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Prof. Boncodin, in one of the forums she had appeared in to help people understand the the national budget and what people could do to protect it from corruption and wastage.
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PPTRP holds 2nd training on budget reporting in Tawi-Tawi February 26 |
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Thursday, 10 March 2011 |
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 The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its second training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on February 26 at the Pick-a-Bite Restaurant in the island province of Tawi-Tawi in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The participants said that this was the first time a national training was held in their area, as previous experiences showed only few journalists were invited to take part in trainings in usual urban centers in Mindanao such as Zamboanga City and Davao City. The training was made possible from the funding support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with technical support from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI).
A total of 12 persons took part in the training, composed of full-time journalists and journalists who also have part time work in the local government, so far the most visible and stable employer in the province.
The training took off with a quick review of the laws on anti-corruption and transparency, considering that the area was not among the 10 locations of the first batch of PPTRP trainings on its first year. The group later took part in a workshop to identify corruption issues in the province. Among those identified were the absence of bidding in government projects; using construction firms owned or operated by people related or close to local government officials; non-remittances of premiums of members of the Government Service Insurance System; use of government vehicles for personal activities; and the case of local police and military asking for monetary donations from business establishments for their office parties.
A key issue raised at the discussions was how PPTRP could assist journalists and CSOs alike in coming up with investigative reports on government transparency when in fact most of them are related to some officials (as relatives or colleagues).
“In this situation, lines where corruption starts and ends become blurred,” says Rowena Paraan, NUJP secretary general and lead trainer for PPTRP. Here, it is only normal even for the media to be connected with the government and that media work is not usually on a full-time basis, she observes. This puts the media in a distinct situation in performing their task as the so-called “fourth estate.”
The participants identified the usual obstacles when reporting corruption. These include, among many others, the family relations with the subjects of their reports; non-cooperation from sources and lack of access to documents on alleged corruption; lack of funds and other logistical means to pursue investigations; and risks of political vendetta and harassment especially from influential politicians.
 Despite these obstacles and current issues on corruption, the participants took note of reforms on fiscal administration in some parts of the province. The municipality of Bongao, for instance, has been awarded last year by the Galing Pook Foundation, for introducing fiscal and administrative reforms that helped transform the town from a 4th class to a 2nd class municipality within 10 years. Galing Pook is a private organization that annually recognizes local government units which promotes good governance, transparency and accountability.
Overall, the participants found the training very useful and informative.
“I learned that we journalists and citizens have right to access public records because it is in our Constitution. The training further helped me how to conduct research and interviews for stories on government budget and services,” said newscaster Joel Dimaiwat of DXGD AM.
Sali Jamasali, acting station manager of Radyo ng Bayan, said the inputs would be useful in the station’s public affairs programs. The training likewise emphasized to him and his colleagues how to become responsible journalists.
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BLOGS
End-of-Project Survey – Your Opinions So Far
Thursday, 07 July 2011
While the first of our two end-of project surveys has just been posted, the results coming in already make for some very interesting reading. This survey largely centers on which direction you think the fight for greater transparency and accountability is headed in the Philippines and what you think is currently present, necessary or missing in thinking, plans and action. READ MORE
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The People’s Budget – It’s Up To us to Really Make It So
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Senate Bill 2186 or the People's Participation in Budget Deliberations Act is a very welcome move in the fight against corruption and graft and the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project was lucky enough to see it first a few weeks ago and be tapped for our own opinions on it. READ MORE
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Truth Telling as We Remember the Lessons from EDSA
Monday, 21 February 2011
Former state auditor Heidi Mendoza’s message to the public at the Valentine’s Day forum where she was key speaker was very timely given we are just days away from marking the 25th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship and ushered in democracy. READ MORE
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The Public Watch
Saturday, 19 February 2011
It is encouraging to see the Senate Conference Room on February 18 filled with students, nuns, socialites, activists, CSO workers and other concerned citizens who are all wanting to follow the continuing Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on alleged corruption within the Armed Forces of the Philippines. READ MORE
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General Heidi
Thursday, 03 February 2011
We have a true ‘soldier’ in the form of anti-corruption fighter Heidi Mendoza –we just need to encourage more people like her to step forward and join her army. READ MORE
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In the National – Not Personal Interest
Wednesday, 02 February 2011
‘Basic fair play, decency, good manners and right conduct.’ These words appeared in a well-argued column yesterday by William M. Esposo, the self-styled Chair-wrecker from the Philippine Star. READ MORE
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Poor Budgeting, Too Many Contingency, and Special Purpose Funds and ‘Savings’ – All A Recipe For Corruption
Tuesday, 01 February 2011
