Malaybalay City chooses open, green governance
On a typical bidding day in Malaybalay City, anyone with internet access can watch the entire procurement process unfold live on the local government’s Facebook page.
For Mayor Jay Warren Pabillaran, livestreaming government processes was not a trend to follow but a principle to establish—it was his very first administrative order, his opening move toward transparency and accountability.
The numbers already show results. In 2025, the city saved over P361 million through procurement reforms, according to Councilor Jason Chad Ayala. Those savings were redirected toward expanded programs: antivenom serum available 24/7, mobile health clinics, housing for families in disaster zones, and scholarships for over 400 students annually.
Pabillaran, a lawyer by profession, did not plan for public service. After passing the bar, his intention was private practice, possibly in Cebu—but the 2007 barangay elections changed that.
Watching the campaign and election process unfold, he asked himself: “We loudly criticize the government, but we are not really engaged with our own society.” He ran for barangay kagawad without telling his parents, going house to house asking for votes, and won.
Procurement reforms
By 2010 and 2013 Pabillaran was the city’s top councilor. He became vice mayor in 2019, and mayor in both 2022 and 2025.
As councilor, Pabillaran observed recurring patterns of corruption in public projects. When he became mayor, he moved to dismantle them through legal infrastructure.
According to Atty. Alfredo Cape Jr. of the Malaybalay City Legal Office, Pabillaran’s Facebook live requirement for public bidding was already in place before the enactment of Republic Act No. 12009, the New Government Procurement Act, making Malaybalay ahead of the curve. The city also invested in professional training and certification for its Legal Office under the Government Procurement Policy Board.
Cape also says the mayor’s staff rotation policy in the procurement office “helps maintain unfamiliarity and the unbiased treatment of suppliers. The suppliers themselves are more transparent and disciplined.”
Mandatory cleanups
Pabillaran also pushed for better environmental management. Jessie Suson, head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, recalls the immediate challenges when he took office.
“There was a lack of garbage compactors; only two to three were functional, so we purchased nine so that waste collection would be done according to schedule,” she says. The goal: instill discipline among residents to segregate waste and adhere to collection schedules.
As a civilian, Pabillaran had led weekly volunteer cleanup drives. Once in office, he made these mandatory for all barangays. What sets Malaybalay apart is the frequency of assessments—while most cities evaluate barangay cleanliness quarterly, Malaybalay does it weekly.
Creek restoration efforts organize households along waterways for monthly cleanups. Tree planting shifted from annual token gestures to regular activities conducted with nongovernment organizations, sociocivic groups, and the military. Even the city’s fulltime firefighters participate in tree-planting during the rainy season.
The City Agriculture Office’s 2025 program reflects the same long-term thinking. A P26-million hybrid corn program has reached 5,252 farmers across 38 barangays, complemented by P9.45 million in fertilizer support. A vegetable seed distribution program has benefited 24,230 households citywide.
A groundbreaking soil conservation program provides sustainable land management technology to farmer-cooperators in hilly areas, while a P1-million Cempedak Fruit Production Project supports farmers in Barangay Miglamin.
The program demonstrates a commitment to modernizing agricultural practices, promoting environmental sustainability, and enhancing food security.
Different reputation
Pabillaran does not claim to have solved the challenge of sustainability. Through the Malaybalay Good Governance Movement, he is working to educate citizens about their rights by inviting thought leaders to speak and encouraging residents to question how public funds are spent.
“We are a democratic country, but we don’t know the process,” he says.
He is beginning to see small shifts—more citizens asking about budget allocations, and more interest in project timelines.
Malaybalay City, known for its cool weather and agricultural roots, is building a different kind of reputation: one of transparent governance and environmental accountability. Whether that reputation outlasts one mayor’s term depends not on the man, but on whether the people decide to demand nothing less.
