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Elllmer Essay To see all NGO’s go in this website http://www. pcnc. com. ph Caloocan Community Score Cards (CSC): A Tool for Social Accountability to be Tested in Bulacan, Caloocan, Pasay and Quezon  City September 28, 2009 Citizen’s engagement should be promoted in all fronts. It is our right to take part in decision-making process, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of government policies, programs and services. People have the right to transparent, accountable and participative governance, both at the national and local level. Accountability in governance can be defined as the obligation of power holders to account for or take responsibility for their actions. â€Å"Power holders† are those who hold political, financial, or other forms of power, including officials in government, private corporations, international financial institutions and civil society organizations. Social accountability is a â€Å"an approach towards building accountability that relies on civic engagement, i. e. in which ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability.   It also  Ã¢â‚¬Å"refers to the broad range of actions and mechanisms (beyond voting) that citizens can use to help government be more effective and accountable, as well as actions on the part of government, civil society, media and other societal actors that promote or facilitate these efforts† Furthermore, social accountability is a process of constructive engagement between citizen g roups and government, a means to check and monitor the conduct and performance of public officials in their use of public resources; and a mechanism towards delivering better services, improving people’s welfare, and protecting people’s rights. One approach to promote social accountability is through the development of Community Score Cards (CSC). In a training conducted by CPE for 40 community leaders in Quezon City, Caloocan City, City of San Jose del Monte and Pasay City (thanks to FES for supporting the activity), Ms. Corrine Canlas enlightened the group on the concepts and practice of CSC. (CPE will publish a manual on CSC within October 2009 as a result of the workshop-training held). According to Ms. Canlas, CSC is ? a tool to generate â€Å"demand-side† information to enhance social accountability. It can also raise awareness and promote local-level mobilization and organization. Also, it can produce meaningful information and analysis which can be understood by all stakeholders and go beyond mere protest to evidence-based dialogues. The main objective of the CSC is to influence the quality, efficiency and accountability of public services provided at the local level. CSC can also be a follow-up or a continuing activity for Barangay Development Planning through Participatory Learning and Action (BDP-PLA). Based on experience, CSC can produce the following outcomes: * Downward accountability of service providers * Empowerment of local service users * Enhanced transparency * Enhanced sensitivity of service users to providers’ constraints * Evidence of service performance   and * Agreements on local reforms Pilot testing of CSC as a social accountability mechanism for planning, monitoring and evaluation will be tested in Barangay 91 Pasay City; Barangay Graceville, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; in Barangay Pasong Putik Proper, Quezon City; and in Barangay 176 (Bagong Silang), Caloocan   City. Source: http://urbangov. wordpress. com/tag/participatory-governance/ Bayanihan Sa Kalunsuran (BAKAL II): Reducing Poverty in the Philippines through Participatory Urban Governance September 8, 2009 In the National Capital Region, the BAKAL 2 Project will be implemented in three cities: Quezon City, Pasay City and Caloocan City. In Quezon City, the project partner will be the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL)- Women which will be implemented in Barangay Pasong Putik Proper. The co-production program will focus in livelihood development. The project will also ensure that the programs pledged by the city government in support of the barangay development program created by the POs and NGOs in the barangay will be delivered. In Pasay City, the program will focus on integrated health development program which will particularly promote participatory feeding program, community-based primary health program by using alternative means (acupuncture, herbal medicines), and solid waste management program. Housing concerns will also be addressed, which was evidently expressed as a priority need of the residents. During the participatory planning process, they analyzed and realized that  securing housing and land rights will pave way for the improved delivery of basic utilities such as water and electricity. Through the leadership of Punong Barangay Nilo Ilarina , Barangay 91, where the project will be implemented, has initiated a process of participatory barangay development planning (see related story). In Caloocan City, the project will be implemented