South-Cotabato Action-Plan 2018-2020 Revised

SOUTH COTABATO OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP ACTION PLAN (2018-2020)
South Cotabato Open Government Partnership Action Plan (2018-2020)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………. 1
……….
List of Acronyms…………………………………………………………………………………………... 2
Chapter I Introduction………………………………………………………………..…… 3
Chapter II Open Government Efforts to 3

Date…………………………………………...
Chapter III Action Plan Development Process…………………………………………. 8
Chapter IV Commitments…………………………………………………………………... 12
1) Open Information: Increasing Inclusivity in Public Access to 12

Government
Information…………………………………………………….
2) Open Monitoring and Evaluation: Open and Participatory Monitoring 18

For Quality
Infrastructure……………………………………………………
3) Open Contracting: Enhancing Efficiency and Transparency of the 23
Public Procurement Process……………………………………………….
4) Open Mining Information: Engaging Citizen’s Participation by 26

Developing EI-TECh (Extractive Industry-Transparency E-system &
Channels)……………………………………………………………….……
5) Open Legislation: Establishing Online Channels to Broaden Civic 30

Engagement and Increase Relevance of Local
Legislations…………….
List of Tables
Table 1. Thematic Area: Open Information…………………………………………….. 12
Table 2. Thematic Area: Open Monitoring and Evaluation…………………………… 18
Table 3. Thematic Area: Open Contracting………………………... 23
…………………… 26
Table 4. Thematic Area: Open Mining 30
Information……………………………………..
Table 5. Thematic Area: Open
Legislation………………………………………………
List of Figures
Figure 1. South Cotabato’s Good Governance Framework ................................... 4
1
…. 6
Figure 2. South Cotabato’s Integrity Model: The Integrity Web of 7
Institutionalization.. 11
Figure 3. Convergence Framework for Poverty
Reduction……………………………..
Figure 4. Results Framework for South Cotabato’s OGP Action
Plan………………...
2
LIST OF ACRONYMS
AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
BDC Barangay Development Council
CMGP Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces
CPM Critical Path Method
CSO Civil Society Organization
DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources
DRR-CCA Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
ECCP European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines
EI-TECh Extractive Industry-Transparency E-system and Channels
EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
EMB Environmental Management Bureau
FOI Freedom of Information
GIDA Geographically Isolated and Displaced Area
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
iSEPPS Interactive Socio-Economic and Programs Profile System
ITU Information Technology Unit
LGU Local Government Unit
LITS Legislative Information Technology System
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MFI Mahintana Foundation, Inc.
MGB Mines and Geosciences Bureau
MOOE Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses
MPSA Mine Production Sharing Agreement
MSF Multi-stakeholder Forum
NCIP National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
ODK Open Data Kit
OGP Open Government Partnership
PACCO Provincial Accounant’s Office
PBO Provincial Budget Office
PCOO Presidential Communications Operations Office
PDC Provincial Development Council
PEMO Provincial Environmental Management Office
PEO Provincial Engineering Office
PERT Programme Evaluation Review Technique
PGO-IAS Provincial Governor’s Office-Internal Audit Service
PHILGEPS Philippine Government Electronic System
PIO Provincial Information Office
PLGU Provincial Local Government Unit
PLO Provincial Legal Office
PMRB Provincial Mining Regulatory Board
PPDC Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator
PPDO Provincial Planning and Development Office
PPMC Provincial Project Monitoring Committee
PPMC Provincial Project Monitoring Committee
REM Research, Evaluation, and Monitoring
SCIC South Cotabato Integrity Circle
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
SP Sangguniang Panlalawigan
SPD Special Projects Division
SRMA SOCCSKSARGEN Responsible Miners Association
TMC Tribal Mining Corporation
TWG Technical Working Group
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Province of South Cotabato has become one of the most progressive and competitive
provinces in the Philippines. It has been a 4-time awardee on Good Governance (Galing Pook Award)
that resulted from its efforts in promoting and practicing transparency, accountability, partnership and
proper management of resources. All these undertakings are deeply rooted in the belief that good
governance as the enabling environment is the key in reducing poverty in the province.
South Cotabato is composed of ten (10) resource-rich and competitive municipalities and one (1)
rapidly growing component city, Koronadal, which is also the Provincial Capital and Administrative Seat
of Region XII. With an estimated population of 970,000 by the end of 2018 growing at an annual
average rate of 1.94%, the provincial government is confronted with bigger challenges that 21 st century
settlements face today such as persistent poverty, particularly in far-flung communities with rapidly
growing population and where more than half of families are below the poverty threshold; disparity of
income and growth across the component local government units (LGUs) with the poorest left far
behind the economically-primate LGUs; inadequate access to some basic yet important services; forest
degradation due to scarcity pressure and encroachment of protected areas; increasing HIV-AIDS
cases; and climate change vulnerability and disaster risks, among others.
The people of South Cotabato constantly endeavor to weave together their dreams in order to
create a beautiful masterpiece of a home – one they can truly call ‘the Land of the Dreamweavers’. This
can only be made possible by putting good governance at the core of South Cotabato’s development
framework. Hence, in support of the shared vision of a caring, resilient, functionally-integrated, and
equitably growing province that is highly responsive to the socio-economic needs and environmental
concerns of every self-reliant South Cotabateño, the provincial government is committed in improving
its efforts to promote participatory, transparent and accountable governance through open government.
CHAPTER II
OPEN GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO DATE
In a country beset by economic, political, social and environmental instabilities and

