1.

PUBLIC SECTOR Government structures should be flexible enough to offer beneficiaries and others affected the opportunity to improve the design and implementation of public programmes and projects. The specific areas of action would be in the development of participatory development processes through, for example, participation of beneficiaries, a public/private-sector interface, decentralization/empowerment of local government and cooperation with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Good governance requires that civil society has the opportunity to participate during the formulation of development strategies and that directly affected communities and groups should be able to participate in the design and implementation of programmes and projects. Even where projects have a secondary impact on particular localities or population groups, there should be a consultation process that takes their views into account. This aspect of governance is an essential element in securing commitment and support for projects and enhancing the quality of their implementation. All men and women should have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their interests. Such broad participation is built on freedom of association and speech, as well as on the capacity to participate constructively.

THE GOOD GOVERNANCE ADVOCATES AND PRACTITIONERS OF THE PHILIPPINES The Good Governance Advocates and Practitioners of the Philippines (GGAPP) is an association of good governance advocates and practitioners from various publicly-listed companies, the public sector and other organizations who have come together to promote and assist in the development of good governance in the country. In December of 2009, several professionals involved in the corporate governance and compliance offices of their respective companies met to talk about their goals, their ideas and their challenges. From that first meeting has emerged the Good Governance Advocates and Practitioners of the Philippines (GGAPP). Since that first meeting, the original group has grown to about 40 individual members and has incorporated itself into a non-stock, non-profit corporation. The monthly meetings that the group holds, as well as its other activities such as organizing educational forums and dialogues with regulators has served to elevate the standards by which the governance and ethics professionals practice and work in the Philippines. 2. ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNANCE Accountability ensures actions and decisions taken by public officials are subject to oversight so as to guarantee that government initiatives meet their stated objectives and respond to the needs of the community they are meant to be benefiting, thereby contributing to better governance and poverty reduction. Accountability is one of the cornerstones of good governance; however, it can be difficult for scholars and practitioners alike to navigate the myriad of different types of accountability. Recently, there has been a growing discussion within both the academic and development communities about the different accountability typologies. This Note outlines the present debate focusing on the definition and substance of different forms of accountability and considers the key role that legislatures play in ensuring accountability. WHY IS ACCOUNTABILITY IMPORTANT TO GOVERNANCE? Evaluating the ongoing effectiveness of public officials or public bodies ensures that they are performing to their full potential, providing value for money in the provision of public services, instilling confidence in the government and being responsive to the community they are meant to be serving. THE CASE OF PRISCO NILO In July 2010, the Philippines were hit by Typhoon Basyang, the second tropical cyclone during the 2010 Pacific typhoon season to impact the nation.

Conson was poorly forecast by PAGASA. From July 12 to 13, Conson was forecast to hit Aurora and Isabela provinces. But, at 11 pm PST (1500 UTC) on July 13 PAGASA changed its forecast from hitting Aurora and Isabela provinces, to Quezon province, Metro Manila and southern Luzon provinces. However, residents living in those areas were not advised that the typhoon would hit their area and they also were not informed that public storm signal number 2 was raised. With this, severe damage ensued in the said areas. Later that same day, President Benigno Aquino IIIreprimanded PAGASA for failing to predict that Conson would pass over Manila As a result, Aquino criticized PAGASA for not warning the residents of Metro Manila about the strong tropical storm that struck the nation's capital.[7] However, according to Dr. Nilo and PAGASA, the agency didn't have adequate equipment to "accurately" predict a movement of a storm and the weather forecasting instruments were too old and needed to be upgraded. 3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT A fair, predictable and stable legal framework is essential so that businesses and individuals may assess economic opportunities and act on them without fear of arbitrary interference or expropriation. This requires that the rules be known in advance, that they be actually in force and applied consistently and fairly, that conflicts be resolvable by an independent judicial system, and that procedures for amending and repealing the rules exist and are publicly known. Laws and policies should exist that regulate society and that are applied fairly and consistently. Predictability requires the state and its subsidiary agencies to be bound by and answerable to the legal system in the same way as private enterprises and individuals. The specific area of action could be the development of predictable legal frameworks for private-sector development. A pro-governance and pro-development legal and judicial system should be created in which the laws are clear and are uniformly applied through an objective and independent judiciary. Legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the laws on human rights. THE NEW SIN TAX MANILA, PhilippinesA sin tax on cigarettes and alcohol dampened the New Year party spirit when it was introduced in the Philippines Tuesday, as part of a government bid to boost finances. Many stores started selling tobacco and drink at inflated prices before midnight, ahead of the official implementation of the tax hikes on January 1, hitting partygoers in the pocket. Tax on cigarettes will gradually be raised to P30 ($0.72) per pack by 2017, roughly doubling the current price to around 52 pesos. Duty on alcohol will also increase gradually until 2017, increasing the price of a bottle of beer by 23.50 pesos, with varying levels for other drinks including wine and spirits. It will be further increased by four percent each year thereafter. The new prices compared to countries like Singapore, for example, are still low, but for the ordinary Filipinos they are expensive, said Laudemer Angeles, a 33-year-old shop owner in the town of Bacoor, south of Manila.

4. TRANSPARENCY Private-sector investment decisions depend on public knowledge of the governments policies and confidence in its intentions, as well as in the information provided by the government on economic and market conditions. Transparency of decision-making, particularly in budget, regulatory and procurement processes, is also critical to the effectiveness of resource use and the reduction of corruption and waste. Information should be made available to the general public and there should be clarity as to rules and regulations. Access to timely information on the economy can be vital to economic decision-making by the private sector and can also serve to inhibit corruption. The policies of the government should be publicly available and confidence developed in its intentions. MIRIAM WANTS PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS OPEN TO PUBLIC After the Aquino administrations first one hundred days in power, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago underscored transparency and accountability in the presidency as cornerstones of good governance. The Constitution mandates transparency in policy-making and in the operations of the government, Santiago said. Armed with information on matters of public concern, citizens can participate in public discussions leading to the formulation of government policies and their effective implementation. An informed citizenry is essential to the existence and proper functioning of any democracy. According to Santiago, the Supreme Court has ruled that: The right to information goes hand in hand with the constitutional policies of full public disclosure and honesty in the public service. It is meant to enhance the widening role of the citizenry in governmental decision-making as well as in checking abuse in government. The senator filed Senate Bill No. 1528, also known as the Presidential Records Act, which aims to provide for the management, custody, and access to presidential records consistent with the constitutional mandate of transparency and accountability in government. Santiago said that her bill does not, however, seek to confirm, limit, or expand the Presidents executive privilege. The bill gives the state the complete ownership, possession, and control of Presidential records, and provides that the President take all steps necessary to assure that all the activities, deliberations, decisions, and policies that reflect the performance of his or her duties are adequately documented. It also grants the Director of the National Archives the responsibility for the custody, control, and preservation of, and access to, the Presidential records upon the conclusion of a p residents term of office. The Director of the National Archives also has the duty to make the records available to the public as rapidly and completely as possible.