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Paper short abstract

The Philippines is facing perhaps the biggest plunder in its history that has intensified political instability and the crisis of legitimacy. The paper examines how social organizations are playing a part to hold the corrupt to account and the factors that enable and hinder them to be effective.

Paper long abstract

The Philippines is facing perhaps the biggest plunder in its history hat has intensified political instability and the crisis of legitimacy. Billions of dollars have been lost to flood control projects that were supposed to address climate change. Broad civil society and social movements have been activated under the same call of accountability and justice. The paper examines how social organizations are playing a part to hold the corrupt to account and the factors that enable and hinder them. It will examine three national organizations that are all taking part in the actions against the flood control plunder: Government Watch, a civic group that monitors government programs; Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, a student and youth coalition; and Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilyang Pantawid (SNPP), a national association of beneficiaries of Conditional Cash Transfer. What were the actions taken by the groups in response to the flood control plunder? What were the differences and similarities in their actions and perspectives? What enabled and hinder their effectiveness? Whether and how they are making most of the 'anti-corruption momentum' to advance key relevant reform agenda? The paper will also present the broad picture of the flood control plunder and the emerging broader anti-corruption movement to situate the three organizations' efforts and to provide recommendations on how social organizations can better be enabled to respond to opportunities presented by crises situations such as the flood control plunder. To gather data, the researchers will conduct documents review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions.