Commentary: Lifting the hard cap on digital financial inclusion
Fintech may be the future, but there is a hard cap on the potential of digital financial inclusion and bridging the digital divide is the only way to lift it.
Commentary: Time to COVID-proof the 2022 elections
Paco Pangalangan | originally appeared on Philstar.com Our next presidential elections are closer than you think. And this next one is unlike any other. The Stratbase ADR Institute recently conducted a virtual town hall discussion to talk about the importance of holding inclusive and credible elections in 2022. During his talk, Prof. Dindo Manhit, president […]
Commentary: Digital transformation important for transparency of gov’t services
by Paco Pangalangan, published in The Philippine Star Last week, our institute, Stratbase ADRi, partnered with the La Salle Institute of Governance and the International Budget Partnership to hold a virtual town hall discussion on the Philippines’ performance in the 2019 Open Budget Survey (OBS). The survey is a comparative assessment of 117 countries’ performance […]
Commentary: Food security is strongest if locally produced
by Paco Pangalangan, Lead Convenor, Democracy Watch Philippines published in The Philippine Star Having access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food has always been a concern in the Philippines. However, the pandemic and the impact it has had on food supply chains has further heightened these food security concerns. For a reminder of this heightened […]
Commentary: Telcos and the Public Service Act don’t mix
by Paco A. Pangalangan | originally published in The Philippine Star Here are two things we can probably agree on. First, we need to attract more foreign investment in order to generate more jobs and improve our economy. Second, we also need better internet infrastructure, for many reasons, but chief among them is to allow […]
Commentary: COVID-19’s political mutation and weaponization of law
The World Health Organization is monitoring a reported mutation of the COVID-19 that can potentially increase its transmission. Thankfully, this potential for mutation was only observed in a lab and not in “real life.” It is scary to imagine what effect a more transmittable COVID-19 would have on public health. The effects of COVID-19, however, […]
Digital Advances towards a Transparent and Accountable Democracy
Democracy Watch Philippines believes that the COVID-19 has brought risks, but it has also brought opportunities for change. Civil society must make a collective effort to ensure that these opportunities, particularly e-governance, are harnessed in the pursuit of greater accountability and transparency, and the strengthening of our oversight and watchdog institutions. Such efforts will go a long way in building a mature democracy and a responsive government.
Transparency and Accountability: Regaining Public Trust through Democratic Governance
Democracy Watch Philippines, in partnership with Stratbase ADR Institute and Transparency International-Philippines, will be holding a multi-sectoral vTHD entitled, “Transparency and Accountability: Regaining Public Trust through Democratic Governance,” on 30 June 2020, Tuesday, from 9:00 am – 11:00 am.
Commentary: Digital infrastructure to bridge divide
It is crucial that we prioritize our digital infrastructure to bridge the country’s socioeconomic divide. We must ensure that our all citizens can participate in this new normal and reap its digital dividends.
Socially responsible partnership
Doing the right thing is not always easy. This is why it is important to attract the right kind of investors and for the government to only partner with socially responsible organizations, ones that are out to serve not only their shareholders but the Filipino people as well.