G-Watch Program for NSTP/ OJT Students Launched

24 February 2023

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.

 

The launching of the G-Watch program was held during a two-day briefing-orientation held on February 20-21. The activity included the first batch of students who will be participating in the program, composed of three OJT and 12 NSTP students.

 

More than 50 out of 459 NSTP students initially volunteered to take part in G-Watch. From this number, 12 were included in G-Watch health monitoring based on interviews that checked their availability and level of competence and commitment.

 

It is a huge milestone for G-Watch to launch a program for students undertaking OJT and NSTP. A required course for all college students, this initiative can be a steady recruitment source of volunteer-monitors for accountability. It can also train the youth in citizenship while enabling them to contribute to enduring changes that improves governance and deepens democracy.

 

The College of Maasin also welcomes the new G-Watch program. According to CM Administrative Officer, Atty. Regean U. Ellorimo, the partnership with G-Watch is consistent with the mission of College of Maasin to "develop people into becoming God-loving citizens with integrity in character, intellectually competent and honest, creatively aware and responsive to the needs and aspirations of people for the realization of a just, free and responsible Christian social order.”

 

G-Watch is opening its doors to OJT and NSTP students to achieve the following:

  • To broaden the reach of G-Watch in propagating and advocating for transparency, participation and accountability, particularly its brand of citizen action for accountability.
  • To recruit new citizen monitors who will engage government and make public service delivery and policy implementation transparent and accountable.
  • To help students appreciate TPA and learn through first-hand experience and learning-by-doing civil society and governance reform work and contribute to the development of students as responsible and active citizens of the country.

 

By the end of the G-Watch-OJT course, OJT students will be able to:

  • Know what is G-Watch and its approaches to strengthening accountability in governance.
  • Develop basic skills in (1) conducting monitoring of government programs, (2) engaging and communicating with government, (3) documenting activities  involving citizen action for accountability, (4) providing technical-administrative-logistical support to civil society reform work, (5) organizing a simple activity that advances TPA.
  • Produce a knowledge output based on a citizen monitoring that they participated in and/or a pressing issue/ topic on TPA they want to research and write about.