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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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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.
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.
G-Watch program for OJT and NSTP students delivers
“I saw how wide or how narrow the human heart can be.”
This was the reflection of Xianne, a student of the College of Maasin, during the G-Watch sharing session held on April 23, 2023 in Tacloban City.
G-Watch is PRO-Health! Doing the Groundwork for a New Health Initiative, G-Watch is Already Filling Gaps
As the rest of the Philippines suffered from the sweltering summer heat, Baguio remained relatively cool at 20 degrees Celsius. That day early March, 12 leaders of the Samahan ng mga Nagkakaisang Pamilyang Pantawid (SNPP) were huddled in a modest-sized hall, listening intently as Faith Santos and Victoria Maglanque of Government Watch (G-Watch) presented the situation of health governance in the Philippines.
Bangsamoro Youth Commission and Multiply-Ed convene BARMM Ministries in a Policy Forum
A policy forum was recently held The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) and Multiply-Ed (X-Ed) on April 18, 2023. It was attended by the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), Ministry of Health (MOH), and Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG).
G-Watch Holds Awareness-Raising Campaign to Promote Accountability in Post-Pandemic Philippine Governance
For the fifth straight year, Government Watch (G-Watch) again conducted its awareness-raising campaign called Ako, Ikaw, Tayo, May Pananagutan (AIM-P). Held on the second week of February 2023, G-Watch and its partners adopted the theme for this year “More Pananagutan sa Post-Pandemic Pilipinas” to highlight the importance of strengthening accountability in the delivery of basic services, such as health and education, as the country transitions to the new normal.
G-Watch Program for NSTP/ OJT Students Launched
Last February 20, a G-Watch program under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) was launched at Kuting Reef, Southern Leyte. A product of the partnership between Government Watch (G-Watch) and the College of Maasin (CM), the program covers students taking up on-the-job training (OJT) and civic engagement, who will be mobilized to monitor health services.
G-Watch welcomes 2023 with 2nd Learning Exchange with Accountability Frontliners
G-Watch welcomes 2023 with 2nd Learning Exchange with Accountability Frontliners
Government Watch (G-Watch) greeted the new year by holding its Second Learning Exchange in Iloilo City on January 6-9, 2023. Held in cooperation with Accountability Research Center (ARC), the event was attended by accountability frontliners and G-Watch volunteers from eight G-Watch sites: Puerto Princesa, Lanao del Sur, Dumaguete, Cebu City, Naga, Bacolod, Southern Leyte, and Sibagat, Agusan del Sur with the Integrity Watch for Accountable Governance (IWAG).
A new national civil society network trained to monitor education budget and procurement
Last September 23-25, around 70 youth participants from the National Capital Region (NCR), Bicol, Palawan, Cebu, Northern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) came together to attend the Multiply-Ed Division-level and National-level Briefing Orientation Seminar to be held in Acacia Hotel, Davao City.
G-Watch conducts discussion on 4Ps listing process
By: Victoria Maglanque
Last July, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that it will remove 1.3 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries as part of its efforts to clean the 4Ps list.[1] This generated renewed discussions about the program and the “worthiness” of some 4Ps beneficiaries to be included in it.