MATA-Samar identifies anti-corruption activities for 2011

By EMY C. BONIFACIO, Samar News.com
January 11, 2011

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  On its first planning activity for 2011, Samar's newly launched anti-corruption group, MATA-Samar, has identified priority projects that have to be monitored. The meeting that took place last January 8 at its newly installed office laid down the plans and programs for the 1st quarter.

In order to capacitate its members, the Multi-sectoral Alliance for Transparency and Accountability, will conduct trainings on the budget process, tracking and procurement. These skills will be very essential in the monitoring of the various infrastructure projects that are on-going and proposed for implementation in Samar.

The group will invite resource speakers that will come from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Philippine Public Transparency and Reporting Project (PPTRP) and the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN). The DBM will share in detail the regular processes that a budget has to undergo while the PPTRP and the TAN will equip the participants, knowledge on budget documentary reporting and paper trailing to ensure that irregularities and manipulations may be preempted.

In an effort to equip the members with other skills necessary in addressing various aspects of corruption, Fr. Cesar Aculan of the Social Action Center, has been tasked to draft project proposals based on the training needs that were assessed in the same forum.

The group will focus in the researching and gathering of documents relative to the on-going civil works that are being implemented by the provincial government. An estimated P274,106,000.00 worth of projects that are to be implemented in clusters and in lump sum appropriations are now made subjects for monitoring. The monitoring teams will dig into the programs of work, plans and specifications, contractor’s profile and the progress reports of each and every project.

In this regard, MATA-Samar sent out letters to the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Samar, requesting copies of the above documents from the Provincial Engineering Office. At the same time, listings of the proposed projects, location, duration and its corresponding budget requirements have been posted at the MATA website and facebook account for transparency purposes. The group further intends to furnish the local government units of the said lists for their own monitoring. MATA-Samar calls on residents to actively participate in the monitoring of projects in their respective localities. Hotlines will be disseminated for feedbacking purposes.

It must be recalled that DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD) during his visit to Samar, last September 2010. DILG expressed its commitment to fully support the anti-corruption efforts of the various civil society organizations. To this effect, directives have been disseminated to all Local Chief Executives to be transparent in their transactions and that public disclosures of all government procedures be a must. The order is also in line with President Noynoy Aquino’s national thrust for transparency and vision for a corrupt-free Philippines.

It was further learned that MATA-Samar will conduct its protocol visits to the different Regional Offices for coordination by next week. The visit also expects to solicit support from the agency heads.