Without commenting on who is charging what about whom in the AFP right now, it is not difficult to see how pabaon (send-off money) scandals can so easily happen. Blue Ribbon Committee hearings and politicians talk incessantly about slush-funds - and they seem to feature in every high level case of alleged corruption: But as yet, we don’t seem to link the ubiquitous slush funds with the ubiquitous and hugely discretionary contingency and special purpose funds (and dare we say it again, the PDAF/Pork Barrel Allocations) which are written into national budgets and approved by legislative committees year after year.” READ MORE
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Officials Ignoring DILG Orders to Stop Personalizing Public Projects
Friday, 21 January 2011
A public-spirited citizen from Samar has just sent us in a series of photos and a complaint that government officials there appear to be in clear breach of a circular from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) banning the use of “names or initials and/or images or pictures of government officials in billboards and signages of government programs and projects.” READ MORE
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The Good and Bad News from TI’s 2010 Global Corruption Barometer
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
There is both good and bad news for the Philippines in the latest Global Perception Barometer Index released by Transparency International last week to mark International Anti-Corruption Day (December 9). READ MORE
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SC Ruling Is No Surprise
Friday, 10 December 2010
Sadly the Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the Truth Commission comes as no surprise. We put ‘sadly’ not for the reasons that some might think – that many claim the Court to be biased against the Aquino government. It is ‘sad’ because it was perfectly clear back in May that any attempt to set up a commission which would only look at the alleged misdeeds of the Arroyo administration was a very poorly judged one. It suggested the move was much more about politics than it was about addressing the root of the problem of corruption in the Philippines. READ MORE
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University Budget Cuts – Fact or Fiction and the Media’s Mission To Explain
29 November 2010
Opinion is critical and freedom of expression an inalienable (natural) right. Too is the right to information and often we assume they are the same thing. Yet information is essentially data and fact. Unfortunately, too much reporting the world over is poorly rooted in fact and too heavily in opinion and hearsay. READ MORE
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Open Budget, Open Government
29 November 2010
Government officials, members of civil society organization workers, academic experts, business people and international development agencies met on Saturday November 20 in Pasig City to sign an agreement in a bid to make government budgets more open. READ MORE
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Transparency in Government Contracts to Big Business and Consultancies
22 November 2010
“We are beginning to learn who works where, what departments spend and who are the big business recipients of taxpayers’ money,” journalists from the UK Guardian wrote last Friday in response to the latest release of financial details by the British Government. READ MORE
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PROJECT NEWS
 PPTRP holds 10th budget reporting training in Bohol June 30
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 10th training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on June 30 at the JJ’s Seafood Village in Tagbilaran City in Bohol. READ MORE
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 PPTRP holds 9th budget transparency reporting training in Kidapawan City June 6
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 9th training on advanced and anti-corruption reporting dubbed as “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on June 6 at Boylyn Pension Plaza in Kidapawan City. The training was made possible with the financial assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the technical assistance of the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI). READ MORE
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PPTRP holds 8th budget reporting training in Pampanga June 3
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 8th training on advanced and anti-corruption reporting dubbed as “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on June 3 at the Social Action Center of Pampanga in San Fernando City, Pampanga. READ MORE
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 PPTRP-supported Local Transparency Groups Share Experiences in Reporting, Fighting Corruption
Three local transparency reporting groups which the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) supported and helped establish gathered on June 3 in Bohol to share experiences in building transparency and accountability in their respective communities. READ MORE
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 PPTRP holds 7th budget reporting training in Davao City May 27
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its seventh training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on May 27 at the Ateneo De Davao in Davao City. READ MORE
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 PPTRP holds 6th budget transparency reporting in Dipolog City May 23
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 6th training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on May 23 at the Top Plaza Hotel in Dipolog City. READ MORE
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 PPTRP meets with editors and columnists May 18 to discuss media coverage of public corruption
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project met with editors and columnists of selected national and international media organizations May 18 in Manila to discuss current media behavior and thinking in relation to public corruption and transparency. READ MORE
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 PPTRP meets NBN ZTE scam whistle blower Rodolfo Lozada May 9
Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the former CEO of the Philippine Forest Corporation who later disclosed explosive information on the anomalous USD 329 million NBN-ZTE deal that nearly brought down the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, shared his views May 9 with the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project on continuing the fight against corruption and for genuine transparency under the new administration. READ MORE
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 PPTRP holds 5th budget reporting training in Ozamiz City April 26
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project held its fifth training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on April 26 at the Naomi’s Botanical Gardens in Ozamiz City. READ MORE
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 PPTRP holds 4th training on budget reporting in CDO April 2
The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its fourth training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on April 2 in Cagayan de Oro City. READ MORE
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