discontinuities, good governance has become a compelling agenda. Governance can be defined in
various ways and may be viewed from different perspectives. Oftentimes, governance is used
interchangeably with government. While definitions may vary, it is important to understand
“governance” as a set of arrangements – be it systems, traditions, authority and power, or values –
necessary to ensure that the affairs of the state are managed for the “common good” where intended
outcomes for the stakeholders are defined and achieved.
Importantly, development is not only the function of governments in the public sector.
Governance points to the dynamism of interactions within and among the government or the public
sector, the business or private sector and the civil society as the major actors of managing the
affairs of the state for the common good. However, the question remains, when is there good
governance and when is there none?
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Hence, taking off from the Philippine’s Good Governance Framework, South Cotabato developed
its own Framework for Good Governance showing the relationships between and among the principles
of governance focused on the understanding of governance as arrangements necessary for the
government, the private sector and civil society to effectively define and achieve intended outcomes for
stakeholders. The framework captures the measures of good governance in terms of three (3)
components: 1) elements or principles, 2) primary actors, and 3) resulting socio-economic development
outcomes.
Figure 1. South Cotabato’s Good Governance Framework
South Cotabato’s Framework for Good Governance adopts four (4) clusters of principles, referred
to as elements of good governance, namely:1) Effective Leadership & Organization and
Management; 2) Robust Internal Control and Fiscal Management; 3) Accountability, Integrity
and Predictability; and 4) Transparency and Participation. These core principles will serve as
parameters in assessing how well good governance is manifested in the province, and in developing
action plans for improvement. When all these principles are embodied by all three (3) actors of
governance – public sector, business or private sector and civil society, good governance will definitely
manifest by way of impacts and outcomes to communities in terms of economic, social and
environmental benefits. Significantly, awards and recognitions for best practices in governance are
indicators of achieved developmental outcomes.
Hence, guided by South Cotabato’s Good Governance Framework, the current administration
focused the first year of the first term in 2013 on advancing good governance initiatives, in addition to
putting in place the development direction of the province for the next 3-6 years. Along this line, the
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administration has pursued the principle that good governance is fundamental in bringing about
change, and in pursuing a kind of development and a brand of leadership that truly matter to people.
Transparency and participation are highly manifested in the province’s primary local special body
- the Provincial Development Council (PDC). The PDC is a policy–making and primary planning body
whose main concern is the overall socio-economic development of the province. It serves as the
counterpart of the Regional Development Council (RDC) at the provincial level. The PDC acts as the
primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts
in the province. At the same time, the PDC serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and
integrated with provincial and regional development activities.
Provincial development planning is necessary to address the uneven economic and social
development in the region and in the country. This stems from the recognition that growth and
advancement over the years remain unevenly distributed and that progress has been concentrated in a
few provinces.
Currently, the PDC is composed of five (5) sectoral committees (economic, social, infrastructure
and land use, institutional, environment and DRR-CCA) with representatives from the Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs) and local government units and agencies. The civil society has a 48%
representation in the PDC, with the Vice Chair coming from the private sector, and the five (5) sectoral
committee chairs from the civil society.
The provincial government of South Cotabato has been practicing the basic values and
principles of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) through its various mechanisms and initiatives in
order to address societal issues, on top of which is poverty reduction. Among these initiatives is the
Integrity Program, dubbed as, “iSouthCotabato or South Cotabato for Integrity and Jobs”. The overall
objective of this project is to contribute in the reduction of poverty through integrity and sustainable
creation of jobs.
The province accepted the challenge to be one (1) of the nine (9) pilot local government units in
the Philippines to take part of the said program. iSouthCotabato is the province’s own version and local
adaptation of Project I4J or Partnerships for Integrity and Jobs. The three (3) major strategies and
approaches under this Integrity Program are: 1) the creation of the South Cotabato Integrity Circle;
2) the adoption of the Web of Institutionalization Model in mainstreaming integrity themes in
governance; and 3) the conceptualization and development of twenty four (24) Integrity
Mechanisms to be implemented in the province.
The South Cotabato Integrity Circle (SCIC) is the formation of network of friends –
representatives of government, businesses, and civil society organizations who are active in the
community – who are committed to the ideals of honesty, simplicity and professionalism, and who could
contribute good ideas on integrity. By bringing together the network of friends from the local
government, the business sector, and the civil society, the Integrity Circle was formed to serve as
supervisory and partner body in the integrity and good governance efforts of the LGU by promoting
exchanges of best practices and strengthening the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of South
Cotabato’s Integrity and Business Promotion Mechanisms.
South Cotabato adopted the Web of Institutionalization Model introduced by Dr. Caren Levy in
1996 as the province’s conceptual framework to mainstream integrity in provincial governance and
development. Guided by this framework, the iSouthCotabato TWG designed the Integrity Web of
Institutionalization as the province’s Integrity Model where specific sets of mechanisms have been
identified for each of the four (4) spheres of the web to ensure successful mainstreaming and
institutionalization: 1) the Citizen Sphere, 2) the Policy Sphere, 3) the Organizational Sphere, and
4) the Delivery Sphere.
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Figure 2. South Cotabato’s Integrity Model: The Integrity Web of Institutionalization
Despite what seems like insurmountable challenges especially for the political leadership, South
Cotabato remains steadfast in successfully implementing its 24 integrity mechanisms. The SCIC, with
its Chairperson, initially meets regularly every other month, and later, on a quarterly basis. Significantly,
an overwhelming response from the members of the SCIC representing the business sector and the
civil society has fuelled the initial activities of the Integrity Circle despite the lack of approved funding for
the integrity program on its first year.
To date, about 92% or 22 of the 24 mechanisms are already either completed or being
implemented.
All these initiatives and important accomplishments on integrity made South Cotabato the
leading implementer of integrity and business promotion mechanisms among the nine (9) pilot LGUs. It
is the first pilot LGU to conceptualize and develop its own Integrity Framework and Integrity
Mechanisms following Caren Levy’s Web of Institutionalization Model. Thus, South Cotabato was
positioned as the model for other LGUs in Project I4J’s replication phase to 300 more LGUs in the
country initiated by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
Another initiative of the province in addressing its own poverty issues is the Convergence
Program for Poverty Reduction. This program focuses on coordinating and consolidating efforts by
mainstreaming programs and services of the provincial government and converge towards the
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achievement of equitable growth and social equity through poverty reduction. Deeply rooted in the
principles of good governance, this initiative is a community-driven approach that basically aims to
focalize the different programs and services of the provincial government and other public and private
organizations in a specific geographically isolated and displaced area (GIDA). Its main strategy is to
converge initiatives and resources of both the public and private sectors in order to reduce poverty one
sitio at a time.
The program consists of seven (7) dimensions of poverty namely: 1) Livelihood and
Employment, 2) Food Security and Nutrition, 3) Health and Sanitation, Reproductive Health,
Responsible Family Life and Gender Sensitivity, 4) Environmental and Human Security, 5)
Education, 6) Community Empowerment and Participation, and 7) Spatial Integration. Each
dimension is composed of the different departments of the provincial government as well as other
partner agencies that provide programs or services relative to their dimension.
Figure 3. Convergence Framework for Poverty Reduction
Sitio Traan Leteng, Barangay Kematu in the Municiaplity of T’boli was chosen as the pilot area for
the said program. Currently, it has already expanded to two (2) more areas, namely, Sitio Blit,
Barangay Ned and Sitio Datal Ligaw, Barangay Tasiman, both of which are located in the Municipality
of Lake Sebu.
All these initiatives for good governance occupy an important place at the core of South
Cotabato’s developmental framework. Weaving all these good governance initiatives together with its
vision for responsiveness in service delivery, and the mission to promote participatory, transparent and
accountable governance are some primary thrusts in transforming the province to become a premier
agro-industrial and tourism hub in the region.
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By weaving the individual strands of standards, values, and systems that shape the principles
and dimensions of good governance, people are indeed weaving their dreams together for a brighter
and stronger South Cotabato.
CHAPTER III
ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The development of the Province of South Cotabato is guided by the shared aspirations of its
people for a safe and livable settlement that supports, nurtures, and promotes the sustainable and
competitive growth of its city and municipalities. With this developmental direction, the province aims to
achieve equitable and rational distribution of population, resources, income and opportunities across its
eleven component local government units – small and medium-sized city and towns are supplemented
with primary strategies for achieving poverty reduction and social justice. Significantly positioned at the
core of the province’s developmental framework is good governance. South Cotabato is committed to
promote participatory, transparent, and accountable governance as its primordial purpose towards the
realization of its collective dream.
The co-creation of the South Cotabato Open Government Action Plan 2018 – 2020 has been
based on this very framework. On May of 2018, four (4) commitments were initially presented during
the Open Government Partnership Week Celebration of the OGP-Philippines based on previous
discussions and consultations in the Provincial Development Council meetings of South Cotabato. The
following were the initial commitments: 1) Open Information, 2) Open Monitoring and Evaluation, 3)
Open Contracting, and 4) Open Mining Information.
On June 21, 2018, the provincial government conducted a multi-stakeholder co-creation
workshop for the South Cotabato Open Government Partnership Action Plan. The workshop was
actively participated in by the members of the South Cotabato Integrity Circle (SCIC), the different
partners from the civil society, business sector, and, national and regional government agencies. In
addition to the initial four (4) commitments, two (2) thematic areas were introduced by the participants.
These commitments are: 1) Open Legislation, and 2) Open Planning and Budgeting. The participants
were given the opportunity through a reasoned response process to choose which commitment or
commitments they find has the most impact in society. Five (5) commitments were prioritized based on
four (4) criteria: a) Relevance to a Priority Governance/ Public Problem or Issue; b) Relevance to OGP
Values (Transparency, Accountability, Public Participation, Technology); c) Completion within the AP
Cycle (2 years); d) Can be implemented within the existing PLGU-CSO-Private Sector Resources. The
five (5) prioritized commitments were: 1) Open Information, 2) Open Monitoring and Evaluation, 3)
Open Contracting, 4) Open Mining Information, and 5) Open Legislation. Small group workshops were
then done to initially draft these commitments. During the co-creation workshop, it was agreed that the
existing Integrity Circle would also serve as the Multi-stakeholder Forum for the OGP. Thus, the SCIC
was also oriented on the OGP and the functions and responsibilities that they will also assume as the
Multi-stakeholder Forum (MSF). On September 18, 2018, Ms. Ivy Ong of the OGP-Support Unit
conducted a more detailed orientation of the functions of the MSF with the SCIC members.
After the OGP Summit in Tbilisi, Georgia, the Point-of-Contact introduced another relevant
mechanism that could further ensure the delivery of relevant services and programs to the general
public – Open Planning and Budgeting that aims to allocate the amount of P20 Million annually to fund
project proposals directly generated from the public through both online and offline voting.
Two (2) consultations meetings/dialogues were then conducted with the SCIC as MSF in order
to prioritize the five (5) commitments that will be submitted to OGP for implementation as well as to
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deliberate further the specific deliverables and milestones of each commitment. During the first
consultation on August 2, 2018, a simple voting was made after each of the six (6) initial commitments
were presented, with the following results: 1-Open Information, 2-Open Planning and Budgeting, 3-
Open M&E, 4-Open Legislation, 5-Open Contracting, 6-Open Mining Information. During the second
meeting on August 29, 2018, the initial commitments were further deliberated including the comments
from the OGP Support Unit.
In order to ensure grassroots-level consultation and participation in the co-creation process, a
multi-sectoral public consultation with the different barangay captains of the province was conducted on
August 3, 2018. There were one hundred sixty (160) barangay captains in attendance to the said
activity out of the 199 barangays. The OGP, as well as the six (6) initial commitments, were presented
to the barangay captains through a “Thematic Area Marketplace” method. A simple voting scheme
followed to determine which among the commitments are deemed as more relevant for the community
leaders. The following is the result of the voting according to rank: 1-Open Information, 2-Open
Monitoring and Evaluation, 3-Open Contracting, 4-Open Planning and Budgeting, 5-Open Legislation,
6-Open Mining Information. The primary reason of the barangay captains for prioritizing last the Open
Mining Information commitment is that not all barangays have extractive industries (mining and
quarrying) in their respective jurisdiction.
While the commitment on Open Mining Information has consistently ranked last in both the
voting conducted with the SCIC members and the village chiefs, further discussions with the lead
implementing actors of the commitments lead to the decision of dropping the commitment “Open
Planning and Budgeting” from the five priorities to be submitted for the first cycle of OGP
implementation (2018-2020). Feasibility of the commitment would require a wide range of manpower for
online and offline tasks, tedious process to generate, process and conduct voting of the submitted
budget proposals, and sufficient budget to fund the prioritized proposals. Given the time frame of 2018-
2020, it would not be feasible to implement the commitment within such period since the Annual Plan
and Budget for 2019 was already finalized. Further, ownership of the commitment cannot be handled
by a single governing body – either the Provincial Budget Office (PBO) or the Provincial Planning and
Development Office (PPDO) cannot take full responsibility in implementing the commitment since
PPDO will already be the main implementing office of OGP as the secretariat while PBO cannot solely
work for the commitment without PPDO. In addition to its secretariat and coordination functions to the
implementation and monitoring of OGP commitments, the PPDO also is the lead implementer for two
(2) more commitments – Open Information and Open Monitoring and Evaluation. This absence of a
lead implementer that would fully own the implementation of the commitment would hinder the
implementation success of the commitment considering OGP’s standards and timelines. However,
despite its removal from the commitments to be submitted to OGP, the provincial government will still
implement and find ways to pursue this commitment but will lie outside the scope of OGP. The
provincial government will still pursue its implementation but outside the set guidelines, standards and
timeframe of the OGP since manpower and financial requirements of the commitment will have to be
considered.
Since mining is one controversial topic yet in need of rightful actions to be properly understood
by the people, it was decided that Open Mining Information will be retained as a commitment.
Misconceptions and allegations surrounding the platform of mining lead people to being skeptical on
whats, whys, and hows of such activity. The Provincial Environmental Management Office (PEMO), as
the lead implementer, has the leadership capacity, manpower and resources to ensure the success of
the commitment. A co-ownership between PEMO and its CSO partners (EITI, Bantay Kita and
BanToxics) in the implementation of the commitment is also already assured. This commitment’s
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success rate is high and will lead to the resolution of conflicts between the opposing sides of mining.
Not only will the people benefit on this but as well as the government, for it can be a platform where
discussions and concerns are much welcome than it will be before.
Other commitments that were retained include Open Information, Open Contracting, Open
Legislation, and Open Monitoring and Evaluation.
Limited information leads to limited knowledge. Limited access to information is an important
and timely issue that needs to be addressed. The general public does not have open access to basic
data and information on the provincial government (i.e. SEP). PLGU data are not fully integrated into
one database that would be fully available online for easy access. Sometimes, there is also difficulty in
gathering data from different offices when there are requests. Giving access to essential and up-to-date
data will create an open interaction between the government and the citizens. It will also give way to
improve the services and interventions by the government as people will now be aware of their rights to
such actions especially those who are living in the remote areas.
Increased engagement of CSOs, business sectors, and most especially the people, will be
attained upon the implementation of this commitment. Giving them enough access will be beneficial as
they can track the projects and raise concerns met along the way, from planning until the completion of
projects. The projects to be conducted can now be done within its time-frame unlike when these are left
unchecked. Presentation in a manner where it is easily understood by the people is also the key to the
success of the commitment. When done properly this commitment can lead to lasting growth in putting
to life significant and timely projects for the people.
Open Legislation was selected as a commitment because it is perceived to be a significant
problem that is in need of immediate action. Lack of participation from the citizen in creating and
evaluating the policies and ordinances leads to unsuccessful implementation and sustaining of such
protocols. Word of the mouth is the most common source of legislative information that results in
additional and deducted data; but with this commitment. The public will now have access and
participation in formulating and assessing policies and ordinances. Providing an accessible platform for
the people will definitely increase their interest to take part in this interactive process that can pave way
for a brighter future.
Infrastructure projects sometimes suffer from delayed implementation and completion. There
are times when project quality is poor. Ideally, isolated communities should have better access to basic
social services while being economically interdependent. Most of these projects are unable to hit the
supposed standards and therefore have poor quality. Mobility of people, goods and services should
also be improved. During PDC meetings, the Provincial Project Monitoring Committee (PPMC) raised a
number of issues concerning project implementation. If only access to project monitoring results would
have been done in real-time, such issues would have been resolved. Hence, there became a need to
keep the Open Monitoring and Evaluation commitment to resolve such problem. Public access to near
real-time project monitoring results will significantly reduce incidence of poor implementation of
projects. The public can also give feedback and comments on infrastructure project status. Improved
collaboration will help address issues faced in project implementation. Findings and recommendations
will be publicized for better accountability.
The planning process for South Cotabato’s OGP Action Plan can be best described as iterative
so that through a continuous cycle of consultation-implementation-evaluation-replanning/improvement,
the plan is continually revisited during the implementation phase until it comes closer to realizing the
desired development results through the OGP principles. During the first year of implementation of the
OGP Action Plan, the regular monitoring and assessment activities being conducted during the
implementation phase required the revision and improvement of the plan. The change in political
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administration, hence development priorities, also necessitated the review and revisiting of the
commitments and their specific milestones. These improvements include the expansion of CSO and
other implementing partners to facilitate more participatory implementatioin and increase
implementation success rate; introduction of additional milestones specifically the livestreaming of the
Sangguniang Panlalwigan (legislative body) sessions under the Open Legislation commitment as an
initiative to open its proceedings to the public through social media; revision of name of a milestone to
adjust to the change in political leadership; and adjustments in target dates to make the timeframes
more realistic.
Importantly, in response to the Call to Action for a More Inclusive OGP during the Ottawa
Summit, an assessment of the milestones was done to make the commitments more inclusive and
mainstream gender into these commitments. Concrete actions to advance women’s participation and
gender-sensitive commitments have been considered in the assesment and revisiting of commitments.
The selection of CSO members in the reconstituion of the South Cotbato Integrity Circle (SCIC) as a
Multi-stakeholder Forum (MSF) will also take cognizant of the need to expand membership to
organizations working on women or girls, or represented by women. The process will proactively
encourage women’s organizations and women leaders to become members of the MSF.
Significantly, the participatory process of co-owning and co-creating the commitments across
five (5) thematic areas and of identifying the specific deliverables for each commitment is always
anchored on South Cotabato’s Good Governance Framework and Convergence Framework for Poverty
Reduction as illustrated in the Results Framework for OGP (Figure 4). These frameworks guide the
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all services, programs and projects of the
provincial government as a public sector entity with the ultimate goal of promoting inclusive growth and
reducing poverty among its people. In effect, all strategic interventions in the provincial government, as
in any public sector agency, is focused on effecting tangible results and impacts to our people
measured in terms of reduction in poverty incidence.
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INPUTS & OUTPUTS OUTCOMES IMPACT

