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.

The country’s leading champions of greater transparency in government joined forces last week at the final event of the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP).

More than 140 people from the media, civil society, peoples’ organizations, faith groups and the diplomatic community joined PPTRP partners and key public figures in government, Congress and constitutional oversight agencies to improve public accountability, to celebrate the project’s achievements and to launch its practical handbook on how to promote greater public engagement.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 10^th 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.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 9^th 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).

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its 8^th 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.

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.

The training is the second leg of the PPTRP training series in Davao City. The first was held in August 2010, where members of the media and civil society organizations were trained on basic laws on transparency and accountability and anti-corruption in the public sector and ways in monitoring and reporting corruption in their respective local governments. The recent training revisited basic concepts on corruption and later focused on understanding local government finance processes, including the powers and limitations of local government officials when it comes to budget matters. It also comprehensively tackled the procurement process, where corrupt practices reportedly continue to take place especially in the absence of public scrutiny.

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.

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.

The training is the second leg of the PPTRP training series in Ozamiz City. The first was held in October 2010, where members of media and civil society organizations were trained on basic laws on transparency and anti-corruption in the public sector and ways in monitoring and reporting corruption in their respective local governments. The recent training focused on understanding local government finance processes, and revisited key concepts and processes of investigative reporting.

A total of 60 participants attended the training – six were from CSOs; 14 were mass communication students of La Salle University accompanied by one faculty member; and 39 were local journalists from Misamis Occidental and Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur.

The training is set to enhance knowledge and capacities of the newly formed local transparency reporting group Misamis Occidental Public Transparency Collective (Mis Occ PTC), whose members were among the trainees. Formed last month, Mis Occ PTC aims to increase engage the local governments on their compliance with anti-corruption laws.

PPTRP lead trainer and NUJP secretary general Rowena Paraan said both media and CSOs have key roles in understanding, monitoring and reporting government budgets, especially the local budgets. How a certain administration plans, spends and reports the budgets to the public indicates whether it is biased for the people’s genuine development, she said.

Inquirer corresponded Ryan Rosauro, who had long covered the city and provincial governments discussed the local government budget process. He tackled the powers and limitations of local executives as well as the mechanisms where the public could take part in monitoring and scrutinizing the local budgets.

The training was an opportunity for local media practitioners to deepen their appreciation of the issues surrounding the recently released report of the Special Audit Investigation of the Commission on Audit on select financial transactions of the city government -- which were alleged to be anomalous. Participants pointed to the issue of information access, especially the hardship of acquiring a copy of the audit investigation report in order to set the record straight about its findings.

The participants raised the issue of “disconnect” between the development planning process and the budgeting process, thus making the annual executive budget a failure in terms of addressing local needs. CSO participants said that development plans are not usually translated into development investments as reflected in the annual budget.

CSO participants also pointed to the need to track the pattern in local government unit (LGU) borrowings that are often invested on projects which do not necessarily bring positive economic results. In the end, LGUs pay loans for projects which only failed to improve their constituents’ economic situation. And most of these projects, the CSO participants said, are tainted with corruption, such as alleged overpriced contract costs to build certain infrastructures.

Participants also raised the need for local legislative bodies to effectively scrutinize proposed budgets before approving an appropriation ordinance in order to lessen the chances of fraud in budget execution.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its third training on advanced transparency and anti-corruption reporting called “Numeracy for Journalists, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens” on March 18 in Legazpi City.

A total of 15 persons took part in the training. Of the 15 participants, 14 were full-time journalists while one is affiliated with the Karapatan human rights group.

TAGBILARAN CITY -- A fourth citizen-led initiative to help build and ensure public accountability was launched this week with the unveiling of a new group in Western Visayas called Bohol Transparency Network for Transformation (Bohol TNT).

The launch here on June 15 brought together local media, civil society, church groups, peoples’ organizations and business leaders from across the province – as well as senior local members of the Philippine National Police and officials from the regional office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Public declarations of support from representatives of all sectors present included a goodwill message from Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto delivered by Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project held its 9th Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training September 24 at the Graceland Restaurant, Balibago in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project held its 8th Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training September 18 at the Philippine Gateway Hotel in Surigao City.

A new citizen’s initiative to promote greater transparency and accountability within local government has been launched in Samar with the help and support of the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP).

Following on from an initial meeting with PPTRP in May, a training in June and two development and planning meetings held last month, an existing group of concerned people representing different sectors of the local community -- and including local government employees of Catbalogan City -- have come together and formalized themselves and their plans to promote and ensure participatory good governance in the province.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project held its 7th Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training August 27 at the Catalina Garden, Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague in Matina, Davao City.

The local transparency reporting group Watchful Advocates for Transparent, Clean and Honest Governance in Kidapawan (WATCH Kidapawan) has helped increase reporting on transparency issues in the city and North Cotabato and has already reached out to local government agencies to for access to budget incomes and expenditure information since it was established three months ago with the support of the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project held its 6th Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training on August 14 in Legazpi City. The trainings are an important component of this project that aims to strengthen capacities of media and civil society organizations to understand, monitor and report transparency and accountability issues.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project held its 5th Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training in Tagbilaran City in Bohol last August 10. The training is part of the series of trainings conducted nationwide to help enhance and strengthen capacities of journalists, civil society workers and citizens to understand, monitor and report on corruption and transparency issues.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project gathered broadcast and radio journalists, church-based and university-based anti-corruption groups for its third Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training July 25 in Cagayan de Oro City.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project was able to gather journalists from competing radio stations in Kidapawan City and other media outlets and civil society organization workers in its second Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training on July 15 at the Lady M Restaurant in Kidapawan City.

