MANILA, 25 August 2015 – The World Bank and De La Salle University’s Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance or JRIG has signed today a partnership agreement for the establishment of a Knowledge for Development Community or KDC.
KDCs are schools, policy and research institutions in the Philippines that promote knowledge sharing and citizen engagement on development and governance issues. They are set up as a partnership between the World Bank and the institutions.
“For more than a decade, the Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance has been implementing governance research and training with local and international institutions,” said Br. Raymundo B. Suplido FSC, President of De La Salle University. “Specifically, we have done initiatives to help foster citizen participation, transparency and accountability in governance systems in both government and the private sector. This partnership with the World Bank through the KDC will even strengthen our work on these development issues.”
Br. Suplido said that the JRIG has a strong track record in designing and conducting policy studies and implementing projects related to local governance, essentially participatory local governance, local economic development, and local leadership training.
The newly-anointed DLSU president also emphasized about how the JRIG as a KDC can facilitate partnerships between government and civil society to conduct knowledge activities that promote transparency and accountability for inclusive growth. In his speech he highlighted the roles of what he envisions as “Engaged Universities” - where higher education institutions act as pro-active agents in championing good governance through research, teaching, and community service.
JRIG programs on good governance fit squarely with what we are doing in the World Bank, said World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi.
“Good governance is a major focus in our Country Partnership Strategy,” said Mr. Konishi. “The Bank supports the country's efforts to become more transparent, more accountable to citizens, and better at delivering services. We believe that transparency, accountability, and citizen participation help improve the investment climate as well as generate more and better jobs and economic opportunities for more Filipinos.”
Mr. Konishi added, “Good governance helps ensure that roads, bridges, schools, health centers, and safe drinking water reach the poor who need these services and facilities most.”
With this new partnership, the total number of KDCs nationwide will total 17: 8 in Metro Manila, 4 in the rest of Luzon, 3 in Visayas, and 2 in Mindanao.
Under the partnership agreement with the De La Salle University, the World Bank and the KDC will jointly organize knowledge sharing activities to discuss development challenges and solutions highlighting citizen participation.
Apart from DLSU-JRIG and the World Bank-KDC in Taguig, the KDC network in the Philippines include the following: University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, National Economic and Development Authority, Asian Institute of Management, House of Representatives-Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, St. Paul University Philippines, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Ateneo de Naga University, Palawan State University, Central Philippine University, University of San Carlos, Siliman University, University of Southeastern Philippines, and Notre Dame University.
