Institute of Politics and Governance [Philippines]

This manual reflects the principles of local governance espoused by a group of education and development oriented NGOs in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. The manual had its origins in a pilot training programme for local governance in which the NGO group placed grassroots participation at the centre of local governance. In this manual, the basic orientation course of the barangay (local administrative unit) training programme is outlined. Links are made between grassroots participation in local governance and participatory democracy in national policy.

This manual reflects the principles of local governance espoused by a group of education and development oriented NGOs in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. The manual had its origins in a pilot training programme for local governance in which the NGO group placed grassroots participation at the centre of local governance. In this manual, the basic orientation course of the barangay (local administrative unit) training programme is outlined. Links are made between grassroots participation in local governance and participatory democracy in national policy.

This training manual is designed for members of Philippine local government units (LGUs) and civil society groups to increase their knowledge of participatory local governance. It responds to the prevailing view in the Philippines that decentralisation has not changed institutional arrangements at the local level, but has devolved rent-seeking. Decentralisation and citizen participation in local governance are seen to be key to citizen and barangay empowerment.