PROCESSES
2 offline transparency and feedback initiatives Empowered people thru

conducted regularly (Estoryaha si Gov and increased inclusivity in public
Provincial Townhall Meetings with Brgy. access to right government
OPEN Captains & Grassroots Sectors )
INFORMATION information
1 interactive/web-based iSEPS developed
and functional
1 Provincial FOI Ordinance emacted or EO

issued
1 ODK-based project monitoring system Fast and on-time completion of
installed and utilized by PPMC infrastructure projects resulting
1 PLGU Website / FB Page and Provincial in faster delivery of public goods
OPEN and services thru strengthened
Online Database updated
MONITORING & participation & transparency in
EVALUATION Near real-time posting of 100% of PPMC the project monitoring process
ODK-based monitoring reports
PPMC membership expanded to include

Barangay Captain, BDC-Infra Chair and BDC
Private Sector Rep of project host
communities
100% of BAC members, TWG and accredited Faster implementation of
CSOs capacitated on RA 9184 infrastructure projects resulting in
OPEN 1 provincial procurement internal policy faster delivery of public goods POVERTY
CONTRACTING developed and services thru enhanced REDUCTION
efficiency and transparency of
100% of procurement data are processed to the procurement process
become user-friendly and documents are
machine-readable
Integrated EITI standards into PEMO

monitoring and reporting forms/mechanisms
Improved revenue collection and
1 PEMO extractive industries database socio-cultural and environmental
updated and linked into the Provincial Online protection in the impacted areas
OPEN MINING Database
INFORMATION thru enhanced transparency and
1 pool of trained community/grassroots increased participation in the
experts trained extractive industries
Gold trading transparency systems and
standards developed and
institutionalized thru PMRB resolution
Strengthened policies on mining governance

adopted by the PMRB
1 Ordinance institutionalizing the Open Relevant and effective local
Legislation Commitment passed legislation thru broadened online
OPEN civic engagement
LEGISLATION 1 SPO Official FB page established and linked
to the Provincial Online Database
1 LITS developed, deployed and linked to the

