There are 33 ways civil society organizations (CSOs) can participate in budgeting processes in their local government units, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Regrettably, a DBM research on public financial management shows that very few CSOs actually take part, given also that only a number have capacities to understand and analyze data on local government budgets.

On that note, CODE-NGO has very recently commenced a new project where CSO leaders in nine municipalities and a city would take up the cudgel to participate in at least seven ways!

Budget in focus: their local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Fund.

Through the DRRM Fund Watch Project, they would monitor how it is budgeted and utilized. CSO leaders would check if the Fund is allocated according to what the DRRM Law prescribes: 70% for disaster mitigation and preparedness, and 30% for quick response in times of calamity.

They would further inquire, “Is our local government spending on the right DRRM priorities? Is our local government spending for DRRM with measurable results? Is the DRRM Fund based on responsive DRRM plans?”

This eight-month project would assist them to access and analyze budget-related information and to influence the planning and budgeting process for DRRM at the local level.

Last July 11-12, 2016, the project implementing partners came together, bringing related data sets sourced from LGUs and/or downloaded from the Full Disclosure Policy Portal (managed by the Department of Interior and Local Government). Using these data sets, they improved a draft DRRM Fund monitoring tool – content, scope, format, and analyses – during the two-day workshop.

This monitoring tool would be used by CSO leaders when they implement the project beginning this August. An internet-based platform would be subsequently developed.

The project implementing partners are Coalition for Bicol Development (CBD), Central Visayas Network of NGOs (CENVISNET), Eastern Visayas Network of NGOs and POs (EVNET), Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA), and the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE), together with their member organizations Caritas Diocese of Libmanan, BANGON Bohol, Eastern Samar Social Development Organizations, PAGE, and AADC.

The ten project sites are in Palawan, Camarines Sur, Bohol, Eastern Samar, and Zamboanga del Norte.

The DRRM Fund Watch Project is funded by the Making All Voices Count global initiative of the Hivos Foundation.

Deanie Ocampo is the Project Manager of the DRRM Fund Watch Project.