DAVAO CITY, Philippines — An agreement aimed at encouraging the people’s involvement in allocating and monitoring the use of public fund was signed on Friday, Dec. 16 between Social Watch Philippines and other government agencies.
A memorandum agreement was signed by Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Education and Commission on Human Rights and Social Watch’s Philippines People’s Public Finance Institute.
“We are glad with these three government agencies readily signed on to the agreement. We are really thankful to DepEd, DILG and CHR. Of course, we won’t be able to do it without the support and inspiration too, from the United Nations Development Programme which is likewise a strong advocate of participatory governance,” said Jessica Reyes-Cantos, SWP’s Co-convenor in a statement on Friday.
In the said agreement, all three government agencies were tasked to promote the People’s Empowerment for Transparency and Accountability (PETRA) Serye video.
The PETRA Serye video features six short videos of different aspects of public finance processes from revenue generation, budgeting and planning, expenditure monitoring, procurement and citizens’ participation.
The video, through its fictional character Petra, would educate the public on the common community problems such as poor infrastructure, dilapidated school buildings, insufficient water supply, among others.
Through the agreement, Social Watch Philippines is asking the identified government agencies to promote the videos in schools, barangays, towns, cities, universities and other institutions.
Based on the agreement DILG would also require the presentation of the video at barangay assemblies and will be incorporating it in its modules in the curriculum of the Local Development Academy, said Reyes-Cantos.
“The Department of Education will be reproducing and incorporating the video in its school curriculum while he Commission on Human Rights will provide experts to educate and raise the awareness of citizens on rights-based participatory public finance,” she added.
DepEd’s Assistant Secretary Nepomuceno Malaluan, DILG’s National Barangay Operations Center Director Leocadio Trovela and CHR Commissioner Karen Gomez Dumpit signed on as representative of their respective agencies to the agreement document. (davaotoday.com)