in Barangay 176 or popularly known as Bagong Silang, which is considered as the biggest   barangay in the Philippines , ith around one million population. It became a resettlement area during the administration of former President Marcos. Bakal 2 will help in promoting health and nutrition, especially among the children in the various day care centers operating in the barangay. Bakal 2 will be implemented in two years, which is being supported by the One World Action (OWA), a London –based campaign organization on good governance a nd women empowerment. Source: http://urbangov. wordpress. com/tag/bakal/ Las Pinas Composting or production of organic fertilizer from wet garbage. July 2007- August 12, 2010 Each of the 20 barangays in Las Pinas City now has at least one composting facility. One rotary composter can process the wet garbage of around 500 families or households. Since July 2007, vermi-composting is now being done in two barangays. Producing 400 kilograms a week, each location sells their produce to farmers in a nearby province as alternative fishmeal aside from organic fertilizer. It helps reduce the amount of biodegradable waste and contributes to the promotion of organic farming. On August 12, 2010 a â€Å"re-cycling day† was launched in five barangays, engaging residents to sell their recyclables to junkshop owners. There is now a monthly â€Å"re-cycling day† in all 20 barangays of the city. Category 1. Las Pinas-Zapote River System Rehabilitation Programme, Philippines December 13, 2002- August 2010 Collection of floating garbage in Las Pinas-Zapote River SystemThe Sagip Ilog (River rehabilitation) program was launched on December 13, 2002. Within the 56-kilometer stretch of Las Pinas-Zapote River System, 30 kilometers are being regularly cleaned. This involves daily collection of floating garbage, as well as the installation of steel garbage traps/wire mesh strainers in the Las Pinas and Zapote rivers to filter the waste/debris. From 2002 to 2005, 9,070 residents from various communities along the river system in Las Pinas City, Paranaque City and Bacoor, Cavite were trained on ecological solid waste and river management. Some of them were designated river watch volunteers. The local government officials and nearby communities actively participated in the information drive and capacity building activities. To date, there are 3,120 trained and active volunteers. The volunteers were organized into different river watch teams in the areas that border on the rivers. In 2001, the Coastal Environment Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) replanted bamboo species, locally known as kawayang tinik, to rehabilitate the Marikina and Las Pinas Rivers. These rivers which are both situated in Metro Manila are major contributors to the rapid environmental degradation of Manila Bay. Five kilometers of the said river system were targeted for re-greening using bamboos, mangroves and other related species for soil erosion control. To highlight this effort, two separate portions of the riverbanks were developed into â€Å"bambusetums†, planted with various species of endemic/exotic bamboos. As of August 2010, 10,000 bamboo culms are already planted on the riverbanks measuring 20 kilometers. Re-greening of the river banks minimized soil erosion that caused siltation of the river system. The propagation of culms from the 37 species of bamboos available in the area, have been sources of income through the harvesting of matured poles, sold to interested handicraft/furniture makers. This is aside from the jobs provided by the program to some 62 workers for the river dredging, clean-up, and re-greening activities. Source: http://www. un. org/waterforlifedecade/winners2011. shtml Makati A better future for 4000 Filipino farmers: a project helps to Increase rice yields by 1MT/ha Makati City, 7 July 2011 * The â‚ ¬ 1 billion food facility program was launched by the European Union in 2008 to help developing countries move towards long * term food security. Total EU Assistance to the Philippines under this program is â‚ ¬ 31 million covering eight projects nationwide. Of this amount, â‚ ¬ 4. 2 million (264 million PHP) was granted to FAO to support the Philippine Government in helping poor farmers in rain * fed areas grow more food and adopt sound water management and farming practices The project supports 3,600 small * Scale vulnerable farming households in Regions I and III, namely in Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Bulacan , areas which were also affected by the floods in September and October 2009. The project likewise focuses on strengthening capacity at all levels, including the Government’s institutional capacity to expand small * scale irrigation systems to more rice farm ers in rain * fed areas. Around 4000 beneficiary farmers have seen their yield increase by 1MT/ha and incremental production for all crops across cropping seasons was valued at P94. 6 million ( USD 2. 