Active Citizenship in Local

Governance and Democracy

June 19, 2012 Discovery Suites, Mandaluyong, Manila

PROGRAMS

• Knowledge and Practice

linking Democratic

Politics- Good

Governance-

Development Outcomes

• Knowledge and Practice

on Constructive

Engagement

• Constituency Building

for Active Citizenship

Desired Outcomes of BAG • Engagement with Executive in Effective Budget

Preparation and Execution • Engagement with Legislature in effective budget

oversight • More budget information in terms of process and

content made available and understandable to a wider public

• Clarified rules on contentious budget provisions, implementing guidelines and issuances.

BUDGET ADVOCACY GROUPS

• A People’ Campaign 2007-2010

• Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap

• 16-pt Social Contract

• Philippine Development Plan

• 5 Spending Priorities

• Constructive Engagement with Citizens and Civil Society (Kayo ang Boss Ko)

• BANTAY – GABAY – TULAY - KAAGAPAY

• Power/Politics of the Purse and DILG’s FDP

PHILIPPINE CONTEXT 2010- 2016

WHAT WE HAVE KNOWN WHAT WE ARE LEARNING AND DEFINING

Centralized Government “Black Box of Governance”

Localization “Participative Governance”

CSO ‘protest’ and ‘opposition’ identity

CSO ‘partner for reform’ identity

Centralized/Restricted/Classified “Information as power”

WWW, Wikileaks, Wikepedia,FOI Information-based power

Politics of the Politician Politics of the Citizen

CULTURE OF IMPUNITY CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

emPOWERment Transitions and Directions

Basis for Full Disclosure Policy

RA 7160

Section 352 of the Local Government Code: “..posting within 30 days from end of each fiscal year in at least three publicly

accessible and conspicuous places in the local government unit, a summary of all revenues collected and funds received,

including the appropriations and disbursements of such funds during the preceding fiscal year.”

Basis for Full Disclosure Policy

RA 9184

Republic Act No. 9184, known as the Government Procurement Reform Act: “…posting of the

Invitation to Bid, Notice to Proceed at Approved Contract in procuring entity’s premises, in

newspapers of general circulation, the Philippine Government Electric Procurement System

(PhilGEPS) and the website of the procuring entity.”

Basis for Full Disclosure Policy

GAA FY 2012

Section 84 of Republic Act No. 10147 (General Appropriation Act) FY 2011, re, “Use and Disbursement of Internal Revenue

Allotment of LGUs: “..Strict compliance with Sections 288 and 354 of RA No. 7160 and DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2010-83, entitled “Full Disclosure of Local Finances, and Bids and Public Offering”, is hereby mandated: Provided, that in addition to the publication or posting requirement under Section 352 of RA No.

7160 in three (3) publicly accessible and conspicuous places in the local government unit…

GAA FY 2012 (Continuation)

…the LGUs shall also post the detailed information on the use

and disbursement, and status of programs and projects in the LGUs’ websites. Failure to comply with these

requirements shall subject the responsible officials to disciplinary actions in accordance with existing laws.”

Basis for Full Disclosure Policy

Commission on Audit Internal Memo

Commission on Audit Internal Memorandum, dated October 8, 2010, enjoining concerned COA officials and auditors to

monitor management’s compliance to DILG Memorandum Circular 2010-83, and any deviation therefrom or non-

compliance therewith shall be a subject of an Audit Observation Memorandum, and eventually forms part of the Annual Audit

Report or Management letter, if necessary.

12 FDP DOCUMENTS AB

Cash

SRE

TF

SEF

IRA

GAD

Debt

APP

Bids

Items

Abstracts

FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY

TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY

PARTICIPATION

SOURCE DOCUMENTS FOR FDP DOCUMENTS

The Power of the Purse

• The most concrete governance tool

• The most visible and trackable policy/law

• Expression of government priorities

• Anti-corruption; transparent, accountable and participatory governance

• Poverty reduction and empowerment of the poor and vulnerable

• Rapid, equitable and sustained economic growth

• Just, inclusive and lasting peace and the rule of law

• Integrity of the environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation

The Power of the Purse

• Institutionalized and predictable cycle

• Identified intervention points, accountabilities and decision making bodies/institutions

• Potential to be the ‘common language’ between government and citizens

(NBM 109, NBC 536, NBC 539)

• Can be an objective vehicle and measure of advocacy “Bottom-up Budgeting” (JMC 1–2012)

Context for Citizen Engagement in PFM

Public Fiscal Management (PFM)

Performance,

Compliance

Value

Outcomes,

Policies,

Strategies

Records,

Reports

Target

Results,

Output

Indicators Execution

and Delivery

External Scrutiny and

Audit

Legislation and Approval

Formulation of policy and budget

preparation

JMC 1-2012

NBM 109

NBC 536

NBC 539

Citizenship and Constructive Engagement

• BANTAY – prevent financial corruption and enhance accountability

• GABAY – improve budget allocation and facilitate fund distribution procedures – negotiating priorities

• TULAY – demystify the budget and the budget process

• KAAGAPAY – respond to basic needs of citizens at grassroots

KEY INSIGHTS

• Check and Balance between executive and legislative – define countervailing force role of CSOs

• Period for engagement must be sustained throughout the budget process even if particular attention is focused on one or two phases – from macroeconomic assumptions to audit balancing efficiency and quality of budget

• Quality of available information

– What is dependent on relationships?

– What is dependent on systems and processes?

– What is dependent on simple access?

KEY INSIGHTS

• Sharp and specialized/focused capacity development by

and among CSOs

• Broad public and private constituency building for

Budget Work (Public Fiscal Management Reform)

• Both of these tracks can and should accompany strategic

reform efforts or the most vulnerable sectors/institutions

– Bottom-up Budgeting

– Full Disclosure Policy

– Education and Health within CCT

KEY INSIGHTS

• Need to map CSO presence and capacity assessment for

constructive engagement in local and national budget

processes

• Need to pilot report templates for Congress oversight of

budget execution for identified PAPs in selected agencies

• Need to establish an independent multi-sourced (public

and private) fund to sustain and institutionalize cso

constructive engagement in budget cycle

References: • Local Government Act of 1991 RA 7160

• President’s Budget Message for 2012

• General Provisions of GAA for 2012 (attached PDF) - Section 84 on IRA and Full Disclosure Policy

• DILG MC2011-134

• National Budget Memorandum No.109

• National Budget Circular No. 536

• National Budget Circular No. 539

• Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2012

• RA 9184 Government Procurement Reform Act

• DILG AO 17 Feb 2012 Directing the use of the Procurement Service and Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System in Procurement Activities in accordance with RA 9184

Active Citizenship in Local Governance and Democracy

Maxine Tanya Hamada