Provincial Online Database
1 Legislative Feedback Review Committee

organized and functional
Figure 4. Results Framework for South Cotabato’s OGP Action Plan
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CHAPTER IV
COMMITMENTS
Commitment Template
Thematic Area: Open Information
1. Increasing Inclusivity in Public Access to Government Information
31 August 2018 – 31 August 2020
Lead Implementing Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Provincial Information Office
Agency/Actor
Commitment Description
What is the public Among other factors, limited access to government information greatly
problem that the hampers the delivery of the right services and interventions that would
commitment will respond to the real needs of the people. Having access to the right
address? information has a direct and reinforcing relationship in ensuring the delivery of
the right interventions and services to the public. For instance, having limited
access to the right information from government, the public tends to get these
information from secondary sources that are not always right, hence, they
only get to access services or projects that they “think” are only available for
them even if these are not relevant to address their real needs. Similarly,
many remote communities without access to radio, television, internet or other
means of communication have limited knowledge on government data,
projects and services that could help empower them to become self-sufficient.
Similarly, while the provincial government has the relevant programs and
information to bring about lasting results and achieve economic progress to
reduce poverty at the household level, many households at the far-flung and
remote areas have limited knowledge of government interventions, and on
how these can be accessed and maximized to improve the quality of their
lives. In addition, there is also limited formal mechanisms for providing
feedback on government services and programs.
Currently, the general public is able to access provincial government data by

requesting through the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO)
or directly through the concerned department or office supported by a written
letter of request. For walk-in clients, requests are being recorded though a
Logbook. The Socio-economic Profile of the province is also available through
a provincial government published book that can be bought at a very
affordable price. Due probably to the inconvenience in accessing information
and limited knowledge on how to access the information, only 83 formal
requests for data were made through the PPDO in a period of five (5) years
from 2014 to date where 72 of these or 86% have been provided by the
PPDO while the remaining 11 have been referred to appropriate offices.
Further, in a rapid survey conducted by the Provincial Information Office
14
during the first quarter of 2018 on Audience Research and Listenership in

South Cotabato, about 42% of the 7,252 sample respondents in the entire
province (with a projected population of 969,599 in 2018) listen to the radio
everyday while about 27% do not own a radio or has no access to other
means of communication. Out of the 42% who listen to the radio, almost half
or 47.29% are not aware of, hence, are not listening to the provincial
government’s radio program where the local government’s programs, projects
and services are being broadcasted for public information. About 81% of
those who listen to the provincial government’s radio program feel that it is a
good source of information about the programs and projects of the province.
Among the reports in the radio program, the top 6 information that the
respondents find useful are on agriculture, health and sanitation, social
services, education and scholarships, barangay/sitio assistance and livelihood
programs. It is also useful to note that aside from radio, people get much of
their information on government programs and services from other people or
through word of mouth (22.53%) and through barangay announcements
(22.37%).
Ultimately, it is hoped that increased access to government information

through both online and offline channels will significantly contribute in further
reducing poverty incidence in the province recorded at 19.8% in 2015,
especially in the geographically-isolated and disadvantaged communities.
What is the The commitment aims to establish both online and offline channels to expand
commitment? public access to government information, and to enable citizens to give
feedback on government programs and services.
More and improved quality of information will be disclosed to include not only
those required under the Philippine’s Full Disclosure Policy and basic data on
the socio-economic profile of the province, but also information on
programs/projects/ services and project monitoring reports. It entails the
development of an interactive supply-driven online platform for the general
public to access, view, save and print government data and information on
programs and services right at their homes free of charge, with a special
feature for the general public to provide their feedback on government services
and programs. Part of the commitment includes the conduct of workshops to
develop a mechanism for responding to feedbacks from the public. To further
utilize the information from the processed feedbacks, the commitment shall be
expanded in the second cycle for the feedbacks to inform development
planning, budgeting and program implementation.
The commitment also entails localizing the national government’s Freedom of

Information (FOI) policy through a provincial ordinance, institutionalizing the
people’s right to information, or through an Executive Order to be issued by the
Local Chief Executive.
As an offline mechanism, a direct community participation program shall be
15
launched for communities without access to internet, where the citizens’

questions to the Governor will be recorded during the weekly conduct of the
Outreach Program to poor and remote communities where the provincial
government brings some of its services directly to the communities, and the
Governor’s responses to these questions will be recorded and aired through
the province’s official radio program on a weekly basis and on a specified date
that will be announced to the community. Capability-building and public
engagements shall be conducted to popularize the people’s right to information
and how to access these information.
How will the The development of the interactive online platform for people to access
commitment government information and communicate their feedback/opinion on public
contribute to solve services right at their homes, which will be further advanced by the enactment
the public problem? of the FOI ordinance or issuance of Executive Order on FOI, will provide the
people with the right information they need for better decision-making for their
economic, social, and institutional development. The commitment will also
ensure that the feedback loop is closed by designating a staff who would
immediately respond to comments or by coordinating with the appropriate
offices in addressing the communicated feedbacks in order to help improve
public services and influence government decisions. Further, through public
consultations during the regular conduct of the Provincial Outreach Program in
the different villages, questions and messages of the citizens especially from
remote communities without access to internet shall be recorded and
responded to by the Governor through the radio, in addition to posting the
responses through South Cotabato’s Facebook Page and the OGP Facebook
Page. Increased inclusivity for access to right information will engage and
empower people at the grassroots.
Why is this ● Increased inclusivity in public access to government information is relevant

commitment to transparency.
relevant to OGP ● The commitment shall employ technology through the development of an
values? interactive online system for the public to access information right at their
homes.
● Gender and inclusion are promoted in some of the milestones.
Additional President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued Executive Order No. 02 (series of 2016)
information or the Freedom of Information Order to institutionalize the people’s right to
information as enshrined in Article III of the Philippine Constitution on the Bill of
Rights. This operationalizes in the Executive Branch the people’s constitutional
right to information and state policies to full public disclosure and transparency
in public service. Freedom of Information or FOI is part of the 2017-2022
Philippine Development Plan under "Ensuring People-Centered, Clean, and
Efficient Governance" specifically on “Subsector Outcome 4: Citizenry fully
engaged and empowered”.
The commitment localizes the Freedom of Information (FOI) by passing the
16
Provincial FOI Ordinance or issuing the FOI Executive Order and making
information accessible through both online and offline platforms, expanding it
to include not only demand-driven information but makes readily accessible all
available data and information on the provincial government programs and
services.
Hence, the Presidential Communications Operations Office – the lead agency

for the implementation of Executive Order No. 02, is the lead partner of the
provincial government in the implementation of this commitment, particularly in
terms of providing both technical guidance and financial assistance.
The commitment will contribute to all the 17 SDGs but particularly on

Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good
Health and Well-being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Clean
Water and Sanitation), 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and 17 (Partnerships for the
Goals).
Milestone Activity with a Responsibility Source of Start Date End Date

Verifiable Deliverable Fund
1. Roll-out of “Estoryaha si Gov”, Provincial PGO-PIO July 2018 August 2020

an offline transparency initiative Information
where the Governor will Office
regularly respond to recorded Note: The
questions from the general activity will be
public especially from remote suspended
communities) through the radio during the
campaign
as well as through South
and elections
Cotabato’s Facebook Page and
period.
OGP Facebook Page. Special
attention will be provided to
getting the issues and concerns
of women and women groups,
IP groups and farmer groups in
communities.
2. Conduct of workshop on Provincial PGO November, November

information management and Information 2018 2018
needs for producers, users and Office (PIO)
custodians.
 Identify data/information for
disclosure, information that
are part of the exceptions in
the Data Privacy Act should
be included in the agenda.
 Specify mechanisms to
17
ensure that feedback

mechanism is established for
the delivery of programs and
services, and to ensure that
these are immediately
responded to for enhanced
public service delivery.
 As far as practicable, data
shall be gender-
disaggregated.
3. Development and PPDO-ITU, PPDO, January 2019 December

operationalization of the DICT, PCOO, DICT, 2019
primarily supply-driven PPDO-REM PCOO,
Interactive/Web-based Database HIVOS
where the public can access,
view, save and print provincial
data and information right at
their homes. This web-based
automated system will be called
Interactive Provincial Online
Database (iPOD). This shall be
the Central Provincial Online
Database that will link into one
platform the iSEPS, the
provincial government programs
and services, and the other four
(4) online systems of Open
Contracting, Open Monitoring,
Open Mining and Open
Legislation.
 This includes system
programming, encoding of
socio-economic profile data
and digitization of other PLGU
documents and records to
make them machine-readable
based on the workshop
outputs.
 Information on citizens’ data
needs and government
programs/ projects/ services,
plans and budget,
procurement, financial,
legislative, etc. shall be
18
prioritized.
4. Conduct of consultation and PGO-BAU / PGO August, 2018 December

updating of provincial PGO-PIO / 2020
government services and PPDO-SPD
programs with the 199 barangay
captains and other grassroots-
level sectoral groups (women,
IPs, farmers) through the
“Provincial Townhall Meetings”
at least once a year.
5. Enactment/Passage of Presidential Office of the October, December