Competition among the media in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato was set aside on July 5 as the day’s main programming on three radio stations was dominated by the formal launch of WATCH Kidapawan –a group of local media and civic activists organizing and working for transparent and accountable government in the central Mindanao province. The initiative is one of four local pilot projects being supported by the PPTRP.

For the first time anyone could remember in Kidapawan, the city’s three radio stations – dxCA Charm Radio, dxND and Radyo Ukay -- put aside their rivalries and gave their air time over to the launch of the Watchful Advocates for Transparent, Clean, Honest and Transparent Governance (WATCH Kidapawan).

WATCH Kidapawan is composed of journalists from Charm Radio and Southern Voice Journal, and members of civic and activist groups like Pagbabago People’s Movement for Change, Gabriela, Go-Gender, Intersectoral Convergence for Peace, Truth and Service (ICON PTS) and Kalampag (Kutabatenyos Alang sa Maayong Panggobyerno).

After launching WATCH Kidapawan over Charm Radio, the group guested in rivals dxND’s Lakad Bayan and Radyo Ukay’s Good Morning Kidapawan programs. The group later went on to meet for their next activities.

Abner Francisco, Charm Radio program director and founding member of WATCH Kidapawan, said the group immediately received feedback from the public after the radio discussions. In text messages or phone calls, several people requested the group to monitor and report corruption issues in the whole province, not only in Kidapawan City while others expressed intent to join the group. Francisco said other journalists, civil society workers and citizens seeking more transparency from their local government could freely join this effort.

“The public sees the importance of this concerted effort and are looking for interactive ways to address corruption in our community,” Francisco said. “Ultimately the fight for good, transparent and accountable government unites us all and we applaud and very much appreciate all the radio stations coming together like this.”

Alan Davis, PPTRP director says the example of media and activists all coming together in Kidapawan for the common public good is an example and inspiration to us all. “This is real people power and P-Noy’s inaugural speech in action - and it shows exactly how people can and should get involved to help push for and achieve real change.”

A special WATCH Kidapawan web page within PPTRP is in the process of being set up.

The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) held its first Transparency and Anti-Corruption Reporting Training in Catbalogan City, Samar, a province in central Philippines where both journalists and members of civil society workers continue to seek transparency in financial transactions of the provincial government, which a single clan now controls.

A total of 20 people took part in the training, comprised of media practitioners, church-based organizations, civil society organizations working on transparency, and provincial government employees seeking for better fiscal transparency of their current local officials. Of the 20 trainees, 11 are from media organizations including the online Samarnews.com/Samar Media Productions, DYOG Radyo ng Bayan, DYMS Aksyon Radyo, and the Leyte Samar Daily Express. Five are provincial government employees and members of the Alliance of Concerned Employees of Samar (ACES Samar). Four are from CSOs based in Samar, namely the Samar Partnership for Peace and Development (SPPADE), Isog Han Samar, and the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Calbayog.

After introducing themselves and taking a pre-training test to measure their knowledge on corruption and training issues, the participants took part in the lecture-discussion on definitions and laws of corruption, most especially the Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and the Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees); existing mechanisms to address corruption; and tools and techniques in investigating and reporting corruption.

Trainer Rowena Paraan discussed important features of lifestyle checks, procurement and reports of the Commission on Audits because these are means which both journalists, CSO workers and ordinary citizens could use to improve monitoring and reporting of how local governments manage, spend and hold account to public funds.

Paraan said that while it helps to have a president that promotes governance and transparency, the media and ordinary citizens play an important role in demanding for more transparency in government. “Corruption is so pervasive now, everybody is always expecting to be paid for everything we do. Setting correct values is key, that is why the role of the youth is also important,” said Paraan, also director and head of education and training commission of PPTRP partner National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

PPTRP has selected Samar as one of its four pilot areas to support and develop joint initiatives of the media, civil society and citizenry to monitor and report issues surrounding budget transparency, procurement, project development and assessment, and access to information to government transactions.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) support the PPTRP, which aims to enhance public sector transparency and increase public awareness of corruption support for journalists, CSOs and ordinary citizens to identify, monitor and report on transparency and accountability issues.

Public employees in Samar concerned over a systemic and continuing failure to account for local government spending in their own and other departments are linking up with civil society, church, media groups and other citizens to organize and push transparency and accountability. The Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project met and began working with them on May 26.

CATBALOGAN CITY – They have different jobs, status in life, histories and most likely beliefs. But they all came together to express their common hope and goal: to help their province, said to be one of the richest in the country, to rise up and develop by demanding good leadership and management.

The Multisectoral Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA-Samar) was formally launched in this laid back city December 11 kicking off with an early morning motorcade followed by a forum that culminated in the signing of their Pledge of Commitment to Good Governance.