There is a growing concern that the traditional tools for protecting our democratic institutions, ensuring respect for human rights, and sustaining democratic change in the country are increasingly being undermined. There is also a growing realization that there is need to take back politics from corrupt politicians and make politics a sacred covenant between our state’s leaders and citizens.

In line with this concern and realization, CODE-NGO is implementing a project called “Development and Change Politics” (DCP), an initiative to get more citizens, specifically the leaders and members of non-government and people’s organizations, to be more pro-active in the coming 2010 national polls. These upcoming national and local elections could serve as an important opportunity to empower and mobilize a reform oriented constituency that would not only prevent the further erosion of democratic institutions in the Philippines, but would also rebuild public confidence in democracy and reinvigorate civil society’s role in politics.

The DCP project, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), involves regional Development and Change Politics consultation workshops which aim to: (1) Assess the relationship between development work, politics, and democratic governance in the country; (2) Define principles and practice for changing this relationship to consolidate democratic gains in the country and prevent future backsliding; (3) Review a draft reform agenda for Development and Change Politics and provide feedback; (4) Vet the track record of emerging presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates in accordance with the reform agenda, and (5) plan coordinated or joint actions to promote Development and Change Politics in the region.

The project as a whole aims to consolidate the people’s energy towards clear and effective paths to strengthen active citizenship, participatory democracy and credible democratic institutions in the country.

Partner:

• National Endowment for Democracy (NED)

Regional Coordinators:

• Nutrilinc
• PAKISAMA
• INCITEGov
• PhilDHRRA Mindanao
• Zamboanga del Norte center for Social Concerns and Development
• Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs (MINCODE)

Linkages:

Task Force 2010

Change Politics Movement

The election of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, who ran on a people’s campaign that was fueled by the spirit of volunteerism, has created expectations that the incoming administration will be more transparent and more willing to engage citizens in governance.  However, while the national government may be expected to be more transparent, the same cannot be automatically expected from local government units (LGUs) – provinces, cities and municipalities or the barangays. The new configurations of civil society organizations (CSOs) and citizen volunteers who participated actively in the May 2010 elections should continue to engage in the governance of the country, and not disengage from politics and governance as many of them did after the 1986 People Power revolution.

Development & Change Politics: strengthening civil society’s engagement in democratic reforms and electoral politics

CODE-NGO held the first of a series of Regional Development and Change Politics (DCP) Consultation Workshops in San Fernando City, Pampanga (for Central Luzon) last July 2 to July 4, 2009. These consultation workshops form part of CODE-NGO’s Development and Change Politics Project, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which aims to strengthen civil society’s engagement in electoral politics and efforts to advance democratic reform and good governance in the country.  The consultations with civil society leaders were meant to assess the relationship between development work, politics and governance in the country; define the principles and practice of changing this relationship to consolidate democratic gains and socio-economic reforms; review a draft reform agenda for Development and Change Politics and review the profiles and track record of presidential and senatorial candidates viz the draft reform agenda.

The rest of the series of Regional Development and Change Politics Consultation Workshops are scheduled in different parts of the country this July 2009:

• Development & Change Politics Consultation – Western Mindanao  (Zamboanga City) – July 9 to 11
• Development & Change Politics Consultation – Mindanao (Davao City) – July 13 to 14
• Development & Change Politics Consultation – Visayas (Cebu City) – July 16 to 17.
• Development & Change Politics Consultation – Luzon (Quezon City) – July 17 to 18

Development and Reform Agenda

CODE-NGO initiated this Development Reform Agenda which crafts a development and reform framework and identifies a few vital actions that the next administration should implement in its first three years in office (2010-13) in order to decisively move the country towards democratization and development. In selecting these actions, emphasis was placed in the positions and concerns of the basic sectors. Also, these proposed actions address the most urgent concerns that affect most, if not all, sectors of our society and lay the foundation for other much needed reforms.

This Development and Reform Agenda is organized along four basic pillars – (a) Ensuring Empowerment and Democratization, (b) Reducing Poverty and Inequality, (c) Building Peace and (d) Promoting a Sustainable Economy.

This Development and Reform Agenda is the product of a 6-month process (May – October 2009) that included discussions by a 7-person multi-sectoral committee and by a focus group composed of leaders of national PO/NGO networks and other civil society organizations (CSOs) and by seven (7) regional multi-sectoral consultations. It was also discussed and finalized at a national conference on October 2-3, 2009 in Manila.  To date, 80 organizations have signed up to declare support for this Development and Reform Agenda and will join CODE-NGO in its endeavor to have the policy recommendations contained in the document be adopted by the next Administration.

