Bantay Kurapsyon (Corruption Watch)E-News

“There is no feeling better than sharing your successful experiences  in anti-corruption initiatives to other NGO’s in the country. It inspires us to pursue our own efforts while at the same time encourages other CSO’s and NGO’s to be more socially accountable by joining the campaign against corruption.”, says Paul Pastrano Gangoso, ECOLINK Executive Director on his participation in CODE-NGO’s Social Development Week.

One of the key presentations during the Forum on Innovative Frameworks and Tools for Claiming Democratic Space in the State-Civil Society  Relations is the Input on ECOLINK’s Project  Re: Citizen- based LGU Vehicle Monitoring.  in Mindanao. It shares, among others, the reduction of vehicle misuse and the huge amounts of LGU funds that should have been wasted due to corruption in the use, procurement and maintenance of LGU vehicles. According to the presentation, ECOLINK’s engagement has caused the reduction of at least 3 million pesos of LGU expenditures related to gasoline and lubricants in three pilot cities. It has also empowered the civil society by becoming permanent observers in more than 39 Bids and Awards Committees in the region.  Lastly, it shows how “Bantay Kurapsyon”, a community radio program has mobilized the people to pressure  the LGU to become more transparent and accountable.

The forum was organized by WevNet and Code-Iloilo and held at the Innotech SEAMO, UP, Quezon City.