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Events Calendar Tabs
In September this year, Government Watch (G-Watch) marks its 22nd anniversary. Established in 2000 in the wake of EDSA Dos and Joseph Estrada’s removal from the presidency, G-Watch began as the governance program of a university. Meant as a response to the plethora of corruption scandals involving senior government officials, Government Watch began one of the country’s earliest attempts at social accountability—training hundreds of citizen-volunteers to monitor the delivery of various public services.
G-Watch localities
The start of the new administration once again brings up the question of what should be the role of civil society in the country’s development and governance. In the recent decades, Philippine civil society has championed advancing transparency, participation and accountability (TPA) reforms in governance, arguing it’s an effective and responsive solution to inefficiencies and corruption in government as well as a way to promote human rights and ensure citizen entitlements.
G-Watch views the upcoming polls in 2022 as an extremely important terrain that has to be engaged, and that would complement other accountability efforts that are being undertaken before, after and beyond elections. In this light, G-Watch is undertaking a citizenship education initiative that aims to Make Elections an Accountability Platform (MEAP).
When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, the world stood still. The ill-preparedness of the Philippine national government to handle a pandemic as huge as COVID-19 was very clear from the onset. The country’s health workers ended up taking most of the brunt of the pandemic because they were at the frontlines. Yet, health workers persevered to provide the badly needed health care and assistance to the people, especially those who were sick.
Accurate, verifiable, complete and clear information is a pre-requisite of accountability. It is a potent tool for citizens to hold power to account. Even in the accountability field, there is the notion of ‘clear’ and ‘opaque’ transparency, and it is clear transparency that likely leads to ‘hard’ accountability.
The next national election is once again just around the corner. With the COVID-19 crisis, there are a lot of uncertainties in today’s politics and governance. For sure the 2022 polls will be very different given the ongoing health crisis.
While health threats will be a new critical concern that will change the way we campaign and vote, the continuing and worsening threats to democratic processes and values are issues that would also have to be confronted as we prepare for the 2022 elections.
Usapang Pananagutan: The Role of State Audit Institutions in Making COVID-19 Funds Accountable
Usapang Pananagutan is G-Watch's e-discussion series that aims to serve as a continuing platform for policy actors to discuss the state of accountability in the Philippines and identify ways to strengthen accountability in government.
Join us in our first session entitled "The Role of State Audit Institutions in Making COVID-19 Funds Accountable" on September 15, 2021 at 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM.
VACCINE FOR ALL! ACCOUNT THE COVID-19 FUNDS!
Ako, Ikaw, Tayo May Pananagutan 2021
In December 2019, a new deadly disease was discovered in the Chinese city of Wuhan after an elderly man began exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Now known as COVID-19, this virus has since spread to 223 countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The said UN agency further indicates that as of January 17 of this year, the virus has already infected over 93 million people and has claimed the lives of more than two million individuals.
As part of the International Anti-Corruption Day 2020, G-Watch will hold a consultative dialogue among different government agencies and civil society organizations in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur on December 9, 1:00-4:00pm and in Marawi on December 12, 1:00-4:00pm.
Adopted in October 2003 by the United Nations General Assembly, the annual International Anti-Corruption Day aims to raise awareness on the fight against corruption and specifically the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Call for Applications (Attention: SKs from BARMM localities)
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G-Watch co-drafts and signs the UNCAC CoSP10 - Atlanta Civil Society Declaration
Government Watch (G-Watch) attends the 10th Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption happening in Atlanta, Georgia on December 11-15. G-Watch is represented by its Convenor-Director, Joy Aceron, who has been engaging the UNCAC for over a decade now, and Francis Isaac, G-Watch researcher and San Beda College Alabang professor.
In the conference, G-Watch participated in the first-ever CSO Forum and in the discussion on political financing, corruption in health, civic space, gender and corruption and approaches to fighting corruption.
G-Watch Convenor-Director Joy Aceron Recognized for Championing CCT Beneficiaries
Joy Aceron was recently recognized by the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilyang Pantawid (SNPP) for her valuable contribution in advancing the interests of the more than 4.4 million beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program (CCT). Aceron received the recognition during SNPP’s 7th year anniversary held last November 27 in Mandaluyong City.
#UnitedAgainstCorruption: G-Watch’s Citizen Action for Accountability
December 9 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Day of Anti-Corruption. For this year, G-Watch is sharing the video recording of its Convenor-Director Joy Aceron’s two-part interview from Far Eastern University’s Public Intellectual Series conducted in 2019.
Multiply-Ed Conducts TPA Workshops for School Governance Councils
Multiply-Ed (X-Ed), an accountability initiative on education by the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN) and Government Watch (G-Watch), has initiated a series on workshops on transparency, participation and accountability (TPA) involving members of the selected School Governance Councils (SGC) all over the country.
Multiply-Ed Philippines holds its National Multisectoral Conference
The Multiply-Ed National Multisectoral Conference was held in Pasig City on August 7-8.
Duty bearers from key offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) and representatives from the Education Commission 2 attended the event. The Commission on Audit (COA) was also there as an accountability ally. Multiply-Ed (X-Ed) government allies from schools, DepEd division offices and local governments were also present to show solidarity and support.
G-Watch completes its series of PRO-Health briefing-orientation seminars, trained a total of 277 volunteer-monitors
Government Watch (G-Watch) completed its series of PRO-Health briefing-orientation seminars on August 13-14 in Naga City, concluding its eighth and last seminar that trained 277 volunteer-monitors, most of whom currently on the field monitoring health services in their localities.
The seminars that started in late April were co-conducted with G-Watch partners for Promoting Rights Organizing for Health (PRO-Health) in the following localities:
G-Watch Convenor-Director Discusses Strategic Citizen Action for Accountability with Bangsamoro Civil Society
“Accountability initiatives should be vertically integrated because the power that we are checking is also vertically integrated.”
G-Watch Convenor-Director Joy Aceron shared this insight in a gathering of Moro and lumad civil society leaders held on 26 June 2023 in Davao City. Organized by Coalition for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) and the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG), the event brought together grassroots organizers, NGO workers and academe from the Bangsamoro region and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Barangays are put to task, indigenous people enfranchised in monitoring health
Government Watch (G-Watch) completed two more briefing-orientation seminars to add to the growing citizens and localities involved in PRO-Health or Promoting Rights Organizing for Health.
Moving Up to Make Government Respond: Multiply-Ed convenes 450 education stakeholders in 5 Regional Multi-Sectoral Conferences
From May to June, 450 students, teachers, parents, government officials, and representatives from CSOs and private sector were gathered for the Multiply-Ed Regional Multi-Sectoral Conferences (RMSC) held in Bicol, NCR, Mindanao, Palawan, and Cebu.
All of them have one goal: to improve the public education system.
G-Watch makes first move for PRO-Health in Pasig CIty
Last April 29 and 30, 2023, Government Watch conducted its first briefing orientation seminar for their Promoting Rights Organizing for Health project (PRO-Health) in the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Pasig Hotel with the Pasig City CSO Help Desk.