Philippines Draft Action Plan 2012

8/4/2019 Philippines Draft Action Plan 2012

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Philippine Government Action Plan 2012for the Open Government Partnership

1 January to 31 December 2012

A Discussion Document

Note on Status (as of 15 September 2011): this is a working draft of the Philippine Government Action Plan for the OpenGovernment Partnership (OGP). This was crafted after solicitinginputs from Cabinet officialsi and after conducting initialconsultations with stakeholders.

During the preparatory period of October to December 2011, this

Philippine OGP Action Plan will be subject to further refinementsas well as to broader public consultations with stakeholders. After a final plan has been approved by the President, implementationwill commence in January 2012.

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Institutionalizing People Power in GovernanceTo Ensure Direct, Immediate and Substantial Benefits to

the Poor

On February 25, 1986, the Filipino People toppled a dictatorshipafter four days of nonviolent protest. Crying out “tama na, sobrana!”ii the people poured out into the streets after heeding the callof religious and civic leaders to protect rebel soldiers and therebyend the decades-long dictatorship of Ferdinand E. Marcos, with itscorruption, human rights violations and worsening poverty. TheEDSA People Power Revolution of 1986 culminated in theinauguration of Corazon C. Aquino—housewife of a martyriii of Martial Law—as President of the Philippines.

Twenty-five years after this historical milestone, the Philippineshas a new opportunity to put the aspirations of People Power forreform back on track. With a resounding mandateiv, PresidentBenigno S. Aquino III won in the last May 2010 elections to

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replace an administration plagued with allegations of massivecorruption, a lack of political legitimacy and an inability toaddress the widening gap between rich and poor. His campaignmessage, “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap,v” resonated

with an electorate yearning for change.President Aquino made a Social Contract with the Filipino People,where he committed to be the nation’s first and most determinedfighter of corruption, and where he envisions the rebuilding of public institutions that operate under the highest standards of integrity and on solidarity with the people. The PhilippineDevelopment Plan,vi which fleshes-out this Social Contract, isanchored on fighting corruption and establishing transparent,accountable and participatory governance as necessarypreconditions to achieving poverty reduction, inclusive growth,

enhanced peace and ecological integrity.

This motive force for these reforms is People Power: a paradigmfor achieving the nation’s progress by ensuring the active andmeaningful participation of citizens in public policy and programs.

The Philippine Government aims to transform People Power froma nonviolent form of street protest to a means for citizens andworkers in government to collaborate in the halls of governmentto ensure that the benefits of governance reaches the poor in a

direct, immediate and substantial way. In contrast to the secrecy,impunity and collusion among selfish factions in the past, PeoplePower seeks to widen the democratic space for citizens in theirvery own government.

The Philippine Government sees open government as a means tooperationalize and institutionalize People Power. It will take on thevital challenges of improving public services, increasingpublic integrity and more effectively managing publicresources: so that the Aquino administration’s vision of kungwalang corrupt, walang mahirap can be fulfilled.

In crafting this Action Plan, the Philippine Government consultedwith national networks of civil society organizations (CSOs)vii. ThisAction Plan is for implementation starting January 1, 2012; and

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the period of October to December 2011 will serve as thepreparatory phase.

I. Open Government Efforts to Date

Since the new Aquino administration took the helm on June 30,2010, the Philippine Government has embarked on severalinitiatives to institute transparency, accountability andparticipation in governance, with the help of informationtechnology.Starting the Tradition of Transparency

• Mandatory Disclosure of Budget Information. The

Government has embedded provisions in the 2011National Budget—its first financial blueprint—thatmandate the publication of major information on budgets,finance and performance indicators in the websites of national departments and agencies.viii

• Transparency in Local Governance. The Department of Interior and Local Government department has required inAugust 2010 all Local Government Units (LGUs) to post in

local bulletin boards, newspapers and websitesinformation on their utilization of funds andimplementation of projects. As of August 26, 2011, 70provinces, 130 cities and 1,305 municipalities havecomplied with this policy.ix

• Official Gazette Online. The Government has embarked onplacing the entire corpus of Laws and Supreme Courtdecisionsx and Presidential issuancesxi online for the firsttime,xii as well as daily updates from agencies.

