CODE-NGO’s members who steer the network’s priority advocacies of Peace, CSO Good Governance, Asset Reform and Participatory Local Governance used Zoom and Facebook to inform and educate key stakeholders about important issues even in the time of the pandemic. As the lockdown and safety protocols restricted movement, the Advocacy Working Groups (AWGs) organized online meetings and webinars to give much-needed clarity on government regulations, insights on land use, protest on repressive policies, and share good practices of locally-led efforts to respond to COVID-19.

The convenor for the AWG on CSO Good Governance, Association of Foundations (AF), put together information in a document that serves as a guide for NGOs and foundations on how to accomplish the requirements of the SEC and the BIR during the pandemic. Styled as a list of basic and frequently asked questions (FAQs), the document summarizes the pertinent details based on circulars and notices of the SEC and the BIR regarding internal governance of organizations such as how to conduct General Assemblies, submit annual requirements (ex. general information sheet and audited financial statements), and related information that may be essential in addressing organizational concerns which was brought about by the pandemic and quarantine orders. The AWG organized an online discussion about the content of the FAQs to further clarify this with the CSO community on June 26, 2020.

Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PHILDHRRA), the convenor for the AWG on Asset Reform, organized an online forum on June 30, 2020 entitled “Importance of Land Use in the Time of a Pandemic”. The forum gathered presentations from experts on land use planning and advocates for proper land use that benefits communities and the environment. This webinar zeroed-in on the intricacies of land use and how it can be utilized as the first line of defense in the advent of a pandemic. Speakers from the fields of land use management, agriculture, architecture & design, spatial analysis, and epidemiology were invited and presented their insight on the matter. The webinar was streamed in various Facebook pages.

The convenor for the AWG on Peace, Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE), and advocacy groups based in Mindanao convened the Barog Katungod, Kalinaw, Kagawasan [Stand Up for Truth, Peace and Freedom], initially to call out the government on the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and for the President to veto it at that time when it was not yet signed into law. The group launched an online protest via Facebook on July 12, 2020 with cultural presentations and reading statements against the bill and the impact to human rights if the bill is passed into law.

Participation in governance at the local level remains one of the key advocacies of CODE-NGO, and during the pandemic, the partnerships formed at the local level were utilized by CSOs and the communities that they serve. This was the highlight of the online forum organized by Central Visayas Network of NGOs (CENVISNET), the convenor of the AWG on Participatory Local Governance last July 16, 2020. The online forum was titled “The Role of LGU’s and Citizens’ Participation in the Pandemic” held via Zoom and also streamed on various Facebook pages. The forum featured local government partners including Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City who presented the partnerships they made with civil society organizations in responding to COVID-19 in their locality.

Towards the end of 2020, the AWGs took a step back and evaluated its work during the year to improve advocacy work in the context of the better normal.

This article is part of the CODE-NGO Annual Report for CY 2020 – CODE-NGO.