Participatory Monitoring for Barangay Infrastructure and Health Projects in the Province of Isabela

Participatory Monitoring for Barangay Infrastructure and Health Projects in the Province of Isabela

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER: INCITE
YEARS: 2008 – 2009
GRANT AMOUNT: $25,069
THEME: Infrastructure; Health

Isabela province is located in the northeastern part of Luzon. Its Governor, Grace Padaca, is one of the country’s young reform minded politicians who is currently serving her second term as Governor of the province. The Governor wished to see a strengthening of citizens’ participation in governance, specifically in improving transparency and accountability in the use of public funds and local service delivery. Each year the provincial government provides financial assistance to many of the over 1,000 barangays (villages) for the implementation of small projects but the provincial government lacks the capacity to monitor the use of these funds sufficiently closely.

Isabela province is located in the northeastern part of Luzon. Its Governor, Grace Padaca, is one of the country’s young reform minded politicians who is currently serving her second term as Governor of the province. The Governor wished to see a strengthening of citizens’ participation in governance, specifically in improving transparency and accountability in the use of public funds and local service delivery. Each year the provincial government provides financial assistance to many of the over 1,000 barangays (villages) for the implementation of small projects but the provincial government lacks the capacity to monitor the use of these funds sufficiently closely.

Under the project, 70 volunteer monitors were trained and organized in monitoring teams, 3 infrastructure teams (one less than the 4 teams envisaged in the project design) and 2 health teams. The infrastructure teams monitored 18 projects with a total value of P13.7 million ($285,000). The health teams monitored drug procurement practices, including questions such as what drugs were bought, whether the needed drugs were bought at the right time and at the right price, and how they were distributed.

Post a comment