Tolentino sends local PH execs to Hague for 5-day study mission
By Dhel Nazario
Sen. Francis Tolentino sent to the Hague Academy of Local Governance in the Netherlands for a five-day study mission on local governance and innovation for local economic development Local Government Unit (LGU) officials to help them stay abreast with the innovations and strategies implemented by local governments around the world.

This is through the senator's Adaptive Governance and Innovation for Local Executives (AGILE) Program in partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).
The AGILE Program Hague delegation is composed of 28 participants who are vice governors, mayors, vice mayors, and representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and DAP.
At the sidelines of the program's kickoff, Sen. Tol spoke with Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo who lauded the program for helping LGU executives learn many aspects on governance.
"Very interesting po dahil lumalabas ang parallel sides of local government dito sa Netherlands and sa atin. Napag-aaralan din natin kung ano pa ang pwedeng i-improve, kung mayroon man (It's very interesting because we witnessed the parallel sides of local government here in Netherlands and in ours. We also studied what can be improved, if there are such)," Lagdameo said.
Meanwhile, Tolentino praised the City of Makati for its commitment to not only keep on improving itself but also helping out its nearby areas through mentorship programs on digitization and streamlining of processes.
The Senator further commended the local executives who enthusiastically joined the AGILE Program delegation to the Netherlands.
"Patuloy pa rin ang pag-aaral nila, pag-upgrade sa services. Sana ay magsilbing aral ito sa local government units to keep on learning (Their studies will continue, including the upgrading of their services. I hope this will serve as a lesson to other LGUs to keep on learning)," he said.
Launched in 2021, Tolentino's AGILE Program aims to enhance the skills of LGU officials necessary for them to cope with the demands and challenges of governance by bringing them to world-class public policy schools.