ANSA-EAP conducted an intensive capability building workshop for civil society organization (CSO) partners of the i-Pantawid Project on September 22-26, 2014 in Hotel Veniz, Baguio City.

A total of 35 participants from CSOs based in northern Luzon (Region 1, Region 2, Cordillera Administrative Region or CAR) participated in the learning activity. These included APOGG, CCAGG, Divine Word College, Divinity in Diversity Alliance, Episcopal Diocese of Santiago, Family Independent Baptist Church, I-HELP, Igorota Foundation, KAISA KA, KALIPI, NACPHIL Kalinga, Norte Sentro for Basic Sectors Network and Area Development, PCCSSI, Project 101, Post Development Network, Partnership for Transparency Fund, RECITE, and Social Action Centers of Bontoc, Ilagan, Urdaneta, and Tuguegarao.

As a project partner in the Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA) Trust Fund implemented by the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG), ANSA-EAP is tasked to implement component three (3) of the project entitled “Guarding the Integrity of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program”, also called the i-Pantawid Project.

ANSA-EAP’s focus on Third Party Monitoring procedures and tools will help build partner CSOs’ capability to monitor and verify Pantawid Pamilya’s (a) beneficiaries’ listing, (b) compliance to conditionalities, (c) release of cash grants, and (d) monitoring & grievance system. The CSOs likewise will be trained to build the capability of Pantawid beneficiaries, through the Family Development Sessions (FDS), to monitor and provide feedback mainly on the quality of (a) education services, (b) health services, and (c) Pantawid’s services and systems.

The learning activity was designed to realize the following objectives:

  • To provide orientation and establish a common understanding of the Pantawid Pamilya program
  • To establish buy-in among CSO partners and strengthen their commitment for the iPantawid Project as a social accountability initiative
  • To level off on their understanding on social accountability, specifically on constructive engagement and third-party/citizen monitoring, in the context of program implementation and LGU engagement
  • To develop/customize social accountability tools for third-party/citizen monitoring on specific areas of Pantawid Pamilya
  • To facilitate the acquisition of required competencies in using such tools (e.g. Social Audit and the Community Scorecard) through simulation and role-playing exercises

Director Leonardo Reynoso, Pantawid Pamilya program manager, oriented the participants about the nationwide program.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly of children aged 0-18 years old. Patterned after the conditional cash transfer scheme implemented in other developing countries, the Pantawid Pamilya provides cash grants to beneficiaries provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by the program. It is managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Additional photos of the event can be seen here.