Empowering Youth to Lead Accountability: What does it Take Today?

Accountability is the process by which those in power are made (1) to answer for their decisions, actions and inaction, (2) to perform their obligations and mandates set in laws and norms (3) to respond to citizen demands and voice. 

What does it take for Filipino youth to take the lead on accountability in the Philippines today? 

Young Filipinos have always had the historical role of being the “hope of the motherland” having led the biggest movements that made the difference in the country: the fight for independent, anti-Martial Law struggle and unseating of a corrupt president. 

Today, when civil society and social movements are facing numerous challenges and threats amidst countless need to demand transparency, participation and accountability from the government, the question is: will the Filipino youth today step up once again to take the lead and how? 

A key accountability issue today is ensuring effectiveness and responsiveness from government agencies and programs, especially those serving the poor and marginalized and generating revenues from the government. The fight against corruption is another call needing new, revitalized and strategic actions from civil society. Part of this is ensuring that accountability institutions like the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit, the Commission on Human Rights, the Civil Service Commission do their job in checking exercise of power of government instrumentalities, as well as ensuring that mechanism such as performance assessments, monitoring systems and citizen feedback and grievance redress are working.

In recognition of the historical role of the youth in nation-building, its participation has been guaranteed by the State from national to the community level. The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)is a mechanism for youth to take part in governance present in every barangay and federalized at local, sub-national and national levels. The National Youth Commission (NYC) is created to ensure that youth participate in policy making and that youth’s concerns and issues are taken up in government policies and programs.  There are numerous non-government and peoples organizations comprise of the youth and serving the youth. 

The new Philippine dispensation has provided spaces such as those enumerated above for young people to the take the lead on issues confronting the county today. Making use of these spaces, revitalizing them so they can do more and be responsive to the calls of the time and enabling them to take on the challenge is an endeavor that is worth exploring. 

On March 1, Government Watch (G-Watch), in cooperation with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) and the Accountability Research Center (ARC), is convening a forum to discuss the question: “what does it take for the youth to lead accountability in the Philippines today?Gathering youth leaders, concerned government agencies and G-Watch leaders all over the country, the said forum aims to discuss the key accountability issues today and why the youth should take the lead in accountability efforts and how. 

Gathering youth leaders, concerned government agencies and G-Watch leaders all over the country, the said forum aims to discuss the key accountability issues today and why the youth should take the lead in accountability efforts and how.

Invited panelists:

Asec. James Ceasar A. Ventura (to be confirmed)
Commissioner-at-Large, National Youth Commission

Director Karl Caesar R. Rimando (to be confirmed)
National Barangay Operations Office, DILG 

Usec. Camilo G. Gudmalin (to be confirmed)
Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns, DSWD

Mr. Marlon Cornelio
President, Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking

Moderator:
Joy Aceron
Convenor-Director
Government Watch

Side Event: “Launch” of G-Watch’s new book Going Vertical, 2ndedition 

All throughout the forum (for non-participants of the forum) until 6pm

No formal program, but people who want to get a copy of the book will have to respond to a survey on state of accountability and how the youth can take the lead before getting a free hard copy of the book. 

Book is accessible online here: https://www.g-watch.org/resources/vertical-integration-research/going-ve...