News & Events

In September this year, Government Watch (G-Watch) marks its 22nd anniversary. Established in 2000 in the wake of EDSA Dos and Joseph Estrada’s removal from the presidency, G-Watch began as the governance program of a university. Meant as a response to the plethora of corruption scandals involving senior government officials, Government Watch began one of the country’s earliest attempts at social accountability—training hundreds of citizen-volunteers to monitor the delivery of various public services.

The start of the new administration once again brings up the question of what should be the role of civil society in the country’s development and governance. In the recent decades, Philippine civil society has championed advancing transparency, participation and accountability (TPA) reforms in governance, arguing it’s an effective and responsive solution to inefficiencies and corruption in government as well as a way to promote human rights and ensure citizen entitlements.

G-Watch views the upcoming polls in 2022 as an extremely important terrain that has to be engaged, and that would complement other accountability efforts that are being undertaken before, after and beyond elections. In this light, G-Watch is undertaking a citizenship education initiative that aims to Make Elections an Accountability Platform (MEAP).

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, the world stood still. The ill-preparedness of the Philippine national government to handle a pandemic as huge as COVID-19 was very clear from the onset. The country’s health workers ended up taking most of the brunt of the pandemic because they were at the frontlines. Yet, health workers persevered to provide the badly needed health care and assistance to the people, especially those who were sick.

Accurate, verifiable, complete and clear information is a pre-requisite of accountability. It is a potent tool for citizens to hold power to account. Even in the accountability field, there is the notion of ‘clear’ and ‘opaque’ transparency, and it is clear transparency that likely leads to ‘hard’ accountability.

The next national election is once again just around the corner. With the COVID-19 crisis, there are a lot of uncertainties in today’s politics and governance. For sure the 2022 polls will be very different given the ongoing health crisis.

While health threats will be a new critical concern that will change the way we campaign and vote, the continuing and worsening threats to democratic processes and values are issues that would also have to be confronted as we prepare for the 2022 elections.

Usapang Pananagutan: The Role of State Audit Institutions in Making COVID-19 Funds Accountable

Usapang Pananagutan is G-Watch's e-discussion series that aims to serve as a continuing platform for policy actors to discuss the state of accountability in the Philippines and identify ways to strengthen accountability in government.

Join us in our first session entitled "The Role of State Audit Institutions in Making COVID-19 Funds Accountable" on September 15, 2021 at 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM.

VACCINE FOR ALL! ACCOUNT THE COVID-19 FUNDS! Ako, Ikaw, Tayo May Pananagutan 2021

In December 2019, a new deadly disease was discovered in the Chinese city of Wuhan after an elderly man began exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Now known as COVID-19, this virus has since spread to 223 countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The said UN agency further indicates that as of January 17 of this year, the virus has already infected over 93 million people and has claimed the lives of more than two million individuals.

As part of the International Anti-Corruption Day 2020, G-Watch will hold a consultative dialogue among different government agencies and civil society organizations in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur on December 9, 1:00-4:00pm and in Marawi on December 12, 1:00-4:00pm. 

Adopted in October 2003 by the United Nations General Assembly, the annual International Anti-Corruption Day aims to raise awareness on the fight against corruption and specifically the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption. 

Call for Applications (Attention: SKs from BARMM localities)