2 million) for project sites. A National Dissemination Workshop and Press Conference is organised on 7 July 2011 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Pasay City to present the results of this very successful project. The project used the Farmer Field School (FFS) to transmit knowledge through a participatory approach to technology by sharing and adoption of water management as the focus to maximize the use of the small * Scale irrigation systems (SSIS). The project also provided SSIS to the small farmers participating in the FFS to secure irrigation water thereby decrease ng dependence on rain and avoiding costs incurred from renting pumps. The project ends on a high note after its 18 * Month implementation in the provinces of Pangasinan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac covering 35 municipalities and 143 villages . High yields across the five provinces highlighted the FFS on SSIS and Palay (rice) Check during the wet season 2010. The average rice yield increase obtained was about 1MT/ha, brought about by the use of certified rice seeds and training on integrated n utrient and pest managements through the FFS. During the dry season, crop diversification was intensified and complemented by the provision of small * Scale irrigation systems (mostly shallow tube wells or STWs and small farm reservoirs or SFRs). Following the integrated crop management systems (ICM), 24% average yield increase was recorded for rice (for both cropping seasons), 23% for corn and 24% for vegetable production for dry season compared to last year’s produce. The strategy of using the FFS platfo rm complemented the provision of SSIS to the farmer * Beneficiaries so that farmers needed to complete the two cycles of FFS in order to qualify to own a SSIS. Farmers share the cost of the SSIS using cluster ownership approach through the rent * To -own scheme. About 3 * 5 farmers with adjacent farms and one hectare land holding each can be qualified to own an engine and pump set including the drilling for STW, SFR, dugwell, reinforced concrete pipes or deep setting. The SSIS is subsidized at 50% and the remaining 50% is paid by farmers. After full payment, the farmers are issued a Certificate of Full Ownership. With this scheme, the project ensures ownership and sustainability of the SSIS equipment. Malabon CAMANAVA Flood Control Project as Pilot Site December 11, 2012 The launch took place at the Bangkulasi Pumping Station in Navotas City. The Pumping Station forms part of the bigger CAMANAVA (Caloocan – Malabon – Navotas – Valenzuela) Flood Control Project. Worth P4 billion, the CAMANAVA project was chosen as the first participatory audit pilot exercise. It will be implemented by COA in cooperation with selected civil society organizations (CSOs) and in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The choice of the flood control project as a pilot site reflects the government’s intention to shed light on project implementation issues by engaging and empowering the citizens and residents to demand accountability from the government through close monitoring and scrutiny of the use of project funds. The launch culminated with a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement among COA, DBM, DPWH and selected CSOs. It also included a pledge of mutual support between COA and CSOs. Additional participatory audit initiatives will be undertaken in 2013 throughout the Philippines. The lessons and experiences gained from these pilots will help determine the framework of a permanent participatory audit program within COA. Mandaluyong Breastfeeding Patrol March 2007 In 2007, Dr Sabalvaro petitioned theUnited Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Mandaluyong City Department of Health, Centre for Health Development, to sponsor IYCF training for the local breastfeeding group. Upon completion of the training, the mayor held a public gathering where the group pledged their commitment to breastfeeding education. They christened themselves ‘Breastfeeding Patrol’, a name that reflects their tactic of Moving â€Å"There was quietly through the community with an Infectious interest [and asserting] themselves to their neighbours† (Sabalvaro, 2009). Within One year they had persuaded all of the sari? Sari (sundry) Shops within the barangay stop selling formula. Since then, BF Patrol has grown to include women –and A few men From five other Blocks Of Welfareville. Nutrition Committees Of nearby barangays have also started similar advocacy groups, but Breastfeeding Patrol Remains the most well known in the area. Dr Sabalvaro Credits its success to the fact that the group was tarted by local residents, rather than as a government initiative. Block 37, She says, is the only block in the barangay that the milk companies just don’t bother with anymore. Some of Breastfeeding Patrol’s other achievements include successfully lobbying for breastfeeding stations at the mall and in the offices of major employers, such as Globe Telecom. But BF Patrol’s greatest strength is that its volunteers are a resource that is firmly rooted in the community. The