	Development and Reform Agenda 2010-2013
	Download the FULL VERSION here
	Download the PRIMER here

SIGNATORY ORGANIZATIONS:

1.Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) 2.Association of Foundations (AF) 3.Central Visayas Network of NGOs and POs (CenVISNET) 4.Coalition for Bicol Development NGOs (CBD) 5.Cordillera Network of NGOs & POs (CORDNET) 6.Eastern Visayas Network of NGOs and POs (EVNet) 7.National Council on Social Development (NCSD) 8.Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA) 9.Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) 10.Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas(PHILDHRRA) 11.Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE) 12.National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) 13.Western Visayas Network of Social Development NGOs (WEVNet) 14.Abak na Balen, Inc. – Pampanga 15.Agri-Aqua Development Coalition – MINDANAO (AADC-Mindanao) 16.Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party (AKBAYAN) 17.Aktibong Nagsusulong ng Alternatibong Kultura, Inc. (Anak-Teatro, Inc) 18.Alay sa Kapatid Foundation,Inc. (AKAP) – Baguio 19.Alejandro Go Beltran Development Foundation (AGB) – Cagayan de Oro City 20.Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) 21.Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation (AMDF) – Lanao del Sur 22.Ateneo School of Government 23.Badiangan Multi-Sectoral Initiatives (BMI) – Iloilo 24.Benguet Network of Development Oriented POs, Inc. 25.Black and White Movement 26.Bugasong Multi-purpose Cooperative (Bugasong MPC) –Antique 27.Center for Social Concerns & Development (CESCOD) – Zamboanga del Norte 28.Change Politics Movement (CPM) 29.Christian Youth for Development (CYD) – Occidental Mindoro 30.Citizens’ Movement for a Federal Philippines (CMFP) 31.Community Organizers Multiversity (COM) 32.Coordinating Council of Muslim Organization in the Philippines , Inc. (CCMOP) – Cotabato City 33.Creative Training Research And Consultancy Services For Asia Pacific (CTRC) – Baguio 34.Eastern Samar Social Development Organization 35.Family of God’s Little Children-Foundation Center, Inc. (FGLC-FCI) – Leyte 36.Foundation for Growth and Organizational Upliftment of People, Inc. (GROUP) – Misamis Oriental 37.Hagdan sa Pag-uswag Foundation, Inc. (HSPFI) – Misamis Oriental 38.Ifugao Global Entrepreneurs Multi-Purpose Cooperative (IGEMCO) 39.Integrated Resource Development for Tri-People (IRDT) – Zamboanga 40.Kaagapay – Occidental Mindoro 41.KAANIB Foundation, Inc (KFI) – Bukidnon 42.Kabinnulig Para Panagdur-as Iti Abra (KAPPIA Network Inc) – Abra 43.Kahublagan sang Panimalay Foundation, Inc. – Iloilo 44.Kalipunan ng mga Kababaihan sa Sablayan, Kanlurang Mindoro (KAKASA KAMI) – Occidental Mindoro 45.Koalisyon ng Katutubo at Samahan ng Pilipinas, Inc. (KASAPI) 46.Lakas ng Kababaihan Magsasaka sa Kanayunan (LAKAMBINI) 47.Liwawa ed Asinan Foundation, Inc. (LEAF) 48.Luna Rural Development Center and Tour Farm (The Farm) – Nueva Ecija 49.Mindoreno Movement for Good Governance (GO-GO MINDORO) – Oriental Mindoro 50.Molo Transport for Unity (MTU) – Iloilo 51.Muslim-Christian Agency for Rural Development, Inc (MUCAARD, Inc.) – Cagayan de Oro 52.Nagkaykaysa nga Mannalon ken Mangngalap ti Sudipen (NAGMASUDI) – La Union 53.National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) 54.NGOs for Fisheries Reform (NFR) 55.Nutrilinc – Pampanga 56.Pagbigyan Naman, Inc. – Occidental Mindoro 57.Pagtambayayong Foundation, Inc (PFI) – Cebu 58.Pagtinabangay Foundation, Inc. (PFI) – Leyte 59.Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) 60.Pambansang Kilusan nga mga Samahang Magsasaka-Mindanao (PAKISAMA-Mindanao) 61.Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka-Northern Central Luzon (PAKISAMA-NCL/Norte) – Benguet 62.Participatory Research Organization of Communities and Education towards Struggle for Self-Reliance – Panay, Inc. (PROCESS-Panay) 63.Participatory Research Organization of Communities and Education towards Struggle for Self-Reliance – Bohol, Inc. (PROCESS-Bohol) 64.People’s Alternative Studies Center for Research and Education in Social Development, Inc. (PASCRES) 65.Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) 66.PILIPINA, Inc. 67.Procurement Watch, Inc. (PWI) 68.Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Kapuluan (SAMASAKA) 69.Samar Island Biodiversity Foundation, Inc. 70.Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) 71.South Cotabato Foundation, Inc. (SCFI) 72.South Pacific Integrated Area Development Foundation, Inc (SPIADFI) – Leyte 73.Surigao Sur Organization for Human Development, Inc. (SSOFHDEV, Inc) 74.Technology Outreach and Community Help foundation, Inc (TOUCH) – Cagayan de Oro 75.Ugnayan Lakas ng mga Apektadong Pamilya sa Baybaying Ilog (ULAP) 76.United Christian Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (UCFMC) – La Union 77.Villa Jeepney Owners and Drivers Association (VILJODRAS) – Iloilo 78.Visayas Cooperative Development Center (VICTO) 79.Zamboanga Coalition of Development NGOs, Inc. (ZAMCODE) – Zamboanga City 80.Western Samar Development Foundation, Inc (WESADEF, INC)