AidWatch Philippines' nationwide CSO-NEDA consultation workshops

This year, AidWatch Philippines facilitated the nation-wide series of consultation workshops between Civil Society Organizations and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) on the Country Level Evaluation (CLE) of the Phase 2 Implementation of the Paris Declaration in Preparation for the Busan 2011 High Level Forum 4.

NEDA Project Monitoring Staff Director Roderick Planta presents the CLE2 in Mindanao workshop

In each of the workshop, NEDA presented the report on the CLE made by commissioned independent evaluators.

AidWatch on the other hand discusses the basics of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the CSOs engagement on the parallel process of Development Effectiveness and AidWatch Philippines' different initiatives and actions regarding aid and development effectiveness.

Jazminda Lumang, Co-Convenor of AidWatch discusses the basics of aid and aid effectiveness

For the part of the CSOs who attended the workshops, they were able to give their reactions to the report and their own insights on the implementation of the Paris Declaration. Moreover, they cited evidences that gave clearer picture of the realities facing communities with Official Development Aid (ODA) projects.

For example, in the Visayas workshop, a local official (Barangay captain) from Bohol stood up and exclaimed his dismay of the Bohol Irrigation Project in which they are being made to pay service fees even without the actual irrigation.

The CSOs were also able to come up with plans of action for 2011 after a workshop in which regions/provinces are grouped together to discuss ODA projects in their areas.

Participants discuss ODA projects, issues and  plans of action for their respective communities

Moreover, the workshops gave way to a more open engagement between CSOs and NEDA and other government agencies who attended the workshops like representatives from NEDA and Department of Agriculture in Region 10.

These workshops were conducted in Metro Manila for Luzon (October 29), Cebu city for the Visayas (December 1) and Cagayan de Oro city for the Mindanao leg (December 14).