Mother volunteers (and A few father volunteers, and one grandfather volunteer) are active socially and stay alert to any new pregnancies among their neighbors. Many New mothers seek them out, especially when they have decided to return. Manila Marikina Muntinlupa PHILIPPINE SANITATION ALLIANCE (PSA) PROJECT 2007 CHALLENGE Poor governance and weak enforcement of existing laws and regulations results in environmental degradation in the Philippines. While the Clean Water Act of 2004 requires the development of sewage and septage treatment systems, implementation requires capacity building and technical assistance. The private sector needs to be engaged, and the capacity of local government units (LGUs) and water districts has to be strengthened for them to develop effective and sustainable sanitation programs. INITIATIVE The USAID Philippine Sanitation Alliance (PSA), which ran from 2007 to 2011, worked with LGUs, water districts and private sector partners to develop affordable ways to protect biodiversity and reduce public health risks through improved sanitation. With assistance from the PSA, cities, water districts and private companies built treatment facilities using appropriate technology. Projects included low-cost, low-maintenance treatment facilities for public markets, slaughterhouses, hospitals and low-cost housing; and city-wide programs to properly maintain septic tanks (septage management). Cities developed effective promotion campaigns to increase willingness to pay for sanitation services and reduce the incidence of diarrhea through proper hygienic practices, particularly handwashing. Governance was also strengthened to reduce threats to biodiversity as LGUs worked to control wastewater discharges to coastal and freshwater ecosystems. PSA was part of a USAID initiative called the Global Development Alliance. The PSA assists partners through: Participatory planning workshops to develop action plans; Technical assistance to develop infrastructure and local ordinances; Information sharing for nationwide replication through national associations of cities, hospitals, hotels and restaurants, and housing developers; Site visits to learn about best practices and affordable options; Information and resource materials on technology and financing options; Training on how to develop effective promotion campaigns using a toolkit; and Sharing project results and lessons learned in local and national conferences. Under the USAID-Rotary International Water Alliance program the PSA worked in partnership with Rotary clubs and districts to implement a septage management and sewerage project in San Fernando, La Union. A second project improved water quality, access to toilets, solid waste management and health in the Pasig River System in Metro Manila. During four years of implementation, the PSA worked with its partners to provide more than 1. 4 million people with access to improved sanitation, leveraged more than $4 million in cash and in kind investments in sanitation infrastructure and activities, and trained more than 5,400 people. Some of the project results included: Onsite wastewater treatment: public and private sector partners financed 41 onsite wastewater treatment facilities for housing developments, public markets, hospitals, slaughterhouses and commercial centers; Septage management: facilitated the first city-wide septage management program in the Philippines funded jointly by the city government and water district of Dumaguete. Septic tanks are being desludged on a five-year cycle and the program will achieve full cost recovery in about five years. Five other septage management programs are in various stages of development; and Hygiene promotion: assisted partners in planning and implementing effective handwashing promotion campaigns for children with measurable results, and partners passed ordinances requiring soap and water in public restrooms. In Manila, community members decided to work together to end open defecation to protect public health and increase tourism in the historic district of Sta. Ana. ALLIANCE PARTNERS The Philippine Sanitation Alliance included ten cities (Cagayan de Oro, Calbayog, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Malaybalay, Meycauayan, Muntinlupa, Naga, Sta. Rosa, Zamboanga), and four water districts (Calamba, Cebu, Davao and Laguna). Private sector companies and associations included Coca-Cola Export Corporation, Max’s Restaurants, C TRADE, Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations (CREBA), the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP), and the Philippine Hospital Association. Technical resource partners included Engineers without Borders and BORDA, a German NGO. Other NGOs included Gawad Kalinga (low-cost housing) and the Blacksmith Institute (pollution remediation). The PSA coordinated closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Local Water Utilities Administration, Mindanao Economic Development Council, World Bank, and the Philippine Ecological Sanitation Network. Navotas