A Case for Participation and Accountability

The need for good governance is even more palpable these days. Various good governance  initiatives have sprouted all over the Philippines but few were able to successfully get through the rigors of institutionalization. On that note and with the project entitled “Deepening Democratic Governance through an Active Citizenry”, CODE-NGO has prepared case studies on two of the best practices on local mechanisms for citizen participation and accountability: the “Pamangkutanon sang Banwa” (Citizens’ Query) and the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC).

The “Pamangkutanon sang Banwa” is an initiative in Bingawan, Iloilo. What was once a sleepy town is now a champion of transparency and participatory local governance. The people of Bingawan now have a venue for feedback, recommendations, and performance assessment of local officials – the public accountability forum. Meanwhile, the NCPC was able to win the support of the city government despite the challenges of its early years. The initiative impressed many for it concretely established the partnership between civil society and the local government. Both Pamangkutanon and NCPC are multi-awarded and are based on Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, which promotes the active participation of people’s organizations and non-government organizations (NGOs) in local governance.

The case studies describe how the Pamangkutanon sang Banwa (PsB) and the NCPC evolved into successful good governance initiatives from the day they were conceived. The case studies tackle the context, history, components, challenges, and sustainability mechanisms of these cases.  Through the PsB, the public accountability forums were institutionalized in the municipality of Bingawan based on a municipal ordinance passed after the 2004 elections.  This took place with the comprehensive ground work of the civil society organizations (CSOs) within the municipality, particularly the youth groups and church-based organizations.  The NCPC was established through the “Empowerment Ordinance” during the time of Mayor Jesse Robredo.  Again, a major factor in the creation of this ordinance was the advocacy of local CSOs and CSO leaders.

Ultimately, the aim of the case studies is to share and encourage CSOs and local government officials to pursue the replication of the PsB and NCPC or similar initiatives in various areas.  The full publication will be made available through CODE-NGO’s website and to civil society organizations by February 2013.  This will also be utilized in the implementation of the succeeding projects of CODE-NGO related to participatory local governance. — Sandino Soliman, Coordinator, Deepening Democratic Governance Project