The Institute of Local Government Administration (ILGA) is one of the Offices under the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Development (VP-RED), which seeks to promote responsive, morally accountable and competent public servants among Local Government Units (LGUs) through short courses to contribute to self-reliant and nationalistic regional and national development; pursue and conduct relevant, development-oriented research, that would promote community and national goals; and promote research and extension services among LGUs to help improve the quality of life of the residents of various communities.

The Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)

One of the ways by which ILGA seeks to achieve its goals, specifically for the period January to December 2008, is to assist in the Province-wide implementation of the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS).

CBMS is an organized process of data collection and processing at the local level and integration of data in local planning, program implementation and impact monitoring. It is a system that promotes evidence–based policy making and program implementation while empowering communities to participate in the process. CBMS supports the decentralization process by capacitating LGUs to collect, analyze and use data in local planning and program implementation. The activities to be undertaken for CBMS implementation necessitates collaboration with the different stakeholders of the province to include local government units, national line agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and the academe.

The Provincial Government of Tarlac has tapped the Tarlac State University, through the Institute of Local Government Administration (TSU-ILGA) Office, to assist in the province-wide implementation of CBMS for the Province of Tarlac. The framework, methodologies, and contents of CBMS are contained in the guidelines prepared by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) in coordination with the Angelo King Institute (AKI).