Jumpstarting Citizen Participation

• Participatory Budget Process . In crafting the 2012 NationalBudget, six departments and three governmentcorporations piloted a consultative budget preparation

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process with CSOs.xiii To support citizen engagement, theBudget department has begun publishing the People’sBudget, a summarized and layman’s version of the annualNational Budget.

• Participatory Development Planning. The Government,through the National Economic and DevelopmentAuthority, has conducted a series of public consultationsin the crafting of the Philippine Development Plan for 2011to 2016xiv. Citizen participation was also tapped for sectordevelopment planning; for instance, the Labor departmenthas conducted consultations with labor, business, youth,academe and other stakeholders in crafting the Labor andEmployment Plan for 2011-2016.

• Partnerships for Effective Service Delivery . Agencies haveentered into partnerships with stakeholders in monitoringprogram and project implementation. For instance, thePublic Works department has partnered with a broadcoalition of CSOs and other groups in monitoring publicworks projects.xv The Social Welfare department hasentered into partnerships with 222 national and local

CSOs and other groups for the monitoring of socialprotection programs including the conditional cashtransfer program.xvi The Interior and Local Governmentdepartment has also partnered with 28 national and 124regional CSOs to help monitor transparency andaccountability of LGUs.xvii

Institutionalizing Public Accountability

• Results-Oriented Fiscal Management. Fiscal reform in theAquino administration began with the reintroduction of theZero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) approach in 2010. ZBBenables the government to review and terminateprograms and projects that no longer deliver on intendedoutcomes, and to realign funding to other prioritiesespecially in education and healthcare.xviii ZBB, together

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with the Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworkxix and theOrganizational Performance Indicator Frameworkxx, pavesthe way for results-oriented fiscal management.

•

Accountability of Government Corporations . TheGovernment-Owned or Controlled Corporations (GOCC)Governance Act of 2011 to address past abuses andpatronage that made GOCCs virtual cash cows of previousgovernment officials; promote their financial viability andfiscal discipline; and make GOCCs truly accountable to thepeople.

• Citizen’s Charters and Citizen’s Report Cards . The Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 requires all agencies to craft a

Citizen’s Charter to simplify procedures and facilitatetransactions. To date, 71% of agenciesxxi have issued aCitizen’s Charter. It also provides that all governmentagencies providing frontline services shall be subjected toa Report Card Survey to obtain feedback regarding theirimplementation of the Citizen’s Charter.

• Revenue Integrity . The Finance department has intensified

its revenue integrity campaignsxxii

, and has filed 184 taxevasion cases, 39 cases against suspected smugglers and86 cases against suspected corrupt collection employeesas of July 2011,.xxiii

• Performance Challenge for Local Governments – TheInterior and Local Government department launched theLGU Performance Challenge Fund program in 2010 as aneffort to institutionalize transparency, accountability,participation and performance in LGUs. Under thisprogram, LGUs that exhibited strong performance in keyareas of governance earned a Seal of Good Housekeepingand a chance to avail of additional budgetary supportfrom the Fund. As of 2011, 44 provinces, 60 cities and 758municipalities have obtained a Seal of GoodHousekeeping.xxiv

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Leveraging Technology and Innovation

• Electronic Procurement . The Philippine Government E-

Procurement System (PhilGEPS), which started in 2000, ismandated by law as the central electronic portal forgovernment procurement. Key features at present includean electronic bulletin board for posting of bid notices andawards; a registry of more than 47,000 suppliers;automatic bid matching of opportunities with suppliers;and a virtual store of common-use supplies available fromthe Procurement Service, the government’s bulk buyer.