Provincial Freedom of Communicatio Vice 2018 2018
Information (FOI) Ordinance or ns Operations Governor/
Issuance of Executive Order Office (PCOO), SPO
FOI by the LCE Sangguniang September, September,
Panlalawigan 2019 2019
 Conduct Multi-stakeholder Office (SPO)
fora on the proposed FOI and Office of
Ordinance (c/o Hivos) the Vice
Governor
Implementing Actors
Lead Implementing Office/ Provincial Government of South Cotabato-Provincial Information
Agency/ Organization Office (PGO-PIO)
Ms. Hydee Templonuevo, OIC-PIO
c/o Ms. Annaliz Cabrido
+6383-2283025
Other PLGU / Government Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)
Actors actors Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan
Involve c/o Ms. Michelle Manza
d +639177935871 / [email protected]
Department of Information and Communications Technology

c/o Christian Olan R. Dorado
+639466747784 / +639759157230
[email protected]
All Departments of the PLGU, Provincial Federation of Barangay

Captains, Department of the Interior and Local Government –
Provincial Office, Philippine Information Agency XII, Provincial
Governor’s Office-Barangay Affairs Unit
CSOs, private sector, Tri-media Association of South Cotabato, Social Action Center-
multilaterals, working Diocese of Marbel, OND Hesed Foundation, Civil Society
groups Organization (CSO) and business sector members of the South
Cotabato Integrity Circle (SCIC),
19
Commitment Template
Thematic Area: Open Monitoring and Evaluation
2. Open and Participatory Monitoring For Quality Infrastructure
31 August 2018 – 31 August 2020
Lead implementing Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Provincial Project Monitoring

agency/actor Committee (PPMC)
What is the public Annually, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato is implementing
problem that the development projects, which consist of both infrastructure and non-infrastructure
commitment will projects, sourced from both local funds as well as funds from the national
address? government. Infrastructure projects normally get the big chunk of the budget pie.
However, many infrastructure projects suffer from delayed implementation and
completion, poor quality, hence, poor utilization of funds. In 2017, the provincial
government was able to complete only about 4.10% or 5 out of 122 local
development projects at the end of the budget year, which resulted in slow or
poor utilization of funds at the end of the year.
The Provincial Project Monitoring Committee (PPMC) of the provincial

government, composed of members from the provincial government and the
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), conducts quarterly monitoring of
infrastructure projects with more than -15% slippage or way behind schedule as
per PERT-CPM. Thus, monitoring of these projects should be regular, efficient,
transparent, and participatory. However, the public has no diorect access to
monitoring results. The results of the monitoring are only confined to the
members of the PPMC and to the Provincial Development Council (PDC) during
PDC meetings. These are usually presented to the PDC one full quarter (3
months) after the conduct of monitoring. While the PDC is represented by
accredited CSOs, not all CSOs are informing their members of the status of the
projects. As such, there is no way the general public will know the real time
status of the projects since the monitoring results are not posted or available
online for public comment/feedback immediately after the conduct of inspection.
With this, the public has limited opportunity to provide feedback on the actual
status of the projects (e.g. delayed implementation, poor quality of materials or
poor utilization of funds) or if the recommendations as reflected on the
monitoring results are implemented/acted upon by the concerned agencies.
These issues in the monitoring and implementation of infrastructure projects

hinder the immediate delivery of intended results and outcomes to the intended
beneficiaries especially in improving mobility of people, goods and services,
increasing access of lagging, poverty-stricken and geographically isolated rural
communities to basic social services, and supporting the economic inter-
dependencies between the rural and urban communities. Ultimately, realizing
20
these expected results/outcomes would contribute in further reducing poverty of

the 19.8% families or about 43,000 families below the poverty threshold based
on the 2015 Census.
Main Objective The commitment aims to strengthen transparency and participation in the
project monitoring process.
What is the The commitment involves making the monitoring results of the Provincial Project
commitment? Monitoring Committee (PPMC) more open and accessible to the general public
by posting these for the general public to provide feedback/comment and/or
access the monitoring results. This entails posting the monitoring results to the
provincial government website the day after the conduct of the quarterly
monitoring of the PPMC in order to provide near real-time status of projects to
the public. With this, the PPMC shall adopt the Open Data Kit (ODK) or mobile-
based project monitoring system for near real-time monitoring of projects. The
commitment also involves updating the website of the provincial government as
well as its Facebook page for posting and/or accessing of project monitoring
results by the public for feedback/comment/recommendations. The general
public will also have the opportunity to upload pictures of on-going projects in
their communities and post status of these projects online. The commitment will
also cause the enhancement of the monitoring process and composition of the
PPMC to strengthen engagement of the public or the directly impacted
communities. If relevant to the projects being monitored, grassroots sectors
such as women, IPs, and farmers may be invited and consulted during the
scheduled inspections.
How will the The commitment will provide a wider space for citizens, CSOs and
commitment disadvantaged sectors (women, IPs, farmers) to collaborate with the provincial
contribute to government to address issues on project implementation such as delays, poor
solve the public quality of projects and poor utilization of funds. Participation in this process will
problem? allow the public (citizens or CSOs) to provide feedback to improve project
implementation. As the monitoring findings and recommendations are made
public, contractors and concerned government officials will be held accountable
for the project delays or slippages or for non-compliance of other concerned
agencies/sectors to the recommendations in the report. In line with this, the
existing grievance redress mechanism/s (e.g. blacklisting of contractors or filing
of cases) of the province will be strengthened to ensure accountability
Why is this The commitment is consistent with the OGP values of promoting transparency,
commitment accountability, civic participation and technological innovations at the sub-
relevant to OGP national / local government level, as well as with the call to be more inclusive
values? and gender-sensitive. It will make the local government and the project
contractors more inclusive, open, accountable, responsive and efficient in
project implementation and monitoring.
Additional The EU-funded RESOURCEGov2 Project, implemented by Mahintana

information Foundation, Inc., has been using transparency tools/technologies, such as
21
Open Data Kit (ODK) in project monitoring. The project has published a
documentation on replicable practices on good local governance highlighting the
use of ODK in increasing transparency, accountability and CSO participation in
project monitoring of locally-funded projects of LGUs. The Mahintana
Foundation, Inc., through the RESOURCEGov2 project will be providing
technical and financial assistance in the implementation of this commitment.
The improved quality of infrastructure projects will increase rural-urban

integration, support economic growth and improve access of the poor to basic
socio-economic services as health, education and livelihood development.
Hence, this commitment supports the achievement of all the sustainable
development goals, particularly goals number 1-10 and goal number 17 on
partnerships for the goals.
Milestone Activity with a Verifiable Responsibility Source of Start Date End Date
Deliverable Fund
1. Conduct Users’ Training, install and Mahintana RESOURC September, December

operationalize the ODK-based project Foundation, EGov 2018 2018
monitoring system. Inc.
 The training will be
conducted/supported by Mahintana
Foundation, Inc., through EU-
funded RESOURCEGov project
and will be participated by all
members of the Provincial Project
Monitoring Committee (staff from
PLGU and CSO representatives)
 ODK is a user-friendly mobile-
based monitoring platform which
non-programmers can easily learn.
Android phones/tablets (commonly
used by many) are used for ODK-
based monitoring.
2. Update the website/page or PIO, PPDO- ECCP September June, 2019

