Citizens

1
Citizens Action

• Monitoring Public Works Projects

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C C A G G

• Concerned
• Citizens of
• Abra for
• Good
• Government

An aggrupation of men and women coming from the
cross-section of Abra society
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Origin
Origin

• Namfrel volunteers in Abra after the 1986 snap
  Presidential elections opted not to disband. They
  called themselves the Concerned Citizens of Abra
  for Good Government and committed themselves
  beyond electoral concerns foremost of which are
• Monitor performance of elected officials and
  government instrumentalities
• Organize communities and help in Citizenship
  Building
• Network and linkage with other organizations to
  put peoples interest in the political agenda
• Do advocacy to popularize issues especially
  through the mass media and help form public
  opinion

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Opening for the CCAGG

• The Aquino administration in 1987 implemented a
  development package called Community and
  Employment Development Program (CEDP) under the
  NEDA.
• The NEDA-CEDP allotted small projects
  (farm-to-market roads, health clinics, school
  buildings, irrigation systems, barangay roads,
  etc.) to communities and employed the project
  beneficiaries to augment their income derived
  from farming.
• It also tapped NGOs to monitor project
  implementation. A MOA was signed between NEDA,
  Ministry of Budget Management (MBM) and CCAGG.

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Highlights of the MOA

• NEDA provided CCAGG
• Training on monitoring
• Listing of projects, locations, agency
  implementers, etc.
• MBM provided
• Total project costs and schedule of fund
  releases for projects

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The Role of the CCAGG

• Monitor project implementation based on
  guidelines provided by NEDA and MBM
• Furnish regular feedbacks to NEDA and
  implementing agencies including its
  recommendations to resolve issues arising from
  flaws in project implementation.
• In addition to the above, the CCAGG organized
  the project beneficiaries, effected the transfer
  of monitoring technology and involved them in
  project monitoring.
• It also used the diocesan radio and print media
  which aided very much in informing Abreños about
  the projects and status of implementation. This
  so thrilled the people for during those times
  there was that so-called impenetrable secrecy
  about government projects.

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Reactions to Monitoring CEDP Projects

• The people were very happy of their new found
  participation in enforcing honesty and integrity
  in the prosecution of projects
• The information dissemination on projects being
  implemented threatened and angered agency
  implementers
• During project monitoring, the government field
  personnel resented the monitors presence and
  talked down to them
• Their arrogance was understandable for never
  before were they watched and questioned by laymen
• Some contractors tried to bribe the CCAGG

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Monitoring Findings on CEDP

1. Monitoring activities exposed anomalies in the
   CEDP projects. For example, projects not yet
   started or barely begun were reported finished.
   Certificates of Completion of Projects were
   prepared and finished projects were
   turned-over to local government executives
   (LGEs).
2. CCAGG wrote a letter of complaint to the Ministry
   of Public Works and Highways (MPWH). They sought
   a meeting with the Ministrys top officials and
   requested for impartial investigators to look
   into the matter.
3. An audit team came to investigate. Their finding
   corroborated CCAGGs reports
4. An administrative case was filed against the
   accused engineers with CCAGG as witnesses

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Monitoring Findings on CEDP

1. CCAGG asked that the hearing of the case be filed
   outside of Abra Province, away from the clout of
   the political backers of the accused
2. Politicians intervened but the Abrenians were
   resolute in their decision to put a stop to such
   anomalies. Concerned groups including the clergy
   of Abra and the business sector supported the
   prosecution of the case
3. The accused were found guilty and punished
   accordingly. They were suspended from office for
   a period ranging from 4 to 9 months without pay.
   The District Engineer and the Assistant District
   Engineer can not come back to Abra Engineering
   District.

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Monitoring Findings on CEDP

• In 1988, President Corazon Aquino gave the CCAGG
  in Malacañang a Presidential Citation for
  Outstanding Community Service for its valued
  and distinctive contribution in the
  implementation of projects under the CEDP.
• Shortly after, the MPWH in Region 1 came out with
  a Memo to its District office in Bangued. The
  CCAGG monitoring report became a requirement
  before projects are paid.
• These represented a moral victory for the
  Abrenians.

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Learning and Insights

1. Graft and corruption drains government resources
   and enriches a few
2. Graft and corruption explains the poverty of the
   people. Basic social services are denied them
   thus breeding contempt at government
3. The empowered poor break their silence and worked
   for the common good.
4. Monitoring forces the issue and accountability in
   the government.

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CCAGG turned 18 last February 2004

• Monitoring of infrastructures, to this day, is
  CCAGGs signature activity. It is a deputized
  NGO of the Regional Project Monitoring
  Evaluation System (RPMES) of CAR. Among others,
  it has effected the following
• A remove and replace order of portions of a 4.6
  kilometers in a highway project was slapped to a
  contractor. Among other things, its sub-base was
  not properly prepared resulting to inferior
  foundation, its cement mix was below
  specifications , and the aggregates used were far
  bigger than the specified size. Coring test were
  conducted on 10 random locations along the whole
  stretch of the 4.6 kilometer road. The core
  samples were subjected to laboratory test which
  showed that the strength of the core samples all
  miserably failed. Hence, the remove and
  replace order of the DPWH.

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CCAGG turned 18 last February 2004

• The vigilance of the CCAGG saved scarce
  government resource from graft and corruption.
  One gravelling road project along Abra-Kalinga
  Road, km. 471 to 476, identified its source of
  aggregates as 51 kms. away from the project site.
  The volume of aggregates and the distance of
  hauling were running into millions of pesos. The
  CCAGG made a lot of noise, the DPWH investigated
  the matter and finding the complaint meritorious,
  it ordered the contractor to extend the road
  project using the savings realized from the
  hauling of aggregates.
• There were also projects which the CCAGG
  rescued so to speak due to faulty design in
  collaborative correction of said projects thus
  saving scarce resource.

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CCAGG Participatory Audit

• CCAGGs unrelenting campaign for honesty,
  accountability, and transparent governance caught
  the attention of the United Nations Development
  Program (UNDP) in Manila. A partnership with them
  developed and through them, with the Commission
  on Audit (COA). In October 2002, COA and CCAGG
  signed a MOA to jointly conduct Participatory
  Audit. Participatory Audit aims to enhance
  transparency and accountability in government
  audits with the participation of civil society
  organizations. Participatory audits thrust is
  Value for Money (VFM) to determine the
  effectiveness and efficiency of the projects on
  the intended beneficiaries through Social Impact
  Evaluation.
• Participatory Audit was pilot tested in Abra
  Province on 23 road projects of DPWH and
  community projects of the DENR in the Province of
  Abra. COA Judged it as very successful.

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CCAGG Participatory Audit

• Participatory audit was replicated in Mt.
  Province with the Social Action Development
  Center (SADC) of the Prelature of the Bontoc
  Lagawe and in Samar, and Camarines Norte with the
  National Urban Poor Assembly (NUPA). COA and
  CCAGG were permanent audit team members.
• The participation of civil society organizations
  in the audit process can help contribute to the
  attainment of sound fiscal management and good
  governance.
• Out of our experience on participatory audit, a
  book was launched at the COA Central Office on 21
  January 2003. This book is envisioned to help in
  institutionalizing participatory audit.

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End of Presentation
Thank You!!!