• Targeting Social Protection Beneficiaries with Precision .

The Government has an existing National Household Targeting System (NHTS) which identifies the poorest of the poor and aims to improve the service delivery systemsto them. Such system, which is being used in identifyingbeneficiaries of national social protection programs, isexpected to reduce the rate of leakage of resources andlessen exclusion of beneficiaries.

• Digitizing Releases from Congressional Allocations – The

Budget department has launched on June 2011 theElectronic Transparency and Accountability Initiative forLump Sum Funds System (eTAILS), an information systemthat digitizes the processing of releases for CongressionalAllocations and supports their timely online disclosure.xxv

• Online Avenues for Public Feedback and Communication – The Finance department has launched its Pera ngBayan xxvi website where citizens can file anonymousreports or leads on possible tax evasion, smuggling andgovernment collusion cases. Various other governmentagencies have tapped their websites and social media(Facebook and Twitter ) in disseminating key informationand soliciting public feedback.

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II.New Commitments for Open Governance

Every gain, including the gains mentioned above, paves theway for increasing transparency, accountability and citizen’s

participation. The Philippine Government believes that opengovernment will curtail the ability for corrupt officials and thoseinterested in political patronage at public expense, to operatewith impunity. Open government also plays a key role inempowering the poor and strengthening the constituency forreform. The Government will embark on the followingbeginning January 1, 2012:

Improve Transparency of Government Agencies

• Escalate Fiscal Transparency . By the end of June 2012, thegovernment will improve the compliance rate of departments in the Executive branch in the disclosuretheir approved budgets, utilization of funds, awarded bidsand annual procurement plans to 100 percentxxvii. Agencycompliance will be measured by an index, to be developedand published online within 90 days, and to be co-managed with CSOs.

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Promote Access to Government Information . Throughout2012, the Government will move towards adopting apolicy for citizens to freely access government informationin a timely, relevant and meaningful way, subject tocertain limitations such as national security, foreigndiplomacy and privacy concerns. It will work with CSOsand the private sector in broadening the scope of accessto official information through all possible means; as wellas in improving the compliance of government agencies toexisting standards of information disclosure.

Deepen Citizen Participation

• Organize a Philippine Open Governance Partnership. During the preparatory phase of this Action Plan, the

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end-2012, 10 Departmentsxxx will have fully-developedOPIF systems, with clearly defined agency outputs andperformance indicators that are linked to the PhilippineDevelopment Plan.

Meanwhile, the Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) will again beused, and in an expanded manner, in crafting the proposedNational Budget for 2013. From January to June 2013, atleast seven additional programs and projects would havebeen subjected to ZBB.

• Increase Compliance with Citizen’s Charters . By the end of 2012, Government will ensure that 100% of national

government agencies have published a Citizen’s Charter.Agencies shall also strive to improve their Citizen’sCharters—as well as their processes for frontline and otherservices, and response mechanisms to complaints andreports—in consultation with CSOs.

• Roll-out Internal Audit and Internal Control Manuals .Before the end of 2011, the Government will issue aPhilippine Government Internal Audit Manual (PGIAM).

From January to December 2012, the PGIAM and theNational Guidelines on Internal Control System (NGICS)will be rolled-out in nine critical departmentsxxxi. This is inline with the target of all agencies adopting the PGIAMand NGICS by 2016.

• Embedding Accountability in Local Governance. In linewith the goal of making all lower-income municipalitiesand citiesxxxii pass the Seal of Good Housekeeping by2016, the Interior and Local Government department willincrease the compliance rate to existing standards from50% to 70% before the end of 2012. Furthermore, newstandards that link performance in social developmentareas to the awarding of Seal of Good Housekeeping andPerformance Challenge Fund grants would have beendeveloped.

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Maximize Technology and Innovation

• Establish a Single Portal for Government Information . The

proposed Single Portal for Government Information isenvisioned to be a central government website wherecitizens can access government information as well asprovide feedback on government performance.

