G-Watch Holds Annual Accountability Awareness-Raising Campaign

24 February 2022

On the third year of the pandemic, Government Watch (G-Watch) held its annual Ako, Ikaw, Tayo May Pananagutan accountability awareness-raising campaign last week.

G-Watch sites and partners all over the country conducted simultaneous events that mobilized and engaged hundreds of citizens and relevant policy actors to once again advance and promote accountability. G-Watch Cebu hosted a watch party. G-Watch San Miguel, Bohol, G-Watch Southern Leyte and Integrity Watch for Accountable Governance (IWAG) in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur held a forum. G-Watch Puerto Princesa organized an online talk show. G-Watch Lanao del Sur, G-Watch Quezon City and G-Watch Dumaguete held workshops. The Naga City People’s Council (NCPC) and G-Watch Tacloban held radio visits.

The 2022 G-Watch’s Ako, Ikaw, Tayo May Pananagutan focused on the importance of information in making elections an accountability platform. Accurate, verifiable, complete and clear information is a pre-requisite of accountability. It is a potent tool for citizens to hold power to account. It is urgently critical that citizens learn to better discern which are good and credible information and which are lies and fake news.

With the theme “#BawalAngFake: Tamang Impormasyon para sa Makabuluhang Eleksyon,” [No to Fake: Right Information towards a Meaningful Election], G-Watch local sites and partners and their participants took on the following questions through their varied events:

  • Ano ang ating pagkakaunawa sa fake news at disinformation? [What is our understanding of fake news and disinformation?]
  • Bakit nakakasama sa pulitika, lalo na sa pananagutan ng mga pulitiko, ang fake news at disinformation? [Why is fake news and disinformation detrimental to politics, especially in exacting accountability from politicians?]
  • Bilang mamamayan, tayo ay may right to information. Ito ay importante para tayo ay maka-monitor at masingil natin ang gobyerno. Nao-observe ba ng gobyerno ang ating right to information? Ano ang balakid sa pagsulong ng karapatan ng mga mamamayan sa tama, kumpleto at klarong impormasyon mula sa gobyerno? [As a citizens, we have the right to information. This is important for us to monitor and exact accountability from government. Does the government properly observe and advance our right to information? What are the obstacles to the right of citizens to correct/ truthful, complete and clear information from the government?]
  • Ano-ano ang mga alam nating pamamaraan o initiatives para labanan ang fake news at disinformation? Sila ba ay epektibo? [What are the initiatives that we know of that aim to fight fake news and disinformation? Are they effective?]
  • Ano pa kaya ang pwede nating gawin para mas labanan ang fake news at disinformation? [What else can be do to stop fake news and disinformation?]

The highlights of the discussions will be discussed by G-Watch leaders from all over the country during the upcoming G-Watch National Meeting and Learning Exchange in Pasig and Baguio on March 3-9.

See some more scenes from 2022 G-Watch’s, Ako, Ikaw, Tayo May Pananagutan here.