MANILA, Philippines — Good governance is the genuine solution to poverty – not population control. Such has been the hallmark of the 40 years of public service rendered by former Manila Mayor and Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

Even in his staunch pro-life stand, Mayor Atienza has consistently shown that good and effective governance is the key to genuine development, and that our people are our greatest asset, and not the cause of our problems.

From the time this vocal critic of Ferdinand Marcos was elected to the Batasang Pambansa in 1984, to the time he was appointed by President Cory Aquino as General Manager of the National Housing Authority, his zeal for public service never wavered.

Under his leadership, the NHA was at its most productive, fulfilling President Aquino’s mandate to provide adequate housing for ordinary folk.

In 1992, he was elected Vice Mayor of the City of Manila, a position he held for two consecutive terms, and as Mayor from 1998-2007 – the only mayor to have served three consecutive terms, indicating the trust and confidence that Manila’s voters had in Atienza.

Following a clear road map in his centerpiece Buhayin ang Maynila program, he implemented numerous reforms in the bureaucracy and it was under his watch that the city achieved a record increase in its revenues – from R2.3 billion to R6.8 billion.

This enabled the city to invest in human development by providing for more modern – or an upgrading of – markets, schools, parks, health and daycare centers. It also allowed the city government to provide its teachers, policemen, and government workers with salary increases and incentive pay.

After “graduating” from City Hall, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2009. There he continued to live and work by his pro-life/good governance principles and this was evident in the start of the clean-up of Manila Bay, Laguna de Bay, and other water bodies.

He took action against illegal mining activities and ledthe promotion of responsible mining, turning it into a major economic sector. In mining as in reforestation, he made sure the host communities are turned into stewards, responsibly caring for and sharing in nature’s bounty.

His stint at the DENR also witnessed effective reforms. He streamlined and simplified processes for clearances and permits to remove occasions for corruption, while providing incentives for employees to do better service to our people.

Atienza has consistently shown that pro-life principles, when translated into good and effective governance, can mean development and progress for the people. And that solutions to poverty are not found in reducing the number of people sharing at the table, but in ensuring that resources are well conserved, and not waylaid, on the way to the table.

His is a rare case of a man who has consistently, bravely applied in his work as a public servant the basic principles that have shaped his personal life.