Throughout 2012, the Government, in consultation withstakeholders, will craft a roadmap and develop a SinglePortal for Government Information which complies withbasic open data standards.

• Install a Government Integrated Financial Information

Management System. To ensure the efficiency of government financial management procedures, theGovernment will develop a complete GovernmentIntegrated Financial Management Information System(GIFMIS) by 2016. By August 2012, the first track of GIFMIS, which will serve as the single data sharingplatform of government’s oversight agenciesxxxiii, will bedeveloped.

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Pursue Electronic Bidding and Procurement . In line withthe medium-term goal of digitizing the bidding process,the Government will develop additional features of PhilGEPS by December 2012. These new features includea facility to enable the online submission of biddocuments; a module for CSOs to monitor tenders online;an electronic fee payment system; an expanded supplierregistry and a module for agency posting of their annualprocurement plans. The Government will also develop andpilot a system of procurement cards, in lieu of the often-abused system of cash advances, by June 2012.

• Establish a National Justice Information System . In linewith addressing the slow pace of justice that hascompromised poor victims and poor suspects, theGovernment will develop a National Justice Information

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System (NJIS), an integrated criminal justice databasesystem that will facilitate the efficient recording,monitoring, tracking and reporting of crimes, cases,offenders and victims. By December 2012, the Justice

department will develop and implement an online registryof opinions, issuances and other legal documents that willeasily be accessible to judicial agents. The first phase of NJIS, which will integrate the systems of law enforcement,prosecution and corrections agencies, is envisioned forcompletion by the end of 2014.xxxiv

• Establish a Manpower Information System and Central Payroll System. To better manage government manpowerrequirements and improve accountability in the

disbursement of funds for personal services, theGovernment will enhance its Government ManpowerInformation System (GMIS) as a comprehensive databaseof government manpower by the end of 2014. ByDecember 2012, a National Payroll System that is linkedto GMIS will be developed and pilotedxxxv.

• Develop a Registry of Farmers and Fisherfolk . TheGovernment envisions a full database-registry of farmers

and fisherfolk that will more accurately identify and reachbeneficiaries of government interventions for agriculturaland fisheries development, and to reduce the pastmassive leakage of government funds for this purpose. Inthe first quarter of 2012, a pilot registry will be developedcovering 20 provinces with the high poverty incidence andhigh vulnerability to natural calamities.

• Electronic Transparency for Congressional Allocations andLump Sum Funds. By the end of 2012, the Governmentwill expand the eTAILS so that 1) other often-politicizedlump-sum fundsxxxvi are processed through it; and 2)where citizen reportage on the implementation of projectsfunded by Congressional Allocations is enabled.

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• Interactive Fiscal Transparency . The Government willdevelop and launch a Budget ng Bayan xxxvii website, whichwill serve as an interactive platform for citizens to learnabout and find information on the National Budget as well

as to file citizen reports on its implementation. Such awebsite will be activated by March 2012 and it will be fullyoperational by December 2012.

During the period of October to December 2011, prior to thecommencement of the implementation year, the PhilippineGovernment shall continue looking into further improving this2012 OGP Action Plan. More importantly, it shall broaden publicconsultations and cooperation with other branches of Government in ensuring the sustainability of open government

reforms over the medium-term.

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i Agency submissions so far: DBM, DepEd, DoE, DENR, DoF, DILG, DoJ, DoLE, DoST, DPWH, DND,NEDA, PCDSPO, PCOO, DSWD, DoT, DTI, NSA, OPAPP, PLLO, DAP. CSO Submissions so far:PinoyME, Right to Know, Right Now! Consultations with CSOs have been conducted on 26 Augustand 10 September, 2011.ii Roughly translated as “enough is enough!”iii Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., a staunch critic of the Marcos regime, was assassinated onAugust 21, 1983 upon returning from exile from the United States.