Facebook page of the provincial ITU, ECCP , 2018
government/SC-OGP to allow posting
of and/or accessing of project
monitoring results by the public for
feedback.
3. Conduct ODK-based project PPMC, PLGU December, September

monitoring of locally-funded infra PEO, 2018 2020
projects at least once every quarter. PPDO-
 The locally-funded infra projects that REM,
will be monitored quarterly will be PPDO-SPD,
22
those projects with more than -15%

slippage. The amounts of projects
are based on the Annual Investment
Program (CMGP).
4. Post monitoring results at the PPDO- PLGU August, September

provincial government website and/or REM, 2019 2020
Facebook page for public access and PPDO-SPD,
feedback (online posting of results PPMC
the day after the conduct of quarterly
monitoring inspection).
 As designed/by default for ODK
portal at provincial government
website/page, monitoring results can
be presented/viewed in
charts/graphs, maps and/or
tables/spreadsheets and can be
accessed/downloaded by the public
through xls, csv, zip and kml
formats.
5. Expand CSO membership and public PPMC PLGU February September,

participation to the PPMC through the 2019 2020
participation of the Barangay
Chairman, BDC-Chair of Infra and
Grassroots-level basic sectors such
as women, IPs, and/or farmers during
the monitoring/inspection where the
project is located.
 Expand CSO Membership in the
PPMC to include CSO working on
women or represented by women
leaders/heads thru an Executive
Order.
 Aside from the usual members of
the PPMC (PLGU staff and CSO
representatives), the PPMC will
invite the barangay chairmen, BDC
Chair on Infra and BDC grassroots-
level sector representatives to
participate in project monitoring
where the infra projects are located
in their respective barangays. This is
to ensure that the monitoring
process will be more transparent
and inclusive and that their feedback
23
will be considered and responded to.
Implementing Actors
Lead Implementing Office/ Agency/ Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Provincial Project
Organization Monitoring Committee
Mr. Eleazar Abellera – PPMC Head Secretariat
+639177909564
c/o Hazel Jace Rhudy – PPMC Secretariat
+6383-2286323
Other Actors PLGU / Government PEO, PPDO-REM, PPDO-ITU, PIO, PBO, PLO
Involved Actors
CSOs, private sector, Mahintana Foundation, Inc.,

multilaterals, working Martiniano L. Magdolot
groups +639173059060
c/o Roel Ian P. Blanker, Project Manager
+639171085401 / [email protected]
South Cotabato Integrity Circle, Regional/City/Municipal Project
Monitoring Committees
24
Commitment Template
Thematic Area: Open Contracting
3. Enhancing Efficiency and Transparency of the Public Procurement Process
31 August 2018 – 31 August 2020
Lead implementing Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Bids and Awards Committee
Agency/ Actor
What is the public In 2017, the provincial government was able to complete only 4.10% or 5 out of
problem that the 122 development projects funded under the 20% Local Development Fund at the
commitment will end of the budget year as reported in the Audit Observation Memorandum
address? issued by the Commission of Audit in 2018. Most of the projects that are still on-
going or not started are infrastructure projects. Among other factors, the delayed
completion of infrastructure projects (slippages) may also be attributed to issues
on the procurement process such as limited number of quality
suppliers/contractors participating in bids and delayed response to concerns of
contractors.
While the provincial government has disclosed 100% of the bidding documents
required by law through the Philippine Government Electronic System
(PHILGEPS), its website and in three conspicuous places, these, however,
cannot be accessed in machine-readable or editable formats by the public.
These technical documents are also not presented in a manner that would be
interesting or easier for the general public to understand or utilize. Hence, the
limited transparency of procurement documents further contributes to the
identified procurement issues. There is also a limited number of capacitated
CSOs and business sector representatives who can participate as observers in
the bidding process as required by law. In fact, despite the issuance of
invitations, there have been no Observer from the CSOs or bsiness sector during
the regular bidding processes.
If not addressed, these delays will continue to hinder the timely achievement of
expected results for the intended beneficiaries such as increased mobility of
people and goods, improved access to basic social services, and strengthened
rural-urban integration.
What is the The commitment aims to make the public procurement process more efficient
commitment? and transparent, and the procurement data more useful/readable and gender-
sensitive, through the development of online and offline open contracting
mechanisms, such as:
 tracking system to be made available to the public;
 conduct regular market survey;
 integrated internal process from planning to implementation;
25
 expansion of capacitated accredited CSOs as observers;

 proactive capacity building of CSOs as observers;
 submission of observer’s report;
 improvement in publication of procurement documents;
 establishment of procurement feedback mechanism; and
 gender-tagging of women-owned businesses joining biddings or awarded
with contracts.
How will the Making the procurement process more open, efficient and inclusive will enhance
commitment the capacity of the provincial government to implement quality infrastructure
contribute to projects as scheduled, and consequently, deliver effective and efficient services
solve the public to the public. The improved quality of procured goods and services will increase
problem? local competitiveness and accelerate local economic growth.
The improved procurement process will enhance the quality of infrastructure

projects and ensure the timely implementation of these projects for socio-
economic growth, hence, contribute in the achievement of all SDGs, particularly
goals number 1 (No poverty), 5 (Gender Equality), 9 (Industry, Innovation and
Infrastructure) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Why is this ● CSO participation and disclosure of documents (transparency) will

commitment enhance the integrity of the procurement process.
relevant to OGP ● Technology will be used as a medium to enhance transparency & promote
values? efficiency in procurement.
● The commitment will encourage the public to provide feedback & participate
in the government procurement processes. It will increase and enhance
government response to citizens’ feedback.
● Gender-smart procurement will also be advanced by tagging women-owned
businesses participating and getting contracts in the procurement process.
Additional The Province of South Cotabato with the support of the European Chamber of
information Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) conducted a series of consultation and
focus group discussions with the contractors, Bids and Awards Committee,
business sector and CSOs on how to improve the procurement process of the
Province last June 2018. Among the major results are the need to improve its
efficiency and transparency.
The commitment will be implemented by the provincial government, in

partnership with the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines
(ECCP) (funded by Hivos Philippines) and the South Cotabato Integrity Circle
(SCIC), formalized through a signed Memorandum of Understanding. Under the
Open Contracting project of the ECCP in South Cotabato, the ECCP shall assist
in the co-creation process and implementation of the integrity commitment
under the Open Procurement Framework as well as design the monitoring and
feedback system for the full and effective implementation of the open
procurement commitment.
26
Milestone Activity with a Responsibility Source of Fund Start Date End Date
verifiable deliverable
1. Conduct capability-building ECCP ECCP / Hivos May 2018 June 2018

on RA 9184 and
consultations with BAC
Members, BAC-TWG and
CSOs.
2. Develop an internal policy ECCP / BAC ECCP / Hivos Sept 2018 March 2019
through an Administrative
Order that will be an input
to the Provincial
Procurement Manual as
well as a Procurement
Feedback Mechanism to
enhance efficiency and
transparency in the
procurement process.
3. Increase number of ECCP ECCP / Hivos February 2019 onwards

capacitated CSOs and
business sector
monitoring the
procurement process from
planning to
implementation.
4. Upload procurement ECCP ECCP / Hivos February 2019 onwards

documents from planning
to implementation in
machine readable format.
 Includes gender-tagging
of women-owned
businesses joining
biddings or awarded with
contracts.
Implementing Actors
Lead Implementing Office/ Agency/ Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Bids and Awards
Organization Committee (BAC)
Mr. John Magbanua
Other Actors PLGU / Government Provincial Administrator’s Office, PBO, PEO, PACCO, PTO,
Involved actors PGSO, PPDO, PLO, PIO, PGO-IAS
27
CSOs, private sector, ECCP

multilaterals, working Ms. Zyra Fastidio
groups [email protected]
Hivos, SC Chamber of Commerce, SC Contractors
Association, SCIC, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
28
Commitment Template
Thematic Area: Open Mining Information
4. Engaging Citizen’s Participation by Developing EI-TECh (Extractive Industry-Transparency

E-system & Channels)
31 August 2018 – 31 August 2020
Lead implementing agency/actor Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Provincial

