systems. Instead of using a hodgepodge of ‘frankensteined’ software per office, it’s an all-in-one solution that evolves with the governance models of The Philippines.

Of course, Maasin’s Smart journey is only beginning. As I mentioned in my previous columns, the next steps include integrating sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) systems, launching external portals for payments and community updates, and further expanding digital services. Each phase will bring governance closer to the accomplishment of its mandate and the people it serves.

Modernization does not wait for the biggest budgets or the largest cities. It was vital that we push these first steps close to home in the countryside. We wanted to prove that with courage, clarity, and collaboration, even small municipalities can lead in building smarter, more transparent, and more responsive governments. This is Maasin’s legacy, this is Mayor Francis Amboy’s legacy – that is, leading change with courage and innovation.