‘Integrity School’ Highlights Citizen Participation in Governance
Integrity School, a project that calls for citizen empowerment and a stop to the culture of apathy, was launched January 26 in Silliman University.
The project is an initiative of Bantay.ph done in partnership with the Public Affairs Section of the United States Embassy in Manila.
Some 60 students, who are officers of their respective organizations and college councils, were the first in the Visayas that benefited from the training provided by the project. They went through four modules designed to help students understand how government works, and their roles as citizens in good governance. These modules are: Good Citizenship, Good Governance, Design and Advocacy, and Technology and Volunteerism.
During the training, Sillimanians committed to stop being pathetic citizens, start attending public hearings, and continue being vigilant by being updated on developments in the country. Taking their involvement online, they created #PortalSaKausbanan.
Ms Carmine Maria Gañac, Volunteer and Educational Program Head for Bantay.ph, was keynote speaker. With her as speakers were Erlinda Mae Young, a consultant for Bantay.ph and a fellow to 53rd Silliman University National Writers Workshop, and Ms Yolanda B. de Guzman, a Silliman alumna in Journalism who is now with the US Embassy.
Bantay.ph is a project of the Makati Business Club that focuses on citizen-based implementation of the Anti Red Tape Act, which was passed to improve the efficiency in the delivery of government services. It is the newest project under Coalition Against Corruption.