Environment Management Office
What is the public problem that the Inadequate access to and misinformation regarding the
commitment will address? mining and quarry activities equate to revenue losses,
environmental degradation and social conflicts. Oftentimes,
communities in nearby illegal mining and quarrying activities
would presume the regularities of these operations until such
time when these communities have already been directly
affected by the social and environmental impacts of these
practices or if the illegal quarry and mining operators have
been apprehended by the authorities. In fact, the province’s
annual extractive industry report shows that 3-5% of the total
collection of the provincial government is generated from
fines and penalties from apprehensions of illegal mining and
quarrying averaging at least five (5) incidents per month.
Aside from limited manpower of the provincial government to

monitor these illegal activities, citizens’ participation in
monitoring and reporting illegal extractive activities in their
communities is low because they either lack access and
capacity to understand information on mining and quarrying
activities or they just simply lack the information on how and
where to lodge or channel their complaints.
Further, majority of the citizens lack appreciation on

extractive industry information because figures are not
translated into something they can relate to or something
that has of importance to them, for instance, information on
whether the quantities of production/extraction are converted
into tangible incomes or benefits to the host communities.
This is further aggravated by issues relative to the
degradation of the environment and conflicts in the
application of mining and quarrying rights.
Presently, there are more or less 40 quarry operators with

regular and special permits operating in the province.
29
Further, there are two (2) declared “Minahang Bayan” or

legal Small Scale Mining areas with more or less sixty (60)
active tunnels in the Municipality of T’boli. These small-scale
mining areas are mostly home to Indigenous Peoples called
the Tbolis. These areas are also situated inside the Mine
Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) contract area of
Tribal Mining Corporation (TMC), a large scale mining
company. The mining and quarrying industry in the province
generated about P21 Million in 2017 consisting of taxes,
fees and permits, and fines and penalties. From this total
collection, the host municipalities and barangays, which are
dominantly IP populated for mining areas, will have a share
from the tax revenues from mining and quarrying of about
P19 Million.
Transparency with regards to taxes paid, land disputes,

mining and Indigenous People’s rights are among the
common source of conflicts and issues in the area. These
issues are all forwarded to the Provincial Mining Regulatory
Board (PMRB) with merely five (5) mandatory members, one
of which is a CSO representative, discussing and trying to
resolve these conflicts.
What is the commitment? The commitment would be focusing on policy development

and creation of transparency e-systems and channels (EI-
TECh) to further engage citizens to participate in mining
governance, hence, advance inclusion especially of the
minority cultural groups in the mining areas. Access to
mining and quarry information will be enhanced through the
online mining portal that will be developed and linked to the
provincial government website, Interactive Provincial Online
Database (iPOD) and social media, among others, to help
promote public interaction. Stakeholder consultation will be
conducted as to what data are of public interest, relevance
and appeal that would need to be disclosed. CSO and
general public participation in the Provincial Mining and
Regulatory Board (PMRB) or in other local special bodies of
the provincial government will be expanded to include
grassroots or impacted community participation.
Transparency initiatives, incentives and branding
(Compassionate Gold) will be institutionalized through a
Provincial Mining Regulatory Board Resolution.
How will the commitment contribute to Through technology- and participatory-driven online portals,
solve the public problem? standards, channels and branding, there will be increased
disclosure on social, environmental, and economic
30
information, hence, strengthen public awareness and

involvement on decision-making related to the extractive
industries. This will result in increased access to information
and grassroots participation in mining governance
particularly of Indigenous Communities where small-scale
mining areas are usually located, minimised mining and
quarry related disputes and conflicts, and the growth of a
culture with citizens-engaged monitoring system.
Consequently, all these will improve revenue collection,
provide increased local economic opportunities, enhance
inclusion in mining governance, and promote socio-cultural
and environmental protection in the impacted areas.
Why is this commitment relevant to • Access to information on the extractive industries

OGP values? promotes transparency that leads to increased public
participation and action.
• Public awareness leads to greater accountability
and compliance of mining operators and concerned
government agencies.
• Technology will enable easy access to information
on mining and quarrying operations.
• Grassroots empowerment in monitoring of quarry
and mining activities will advance increased inclusion of
the minority cultural groups or Indigenous Peoples in
mining governance.
Additional information The commitment will be implemented by the provincial

government, in partnership with the CSOs, people’s
organizations, Bantay Kita, and Bantoxics. BanToxics, with
funding from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and
the US Department of Labor, will be providing technical and
financial assistance in the online mining portal development,
and in developing transparency standards, branding and
incentive mechanism through its Compassionate Gold
Project. Bantay Kita, on the other hand, will be providing
technical and financial assistance in policy development in
extractive industry governance and capacitation of identified
grassroots leaders within mining and quarry impacted
communities to include monitoring of standards and
systems.
Further, the commitment is aligned with the Sustainable

Development Goals particularly on goals 1 (No Hunger), 7
(Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Decent Work and
Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 12
(Responsible Consumption and Production) and 17
31
(Partnerships for the Goals).
Milestone Activity with a Verifiable Responsibility Source of Start Date End Date
Deliverable Fund
1. Update PEMO mining and quarrying

reporting and monitoring forms to PEMO / PH-EITI PEMO- September, December,
include relevant transparency MOOE/ PH- 2018 2018
information and integrate EITI EITI
standards in consultation with key
stakeholders.
2. Enhance and update South

Cotabato-PEMO software /database PEMO/ Bantoxics/ Bantoxics with
to become an Online Mining Portal in Bantay Kita funding from
managing information on mining and November
ILO and US March, 2020
quarrying operations (mining, 2018
quarrying, energy industries) and Department of
link/disclose information through the Labor
Interactive Provincial Online
Database (iPOD).
3. Develop transparency standards PEMO- June, 2018 September,

and systems in gold trading and Bantoxics/ PMRB MOOE/ 2020
institutionalize “Compassionate Bantoxics
Gold” branding through a Provincial
Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB)
resolution.
4. Conduct stakeholder outreach, PEMO/Bantay Kita Bantay Kita September, September,

dialogue and capacity-building 2018 2020
activities for policy development/
improvement to strengthen
participation and engagement of
impacted grassroots sectors within
the PMRB or other related local
special bodies of the provincial
government by developing a pool of
trained community experts
(Grassroots empowerment).
5. Institutionalize grassroots PMRB/ Bantay Kita PEMO- January, September,

participation/engagement in MOOE/ 2019 2020
quarrying and mining governance Bantay Kita
through the participation in the
provincial government’s local
special bodies of representatives
from the pool of trained community
experts from the impacted
communities or by expanding the
32
membership of the Provincial

Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB)
to include trained community
experts
Implementing Actors
Lead Implementing Office/ Agency/ Provincial Government of South Cotabato – PEMO

Organization Mr. Siegfred Flaviano: [email protected]
+6383 520 2220
Other PLGU / Government Provincial Treasurer’s Office, PPDO-ITU, DENR-MGB XII,

Actors actors DENR-EMB XII, NCIP XII, PACCO, PLO
Involved
CSOs, private sector, Bantay Kita, Bantoxics, PH-EITI, OND HESED Foundation,
multilaterals, working JP SAC, South Cotabato Foundation Inc., SSM Association,
groups SRMA
Beverly Besmanos(Bantay Kita):

[email protected]
Atty. Karla Espinosa (PH-EITI): [email protected]
Elias Salazar (Bantoxics): [email protected]
33
Commitment Template
Thematic Area: Open Legislation
5. Establishing Online Channels to Broaden Civic Engagement and Increase Relevance of

Local Legislations
31 August 2018 – 31 August 2020
Lead implementing Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Sangguniang Panlalawigan Office

agency/actor and Office of the Vice Governor
What is the public In democracy, the involvement of the citizens in the political process is
problem that the essential. Ideally, when citizens participate, they themselves must assess
commitment will their own needs and inform the local government what these needs are, may
address? it be through an online or offline public channel. The same must also go with
the legislation process.
Despite the gains realized in reducing poverty incidence, 19.8% of families

remain poor in 2015. The nature and quality of local policies and legislation
greatly influence and shape the process and outcomes of local development
administration. Hence, for governance to be effective in reducing poverty, only
relevant ordinances and policies that can effectively alleviate poverty based
on the outputs of intensified engagement with the general public must be
enacted and implemented.
Currently, involvement of citizens to provide input on proposed legislative

