Naga City, August 17, 2011—Six barangays (villages) in the City of Naga in the Philippines are leading the way in transparency, partnership and accountability-building between their Barangay Councils and their communities.
Through a Civil Society Fund (CSF) grant from the World Bank, the Naga City People's Council (NCPC) will implement training programs on:
- the official duties and accountabilities of Barangay Councils;
- institutionalizing public commitments to service standards; and
- participatory development planning and governance, including public access to policies and official documents through a barangay website.
NCPC Project Team Leader Johann dela Rosa believes the project reshapes the idea of civil society organizations (CSOs) so that "you do not only push the agenda, but also change the process of government so you can push the agenda effectively."
In a site visit on August 5, 2011, the CSF Coordinator in the Philippines Henry Grageda witnessed a capability-building program for Barangay Council of Concepcion, led by its Chairperson, Mr. Elmer Baldemor.
Three other CSO-led projects were selected to be supported by the CSF in the Philippines. They include:
- "Empowering Marginalized Sectors towards More Proactive Involvement for Good Governance” implemented by Antique Foundation of NGOs, Inc. (AFON) at the municipality of San Remigio, Antique province.
- "Citizen Engagement for Effective Barangay Budget Utilization Project,” implemented by Kaabag sa Sugbu Foundation, Inc. at Mandaue City, Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City.
- "Building the capacity of indigenous men and women in Quezon, Palawan to participate in local governance,” implemented by the Institute for the Development of Educational and Ecological Alternatives (IDEAS).
