ADB RETA 6445: Strengthening Citizens Involvement in Mitigating Governance Risks in Local Government Units in the Philippines Sub-Project Completion Report Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Research and Social Outreach Asian Development Bank Fall 08 ADB- RETA 6445 Subproject Completion Report Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro XU-Research and Social Outreach December 2015 X a v i e r U n i v e r s i t y - Ateneo de Cagayan, Corrales Avenue 9000 Cagayan de Oro City Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro ADB RETA 6445 Subproject Completion Report CSO Name: Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Research and Social Outreach Subproject Title: Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures and Tables.............................................................................................................. 5 About the Project ........................................................................................................................... 6 The Realism of the Subproject’s Original Objectives and Design ................................................ 6 The Implementation Experience .................................................................................................... 8 Account of the Activities and Outputs ......................................................................................... 10 Financial Management ................................................................................................................. 14 Program Impact and Institutional Development .......................................................................... 15 Lessons Learned........................................................................................................................... 17 Dissemination .............................................................................................................................. 18 Links to other CSOs ..................................................................................................................... 18 Annexes 2 Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro List of Abbreviations ACDO Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro AIP Annual Investment Plan BUB Bottom-up Budgeting CAFÉ CDO Federation of Elders, Inc. CAFEDPA CDO Federation of Persons with Disabilities CBO City Budget Officer CDP Comprehensive Development Plan CDO Cagayan de Oro CDOPC Cagayan de Oro Peoples Council CDORBMC Cagayan de Oro Riverbasin Management Council CPDO City Planning and Development Officer CLUP Comprehensive Land Use Plan CSO Civil Society Organization DILG Department of Interior and Local Government DSWD Department of Social Welfare and Development ELA Executive-Legislative Agenda FGD Focus Group Discussion FICCO First Community Cooperative FURPOOR Federation of Urban and Rural Poor of CDO (FURPOOR) GBM Gising Barangay Movement GROUP Growth, Organization Upliftment of People, Inc. IRA Internal Revenue Allotment KEDRN Kagay-an Evangelical Disaster Response Network KGG Kagayanons for Good Governance KKK Kagayanons Kontra Krimen KKP-SIO Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana - Social Involvement Office LCE Local Chief Executive LDIP Local Development Investment Plan LGU Local Government Unit 3 Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro LPRAT Local Poverty Reduction Action Team NGO Non-Government Offices OYDC Oro Youth Development Council PC Peoples Council PDA Peoples Development Agenda PFM Public Financial Management PMT Project Management Team PNP Philippine National Police PO Peoples Organization RSO Research and Social Outreach SAcc Social Accountability SEC Securities and Exchange Commission XU Xavier University 4 Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro List of Figures and Tables Page Figure 1: Social Accountability Interventions……………………………………………... 7 Figure 2: Schematic Presentation of PDA and PC………………………………………… 9 Table 1: Summary of the subproject grant received and spent. …………………………… 15 Table 2: Summary of PDA and Budget Allocation Out of 4.8B City Budget…………… 16 5 Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro About the Project The Realism of the Subproject’s Original Objectives and Design For the Cagayan de Oro City, the objective is to provide social accountability (SAcc) interventions to institute a third party mechanism that will foster constructive engagement and eventually accelerate inclusive development of the city. This would start with the programs and adoption of the 2015 Executive Legislative Agenda and the corresponding programs and budget for that year. In this endeavor, the civil society organization (CSO) would seek a broad coalition of major stakeholders in the community, including the business and academic community, faith-based organizations, and the non- government organizations (NGOs). The Project will also support the formulation of a road map for the creation of People’s Council with representation in the LGU Legislative Council. The civil society community of Cagayan de Oro City, one of the most progressive cities in the country, has been frustrated by the continuing inability of the city government to function normally for the best interest of the city. The current Local Chief Executive (LCE) and the majority of the present City Council belong to opposing political parties, creating a political impasse. Out of sixteen city council members and the Vice Mayor, only five belong to the party of the LCE. As a consequence the LCE has been unable to receive the council’s approval of integral ordinances, such as the Executive-Legislative Agenda and favorable approval of the budget for 2014 and 2015. This political impasse has adversely affected the implementation of programs and has caused tension between and among old and new appointees in various offices. There is no go-between mechanism to break the deadlock and push for better governance showing teamwork, effectiveness and efficiency. While both sides are looking for ways to meet halfway, no efforts have been done to realize the harmony. At the moment there is no third party that tries to connect the two partisan groups in order to develop programs and services that would benefit the people especially the poor. Discussions on what to do with the impasse has been on-going but there is no well-organized and well-planned efforts on the part of the civil society groups, church-based organizations and even from the business sectors to resolve this conflict. While many of the CSOs and business groups are participating in the local special bodies such as the city development council, city disaster risk reduction management council, peace and development council, city investment committee and cultural affairs committee, the hard work may not end to larger success unless a parallel strong efforts by the citizen groups are entered into the present tense situation. Figure 1 shows the Social Accountability Intervention of the project. 6 Providing Social Accountability Interventions to Foster Constructive Engagement of Stakeholders in Local Government Affairs of Cagayan de Oro G O V E R N A N C E C H A L L E N G E I N C E N T I V E S Deadlock of City Government, particularly • Kagayanons – will among Executive Dept. and City Council that engage, be represented hinders the delivery of basic service and the or provided venues and needed development of the City will benefit from I N F O R M A T I O N outcomes of these • Comprehensive effective delivery of knowledge of City’s basic services; situationer, resources, P U B L I C S E C T O R I N T E R V E N T I O N S • Government leaders to gaps and challenges Organize a Citizen-led Peoples Council for good engage and refine their towards development governance, integrate CSO members in the agenda and priority • City’s Priority especially local special bodies and various legislative projects, get the support with the Executive’s committees, and together advance the of the people, and build (based on their agenda) Peoples’ Development Agenda by engaging consensus and support Programs/ initiatives and the Leadership of the local government of the of stakeholders; and budget allocations City Cagayan de Oro strengthen government • Causes and Effects, institutions and services challenges of the existing • Strengthen and enhance social institutions, CSOs Leadership of the City, C A P A C I T Y and POs, and facilitate processes/ systems of Xavier University as the lead institution in collaboration collaboration towards government with Oro Chamber for Business, Touch Foundation for the City’s good • Peoples’ concerns or the CSOs/POs and Religious/Church Sector mobilize,