CAMANAVA Flood Control Project as Pilot Site December 11, 2012 The launch took place at the Bangkulasi Pumping Station in Navotas City. The Pumping Station forms part of the bigger CAMANAVA (Caloocan – Malabon – Navotas – Valenzuela) Flood Control Project. Worth P4 billion, the CAMANAVA project was chosen as the first participatory audit pilot exercise. It will be implemented by COA in cooperation with selected civil society organizations (CSOs) and in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The choice of the flood control project as a pilot site reflects the government’s intention to shed light on project implementation issues by engaging and empowering the citizens and residents to demand accountability from the government through close monitoring and scrutiny of the use of project funds. The launch culminated with a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement among COA, DBM, DPWH and selected CSOs. It also included a pledge of mutual support between COA and CSOs. Additional participatory audit initiatives will be undertaken in 2013 throughout the Philippines. The lessons and experiences gained from these pilots will help determine the framework of a permanent participatory audit program within COA. COA Encourages Greater Citizen Engagement in the Audit of Government Programs 11 December 2012 The Commission on Audit (COA) launched the Citizen Participatory Audit project on 26 November in Navotas City. The project aims to enhance transparency and accountability in government, particularly in the use of public funds through greater public involvement in the audit process. Implemented in partnership with the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability East Asia and the Pacific (ANSA-EAP) and funded by the Philippines-Australia Public Financial Management Program (PFMP), the project seeks to raise citizen’s awareness and understanding of the Commission’s mandate, functions and operations. It also provides a venue for citizen engagement with COA personnel in the review and scrutiny of government expenditures. Paranaque 2007 BURSARY AWARD Title: Making food Go Further: Hunger Mitigation, Urban Food Security Project With soaring food prices and rice production shortfalls, more and more Filipino families are falling into poverty and experiencing hunger. Results of a survey con ducted by the Social Weather Stations in the second quarter of 2008 revealed that 2. 9 million Filipino families said they were suffering from hunger. The National Capital Region, which includes Paranaque City, posted the highest â€Å"self-rated† hunger incidence of 22. According to the Philippines Food and Nutrition Research Institute, there was a significant increase in the cases of underweight children from 24. 6 percent in 2005 to 26. 2 percent in 2008. The malnutrition cases are highest in some provinces in Mindanao, Southern Tagalog, and Eastern Visayas. The same areas where high percentage of self-rated hunger was found (SWS, 2008). FNRI (2008) pointed out that the increase in malnutrition cases is brought primarily by the rising food prices and so less food intake. Rice prices have increased by an average of 28 percent since December 2007, prompting two * thirds of Filipino families to reduce food spending and consumption. About one in four families have already cut back on rice spending/consumption, which could eventually have a telling effect on household nutritional status given that rice accounts for up to 20 percent of total food expenditures and is the bulk of the Filipino diet. With this unfolding scenario * and the reality that one third of the total Philippine population Lives in Poverty * it is unlikely that the country’s hunger situation will drastically improve in the Foreseeable future. In the Philippines, food insecurity is exacerbated by large family size, particularly in poor households. The average family size in the city of Paranaque is 5 higher than the national average of 4. 2. Data from the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) showed that a five-Person family in the National Capital Region (NCR), where Paranaque City is located, has an average annual income of Php 313,000 ($6,388). Historical data shows that poverty incidence increases as families grow. According to the 2003 FIES, families with six or more members had double-digit subsistence (food poor) incidence compared to families with five or fewer members. 2. Goals amp; Objectives The intervention goal is to mitigate hunger and malnutrition among families and children. The assumption of the intervention is based on the conceptual framework of food security and the theory of change. That is people get hungry and subsequently may become malnourished when there is no food or they have no access to food and they utilize inadequate and inappropriate food. This is addressed by way families and children produce their own food in schools, households, and communities to ensure they have access to healthy and nutritious food. Based also on the assumption that when families are producing their own food they can have savings to buy other food needs that they do not produce. This way, families especially mothers have food items to contribute, from their own food gardens and from savings, to ollectively feed their malnourish children. 