Media Seminar-Workshop
Citizen participation, government accountability core of media training activity

PPI

As newly-appointed and elected officials settle down in their positions more than two months after the general elections held in the country last 09 May 2022, the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) gathered its members in a seminar-workshop in Manila to discuss media’s role in ensuring ethics and accountability in local government and in cultivating an engaged citizenry.  Entitled, “Reporting on Government Transparency and Accountability,” the activity was participated in by community journalists and publishers from the National Capital Region, and the island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The objective of the training activity was to deepen media’s understanding of the salient features and implications of relevant and related legislation discussed, such as the Local Government Code of 1991, Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court Ruling 2018  and Executive Order No. 138 (2021), as well as to explore access to information that may be sourced from the government.  Additionally, it was intended to equip media workers with tools and tips for the analysis of public data and information, especially for purposes of news reporting.  The idea was for the participants to share with their peers the knowledge and skills they have gained to fuel greater civic sense in the journalism community; at the same time, to better inform the public in a way that encourages them to be more proactive and the public officers, to act in the public’s best interests.

HSF

The speakers included a former journalist and trainer of media professionals, a university professor, a women’s rights advocate and development worker and an award-winning journalist.  Their topics centred mainly on transparency and accountability in local governance, specifically: citizen participation, accountability and local governance; local government finance; the Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court Ruling and Executive Order 138 (2021); and, the local governance terrain.  It concluded with specific examples of good practices in local governance that yielded positive results.

The Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act No. 7160, passed on 10 October 1991, is described as a piece of legislation that “establishes the system and defines powers of provincial, city, municipal and barangay governments in the Philippines” and “provides for a more responsive local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization whereby Local Government Units are delegated more powers, authority, responsibilities and resources.”

The Mandanas-Garcia Supreme Court Ruling was in response to the petitions to the national government of Hermilando I. Mandanas and Enrique T. Garcia, Jr. that were said to “challenge the manner in which the just share in the national taxes of the local government units (LGUs) has been computed” and that “pleaded with the Supreme Court to mandate national government agencies to compute the shares of LGUs based on all national taxes, including National Internal Revenue Taxes and customs duties.”

Meanwhile, Executive Order No. 138 was issued by the President of the Philippines on 01 June 2021 for the “full devolution of certain functions of the Executive Branch to local governments, creation of a Committee on Devolution and for other purposes,” specifically relation to “all LGUs and all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Executive Branch with devolved functions to LGUs.”

PPI

The participants acknowledged their better appreciation for the legislation and related documents discussed and pointed out that media needs to stay well-informed in order to remain dynamic.  The specific areas, which the speakers suggested for them to look into for information as a way of monitoring the LGUs governance (such as their proposed plans, budgets and usage of public resources), as well as the accompanying tips and tools to aid in the analyses were welcomed as insightful and helpful for their work.  They expressed intentions of cascading the knowledge both to fellow journalists and to the public to further increase people’s awareness, promote civil discourse, and encourage the public to become engaged citizens in a democratic society.

This seminar-workshop was organised by the PPI with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) as part of their project cooperation on civic journalism.  This activity is intended to serve as a preparatory activity for the PPI’s Journalism Fellowship Program 2022 with the theme “Health and Local Governance.”

Local Government Code of 1991

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1991/10/10/republic-act-no-7160/ 

Executive Order No. 138, s. 2021

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2021/06/01/executive-order-no-138-s-2021/