iv Candidate Benigno S. Aquino III won as president with 15.2 million votes or 42% of all votes cast;with a lead of 5.7 million from the next contender (there were eight other candidates).v Roughly translated as “No Corruption, No Poverty.”vi The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, as operationalized by Executive Order No. 43.vii Namely: CodeNGO, BAG, SWP/ABI, TAN, ANSA-EAP, ATIN/Right to Know, Right Now! Coalition,PPVR, PinoyME, MBC, CAC, Integrity Initiative and NCC.viii Section 97 of the General Provisions of the 2011 General Appropriations Act (Republic Act No.10147) requires agencies to post the following information on their official websites: approvedbudgets, performance measures and targets, major programs and projects to be implemented,annual procurement plan, contracts awarded and names of contractors, targeted and actualbeneficiaries, utilization of funds, status of implementation, program/project evaluation reports.ix State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2011 Technical Report, page 4, with updates from DILGx From 1901

xi From 1935

xii Memorandum approved by the President on editorial policies of the Official Gazette, 7September, 2010; Budgetary Requirement for Fiscal Year 2012, submitted to the House of Representatives by the PCDSPO, August 10, 2011.xiii SONA 2011 Technical Report, page 9-10. Departments which piloted the consultative processwere those in the social and economic services sectors with the biggest budgetary allocation,namely: Education, Health, Social Welfare, Public Works, Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. Pilotgovernment corporations were those with large government subsidies, particularly the NationalFood Authority, National Housing Authority and National Home Mortgage and Finance Corporation.xiv NEDA inputxv

SONA 2011 Technical Reportxvi Ibid.xvii DILG Inputsxviii SONA 2011 Technical Report, page 2xix MTEF is a planning-budgeting framework which provides a three-year perspective to budgetpreparation.xx OPIF is an approach to expenditure management that directs resources towards results or majorfinal outputs and measures agency performance by key quality and quantity indicators.xxi Of 2,266 national departments and agencies nationwidexxii In particular, the Run After Tax Evaders of the Bureau of Internal Revenue; the Run After TheSmugglers of the Bureau of Customs; and the Revenue Integrity Protection Service of the Finance

department.xxiii SONA 2011 Technical Report, pages 11-12xxiv SONA 2011 Technical Report, page 4, with updates from DILG.xxv SONA 2011 Technical Report, page 3xxvi Translated as “People’s Money”xxvii Of 22 Departments of the executive branch, 6 have posted their approved budgets on theirwebsites (DBM, DoH, DILG, DND, DPWH, DoTC), 3 have posted their fund utilization reports (DBM,DILG, DSWD), 13 have posted their awarded bids (DBM, DepEd, DENR, DoF, DFA, DoH, DILG, DoLE,DND, DPWH, DSWD, DoTC, NEDA) and 10 have posted their annual procurement plans (DBM, DoH,DILG, DoLE, DND, DPWH, DSWD, DoTC, NEDA, PCOO).



xxviii In particular, in the budget legislation, execution and accountability phases.xxix In particular, the Budget, Public Works and Agriculture departments.xxx The OPIF has already been cascaded in 10 Departments: DA, DAR, DENR, DSWD, DoT, DPWH,DBM, DoF, DoH, DepEd.xxxi In particular, the Public Works, Education, Finance, Justice, Health, Social Welfare, Budget,Labor and Environment departments.xxxii Lower-income municipalities are those belonging to the 4th-6th classes. There are a total of 619

municipalities under these classes. Lower-income cities are those belonging to the 4th to 5th

classes. There are a total of 28 cities under these.xxxiii Particularly, the Finance and Budget departments and the Commission on Audit.xxxiv DoJ Inputsxxxv In accordance with Executive Order No. 31 series of 2011xxxvi Modules for the School Building Fund and the Internal Revenue Allotment of LocalGovernments are slated for development.xxxvii Translated as “The People’s Budget”

Documents

Philippines Draft Action Plan 2012