3. Key Activities Integrated School, Household and Community Food Production to Ensure Access to Healthy and Nutritious Food. This intervention is only a component of Making Food Go Further: Mitigating Hunger and Ensuring Future Resilience and Stronger Households in the Philippines Program. The main intervention focuses on building the capacity of beneficiaries in schools, households and communities to address food availability and nutrition issues. This is being done through two key activities: organic food production at schools, homes and communities; and the implementation of an integrated community approach to addressing malnourished children. 1. Small-scale, diversified organic food production at schools, homes and communities Parents, students, teachers, community leaders, and government officials and agency heads were trained on how to produce organic crops, fish, and vegetables using the Permaculture1 approach. The trainings have always hands -on activities and done on site and during learning visits to different organic production systems. Participants were also trained on how to do seed banking, organicfertilizers and pesticides making to ensure they will have seeds and organic inputs for the succeeding benefits of organically produced foods to the family and children during community meetings. Though organic food production is laborious by nature, the approach done to encourage families to practice organic food production was by mobilizing small groups of organic gardening enthusiasts in the community to demonstrate that a small * Scale (based on the family’s capacity and the availability of area at home, schools, and community) vegetable gardening using Perm culture approach can really produce organic foods. This approach designs a food production system that does not exploit or pollute the environment. It uses only organic production inputs that create a natural ecological balance in a particular location. It promotes the creation of a Harmonious relationship between plants, buildings, animals and Infrastructures on the way these are place in the landscape. Sufficiency at home and not for commercial purposes. This way they can be efficient with the available labor they have in the family to grow organic vegetables. The project also emphasized that savings from not using expensive chemical inputs also serve as income for the family which can be used to buy other food items and for other investment of the family. This is aside from the health amp; nutrition benefits of using organic inputs. To intensify the promotion of organic food production at schools, households, and communal areas, a food gardening competition was implemented. All the criteria used were consistent to the Perm culture principles so that participants are actually doing organic food production practices. A regular valuation activities and participatory monitoring and evaluation of the progress of food gardening at the three levels are done through the project management team composed of all the partners and stakeholders from the community, schools, and local government units including community health units. In all the activities and phases of organic food production, all the partners and stakeholders are always given the leadership in planning, decision-making, and implementation of plans and decisions. The project management team which is led by the project beneficiaries is the venue where they discuss, decide, and agree to collectively work as a team as they address the same targets—hungry families and malnourish children. Small -scale organic food gardening give women and men of a household the opportunity to work together to increase food availability. This was done through scheduling of works and responsibilities based on their capacity. The small-scale food gardening enabled women and men to participate in areas where they choose they are capable of doing for them to produce and access food. The products from the schools, households and group/communal food gardens become source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals of beneficiaries. These include but not limited to fish, mushrooms, legumes and lentils (e. g. string beans, mung bean, winged bean) , root crops (e. g. cassava, taro), corn, leafy and green vegetables (drumstick tree, pechay, mustard, spinach, amaranth, swamp cabbage, Malabarnightshade)yellow vegetables (e. . squash), fruit vegetables (tomato, eggplant, pepper), and edibleherbs (e. g. oregano, basil, mints). Pasay 2007 Philippine Child Friendly Cities and Communities Research:Community Assessment in Barangay 156, Pasay City The Philippine Child Friendly Cities Assessment Research is part of a global research initiative to assess the child friendliness of communities, from the perspective