measures as well as to propose possible new legislative measures that matter
to them is limited since the constituents have limited knowledge on passed
and proposed legislative measures especially that public hearing is not
mandatory for all legislative measures. For legislative measures that require
public consultations, only a small percentage of the local population is
reached due to limitations of funds in sending communications and conducting
face-to-face (offline) assemblies and gatherings. There is a lack of
understanding and awareness among the general public that they can actually
be involved in the formulation of local policies and ordinances, and on how to
access existing policies/ordinances. Further, records of existing legislations
(resolutions and ordinances) are also not readily accessible and available
both offline and online.
All these lead to majority of people not actively participating in the decision-
making process during legislation. While those who are aware of their right to
participate or access legislative information lose interest since the process is
not clear on how to voice out essential opinions.
What is the The commitment aims to create more space for citizen engagement in order
34
commitment? to improve the local legislative process through online channels, hence,
increase the relevance of local legislation in addressing the people’s felt
needs and perceived priority development issues. This can be done by first
establishing an automated database for legislations – Legislative Information
Technology System (LITS) - that would serve as the central database for all
current and on-going legislations that can be easily accessed. Information on
the status of on-going legislations will also be viewed through the system. To
be able to generate more gender-sensitive information on legislation,
legislations will also be classified and tagged as authored by women
legislators or primarily benefit women. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan Office
will set-up a computer where researchers and the general public may search,
query and access records on existing and on-going legislations. The LITS will
serve as a database for legislative records where people can readily search
current and on-going/pending policies and ordinances. This legislative
database will also be linked to the Interactive Provincial Online Database
(iPOD) so that this can be accessed by the public anytime online.
Online platforms also include setting-up of an official Facebook page for the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan of South Cotabato and linking this to South
Cotabato’s official website and Facebook page where anyone can suggest
new policies and ordinances as well as give comments on current or existing
policies and ordinances. This will be the platform for the general public to be
consulted and propose ideas on new legislations, and provide feedback both
on existing and proposed local policies and ordinances that will truly make a
difference to their lives. This is in addition to the face-to-face public
consultations being currently conducted for legislations that require public
consultation.
In addition, to make the legislative processes truly open to the public, the
regular Monday Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Sessions will be live-
streamed thru the SP’s official Facebook page. This will also enhance
accountability of the elected legislators as their performance or non-
performance during the sessions as well as their viewpoints on certain issues
will be made accessible to the general public.
How will the Establishing online media/channels to disseminate and consult citizens on
commitment legislative processes and measures will further broaden citizen engagement in
contribute to legislation and ensure the enactment and implementation of relevant pieces of
solve the public legislation that will be truly effective in responding to the real issues and
problem? development problems of communities.
Why is this 1. Increase transparency, openness and citizen participation by providing

commitment more avenue/platform for citizens to access relevant information on local
relevant to OGP legislative processes and measures.
values? 2. Leveraging technology for better governance by establishing online
mechanisms and digital information systems to open legislative processes.
35
3. Enhance accountability of public officials through the livestreaming of the

regular sessions and proceedings of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the
provincial government’s legislative body.
4. Promote inclusion and gender-sensitivity by tagging enacted
legislations that are authored by women or those that primarily benefit
women.
Additional The commitment under open legislation will be implemented in partnership

information with a local CSO, Mahintana Foundation, Inc. (MFI), as lead partner. MFI has
already developed an automated system for the legislative records and
processes of the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan but would only need
to enhance it in order to make the system more open and accessible online by
linking it to the Provincial Online Database.
As relevant policies and legislation provide the environment for equitable and
inclusive growth to prosper, this commitment will significantly contribute to the
realization of all the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly on goals 1
(No Poverty), 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequality) and 17
(Partnerships for the Goals).
Milestone Activity with a Responsibility Source of Start End Date

Verifiable Deliverable Fund Date
1. Draft and pass ordinance Vice Governor/ Sangguniang Nov. 2018 December
institutionalizing the open Sangguniang Panlalawigan 2018
legislation mechanism. Panlalawigan Office
Office
2. Establish the Official Facebook Vice Governor/ Sangguniang January 2019 onwards
Account of the Sangguniang Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Panlalawigan (SP) of South Panlalawigan Office
Cotabato as an online platform Office
for Open Legislation.
 This is where the general
public can make comments
and give feedback on both
existing and proposed
legislations to promote and
establish people-powered
legislations.
 Conduct of a workshop in Vice Governor/ Sangguniang Nov. 2018 Nov. 2018

identifying data for public Sangguniang Panlalawigan
online sharing through the Panlalawigan Office
Official FB Page of the SP Office
3. Form and designate a Vice Governor/ Sangguniang Novembe December
36
committee that will review and Sangguniang Panlalawigan r, 2018 , 2018

act on the feedbacks from Panlalawigan Office
citizens on proposed legislative Office
actions and ensure online
publication of status report of
actions taken on the citizens’
feedback through the SP
Official Facebook Page.
 The committee will also act
on inputs solicited from the
general public for new
legislative measures that can
be crafted which needs
actions and are identified as
priority by citizens during the
regular conduct of Outreach
activities by the provincial
government (offline / face-to-
face channel).
4. Establish the Legislative Mahintana Mahintana Nov. 2018 March

Information Technology System Foundation, Foundation, 2019
(LITS), an automated database Inc., PPDO- Inc.
for the legislative records and ITU
processes of the Office of the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan that
will be linked to the Provincial
Online Database for easy
access of the public. A desktop
computer will also be set up at
the Office of the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan for walk-in
researchers and clients.
5. Livestreaming of the regular Vice Governor/ Sangguniang January, 2020 onwards

sessions of the SP through the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Official FB Page of the SP Panlalawigan Office
Office
Implementing Actors
Lead Implementing Office/ Agency/ Provincial Government of South Cotabato - Sangguniang

Organization Panlalawigan Office and Office of the Vice Governor
Other Actors PLGU / Government Senior Accountable Officer:

Involved actors Hon. Vicente R. De Jesus – Vice Governor
+639209622158
37
+6383-2283448
Technical Focal Person:
Gloria S. Duco, OIC-Secretary to the Sanggunian
[email protected]
c/o Karla Angelica O. Gabales; Pricille G. Heyra
[email protected] ; [email protected]
+6383-2282338
CSOs, private sector, Partner CSO: Mahintana Foundation, Inc.

multilaterals, working Martiniano L. Magdolot - +639173059060
groups c/o Roel Ian P. Blanker, Project Manager
Media Partners: Tri-media Association
Partner LGU Offices: PPDO- ITU, PIO
38

South-Cotabato Action-Plan 2018-2020 Revised

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SOUTH COTABATO OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP ACTION PLAN (2018-2020)

South Cotabato Open Government Partnership Action Plan (2018-2020)

Chapter II Open Government Efforts to 3

Chapter III Action Plan Development Process…………………………………………. 8

1) Open Information: Increasing Inclusivity in Public Access to 12

2) Open Monitoring and Evaluation: Open and Participatory Monitoring 18

4) Open Mining Information: Engaging Citizen’s Participation by 26

5) Open Legislation: Establishing Online Channels to Broaden Civic 30

OPEN GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO DATE

In a country beset by economic, political, social and environmental instabilities and

Figure 1. South Cotabato’s Good Governance Framework

Figure 2. South Cotabato’s Integrity Model: The Integrity Web of Institutionalization

Figure 3. Convergence Framework for Poverty Reduction

INPUTS & OUTPUTS OUTCOMES IMPACT

2 offline transparency and feedback initiatives Empowered people thru

1 Provincial FOI Ordinance emacted or EO

PPMC membership expanded to include

Integrated EITI standards into PEMO

institutionalized thru PMRB resolution

Strengthened policies on mining governance

1 LITS developed, deployed and linked to the

1 Legislative Feedback Review Committee

Currently, the general public is able to access provincial government data by

during the first quarter of 2018 on Audience Research and Listenership in

Ultimately, it is hoped that increased access to government information

The commitment also entails localizing the national government’s Freedom of

launched for communities without access to internet, where the citizens’

Why is this ● Increased inclusivity in public access to government information is relevant

The commitment localizes the Freedom of Information (FOI) by passing the

Hence, the Presidential Communications Operations Office – the lead agency

The commitment will contribute to all the 17 SDGs but particularly on

Milestone Activity with a Responsibility Source of Start Date End Date

1. Roll-out of “Estoryaha si Gov”, Provincial PGO-PIO July 2018 August 2020

2. Conduct of workshop on Provincial PGO November, November

ensure that feedback

3. Development and PPDO-ITU, PPDO, January 2019 December

4. Conduct of consultation and PGO-BAU / PGO August, 2018 December

5. Enactment/Passage of Presidential Office of the October, December

Department of Information and Communications Technology

All Departments of the PLGU, Provincial Federation of Barangay

Thematic Area: Open Monitoring and Evaluation

2. Open and Participatory Monitoring For Quality Infrastructure

31 August 2018 – 31 August 2020

Lead implementing Provincial Government of South Cotabato – Provincial Project Monitoring

The Provincial Project Monitoring Committee (PPMC) of the provincial

These issues in the monitoring and implementation of infrastructure projects

these expected results/outcomes would contribute in further reducing poverty of

Additional The EU-funded RESOURCEGov2 Project, implemented by Mahintana

The improved quality of infrastructure projects will increase rural-urban

1. Conduct Users’ Training, install and Mahintana RESOURC September, December

2. Update the website/page or PIO, PPDO- ECCP September June, 2019

3. Conduct ODK-based project PPMC, PLGU December, September

those projects with more than -15%

4. Post monitoring results at the PPDO- PLGU August, September

5. Expand CSO membership and public PPMC PLGU February September,

will be considered and responded to.

CSOs, private sector, Mahintana Foundation, Inc.,

Thematic Area: Open Contracting

3. Enhancing Efficiency and Transparency of the Public Procurement Process