Every six years, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks, Inc. (CODE-NGO), the Change Politics Movement (CPM), and other civil society organizations gather to craft a four-pillar Development and Reform Agenda (DRA).

The DRA serves to raise awareness and to drum up support for vital and critical actions that the next President and Administration of the Philippines should implement in order to address the multiple challenges facing our country today. For their term of office in 2022-2028, we present this DRA .

The priority government actions cited below consider the plight of marginalized sectors such as farmers and fisherfolk, workers, urban poor, and indigenous peoples. Other actions are related to reducing poverty and inequities, protecting human rights and building peace, and promoting sustainable development and recovery.

The pandemic exposed weaknesses across democratic pillars, such as freedom of movement, rule of law, and transparency and accountability. The democratic backslide deepened through increased militarization as a pandemic response, and assault on press freedom, among others. Good governance is needed as it fosters participation, transparency, and accountability of leaders and upholds the rule of law in administrative, political, and economic institutions and processes.

a) Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Government Accountability

• Issue policy statements and executive instructions to restore the dignity, impartiality, and independence of government agencies responsible for checks and balances
• Investigate and prosecute public officials involved in irregularities in the use of public funds, particularly in suspected cases of grand theft and corruption such as the overpriced purchase of face masks and face shields from Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp
• Institute a body that will monitor and publicize the pursuit of pending and new cases of corruption and human rights violations
• Require all national government agencies, Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) and local government units (LGUs) to issue and strictly enforce policies on public disclosure and citizens’ access to information
• Require all executive agencies and LGUs to conduct semi-annual public reporting to and consultation with their respective stakeholders regarding their plans/budgets and accomplishment reports, as an accountability and feedback mechanism
• Ensure the rational and systematic evaluation of performances of government agencies and officials through effective and measurable performance management systems
• Support the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill as crafted by the Right to Know Right Now (R2KRN) Coalition, and the early enactment of the Anti-Political Dynasty Law to prevent the perpetuation in and exclusive control of public office by a few political families

b) People’s Participation

• Ensure functional local development councils (LDCs) and local special bodies (LSBs) with genuine and active non-governmental organization/people’s organization (NGO/PO) and indigenous people (IP) representatives
• Establish People’s Councils in all municipalities, cities and provinces through people empowerment ordinances
• Promote people’s participation in the planning and budgeting processes of the local government units (LGUs), including mechanisms similar to the Bottom-up Budgeting program previously implemented by the national government
• Formulate a Charter (or general guidelines) for Government – civil society organization (CSO) relations
• Support the enactment of the People’s Fund Bill, People Empowerment Bill, and Local Sectoral Representation Bill

c) Transparent and Merit-based Appointment and Civil Service Reform

• Professionalize and depoliticize the civil service by limiting the presidential power of appointment
• Ensure transparent appointments to the Constitutional Commissions
• Make publicly available reports on the implementation of the Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC) Governance Act

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Note: CODE-NGO is currently validating the above Agenda with various civil society organizations serving the basic sectors and operating in different geographic areas. The validation process will run until April 25, 2022. Comments, suggestions or queries on the DRA may be sent to ssoliman@code-ngo.org