of c hildren and parents. Barangay 156 in Pasay City is one of two communities in Metro Manila selected for the assessment researching which this report is based The research report discusses the degree of child friendliness of Barangay 156 and provides an evaluation of the research tools and procedures utilized for the community study. Background of the Philippine CFC Research assessing the degree of child friendliness of cities and communities is one of the nine building blocks of the global Child Friendly Cities (CFC) Initiative launched over a decade ago. Although a number of assessment tools were developed to monitor child rights, these assessments came from the perspectives of individuals and groups working outside of communities. Largely missing were the views and opinions of community members, including children. To help bridge this gap, a research initiative involving the participation of several institutions namely Child watch International, City University of New York? s Children’s Environments Research Group, Bernard Van Leer Foundation, UNICEF? s Innocent Research Centre and Adolescent Development and Participation Section, New York, UNICEF country offices and local research institutions in eleven countries have collaborated to carry out a participatory assessment research. The CFC global research seeks to improve the conditions of children living in cities and communities of different types by (1) enhancing the capacity of cities and communities to better assess and monitor their level of fulfillment of children’s rights with the participation of the children themselves; (2) improving the quality and breadth of data collected on children by children and their mothers to better inform policies and programs; (3) raising awareness on children’s rights among city stakeholders like children, caregivers, community members, and local leaders; and (4) refining the action-research tools for appropriate action in cities/communities in different socio-economic, cultural and political contexts. The Philippines is one of 11 countries participating in the CFC research. The specific objectives of the Philippine CFC research are (1) to collect data and provide an analysis of the conditions of children by children and mothers in two selected cities and communities, and the governance structures and processes available to respond to their needs, and (2) to contribute to applying and refining the research toolkits and guides by using them in a range of communities, observing the process and how the data are subsequently used for community planning and advocacy, as well as contributing to the overall municipal data base on the conditions of children Pasig Quezon San Juan Taguig Valenzuela CAMANAVA Flood Control Project as Pilot Site December 11, 2012 The launch took place at the Bangkulasi Pumping Station in Navotas City. The Pumping Station forms part of the bigger CAMANAVA (Caloocan – Malabon – Navotas – Valenzuela) Flood Control Project. Worth P4 billion, the CAMANAVA project was chosen as the first participatory audit pilot exerc ise. It will be implemented by COA in cooperation with selected civil society organizations (CSOs) and in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The choice of the flood control project as a pilot site reflects the government’s intention to shed light on project implementation issues by engaging and empowering the citizens and residents to demand accountability from the government through close monitoring and scrutiny of the use of project funds. The launch culminated with a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement among COA, DBM, DPWH and selected CSOs. It also included a pledge of mutual support between COA and CSOs. Additional participatory audit initiatives will be undertaken in 2013 throughout the Philippines. The lessons and experiences gained from these pilots will help determine the framework of a permanent participatory audit program within COA. Pateros Wells Project: recreation 2012 Douglas PUD has helped fund and develop the existing parks and recreation facilities adjacent to Wells Project lands and waters in the City of Pateros. These facilities include Peninsula Park, Memorial Park, tennis courts, two separate concrete boat launches, parking, a fish cleaning station and restrooms. Peninsula Park is located near the confluence of the Methow and Columbia rivers. It includes a gazebo, paved walking path, covered picnic shelter, swimming beach, restroom facilities, playground equipment, and lagoon and lawn area. Memorial Park is located in Pateros along the Columbia River. It includes three covered picnic shelters, fishing and ski docks, vehicle parking, interpretive displays, restroom facilities, a fish cleaning station and a developed waterfront trail. The waterfront trail extends along the waterfront from the concrete boat launch underneath the Highway 97 Bridge through Memorial Park to the Pateros City Hall. A second boat launch is located just upstream of Memorial Park on the main stem Columbia River.