SORSOGON CITY—Data-Driven Development in the Philippines (PH3D) and Coalescing Organizations Towards Locally-Led Actions to Boost Development (COLLABDev), recently joined forces to hold its first joint Data Forum in Sorsogon City last August 11, 2022. Entitled “5-4-3-2-1: 5 Lessons 4 3D 2wards 1 Goal,” the event was co-presented by Sorsogon State University (SorSu) and aims to highlight cases for data and best practices in data-driven governance.
PH3D is a project of Action for Economic Reforms (AER) and is co-financed by the European Union. COLLABDev is a partnership initiative of AER and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Both projects seek to promote human-centered, data-driven development in the Philippines.
Participants to the blended data forum included officials from the local government units (LGUs) of Irosin, Pilar, Donsol, and the Province of Sorsogon; and students from SorSu and civil society organizations (CSOs) like LIKAS. Other attendees who joined online were from COLLABDev sites located in Sorsogon, Leyte, Samar, Cagayan de Oro City and Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.
During the discussions, participants expressed their views on the different approaches LGUs use for data-driven development; resistance to change; need for local ordinances to sustain 3D efforts and promote transparency; incentivizing or mandating LGUs to participate in the collection of data; need for capacity building; concerns on data privacy; and the importance of Freedom of Information (FOI). Additionally, the attendees agreed that data is important for LGUs to be able to provide better social services for their constituents.
Ms. Jessica Reyes-Cantos, President of AER and Partnerships Lead of COLLABDev, welcomed the participants together with Dr. Geraldine De Jesus, the newly-appointed President of Sorsogon State University. Meanwhile, resource speakers and their topics included Dr. Laurence Anthony Go, Data Lead for AER (Introduction to 3D); Dr. Cielo Magno, COLLABDev’s Policy Lead (3D in Sectoral Practices); Dr. Ryan Dio, Vice President for Research, Extension and Training, Sorsogon State University (Role of Academe in 3D); and Mr. Joel De Mesa, COLLABDev Training Consultant.
Capping off the first ever interface between the two projects, PH3D Overall Coordinator Ms. Victoria Quimbo and COLLABDev Chief of Party Ms. Jenina Joy Chavez, provided the closing remarks.
To learn more, you can view the event here: Link to the live video of the event .
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Action for Economic Reforms (AER) was established in 1996 and is a policy research, advocacy, and action group by publicly-engaged political economists with focus on various sectors from fiscal policy, food and agriculture, industrial policy, governance, interface, and data-driven development.
PH3D, a component of AER’s data-driven development focus and co-funded by the European Union (EU), helps Local Government Units (LGU) deliver their priority projects using data and technology, and community alliances. Using this framework, LGUs will have access to actionable evidence that will empower them to view macro and micro data, prioritize programs, manage resources, enhance capacity, and get support from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).