Concepts and Orientation:

By: JUSTINE MAPILE

National Secretary-General, MMDM
For: The National Executive Committee - Mula sa Masa Duterte Movement (MMDM), Inc.
August 2017

I. CONTEXT
There are substantial legal mandates and mechanisms in advancing peoples participation in governance.
This is provided for the 1987 Constitution (Sec. 15 and 16 of Art. XIII, The Role and Rights of People Par-
ticipation); the AO 21 or the IRR governing the RA 8425 (Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act),
which paved the way for the creation of National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC); and the Local Gov-
ernment Code of 1991 or LGC (RA 7160).
The latter, the LGC, provides detailed mechanism for peoples participation in the affairs of governance,
which peoples ideas and proposals can be concretely expressed and implemented including policies and
programs that will truly reflect the peoples welfare and aspirations.
To achieve these ideals however, there must be an active participation among Peoples Organizations
(POs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), otherwise, the broadest possible participation of the
people in the governments decision-making process becomes farce.
Foremost among the mandated mechanisms is the establishment of development councils in every baran-
gay, municipality/city and provincial levels throughout the country. The code defines the number that will
comprise the development councils in each of these local government units (LGUs) of which at least 25%
shall come from POs and NGOs and /or Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
The Local Development Council is the mechanism through which the local council, POs, NGOs and CSOs
participate in local development planning, including budget planning and local resource allocation.

More than two decades after the enactment of the Code, the political reforms that it has envisioned and
mandated remains to be fully implemented and realized. Traditional politicians or trapo holding local elec-
tive positions, at best, merely paid lips service to participatory governance while others have found ways
to go around the provisions of the law.

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 In general, LGUs are not that receptive enough about the concept and principle of peoples participation
and in the instances where they were adopted, most are tinged with political interests. To begin with, there
has been no massive campaign to inform and educate the POs/NGOs of their role in governance. This
resulted to the low participation of these organizations in the development councils. And yet, the few that
are presently involved were irregularly chosen, and thus their participation is mere pseudo representations
of the people in those bodies.
Under PRRDs administration, active citizenship, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability in govern-
ance are imperatives in pursuing political and social change.

II. CONCEPT

Participatory governance is about creating an informed citizenry that actively engages the process of gov-
ernance and is able to contribute to it. Too often, citizens are only able to engage with issues concerning
their own governance intermittently - on election periods.

In order to effectively obtain the peoples genuine interests, there must be an organized body of all POs/
NGOs from which shall emanate their collective concerns. These valid concerns may then be brought be-
fore their provincial/municipal/barangay development council for appropriate action through their demo-
cratically chosen representatives.

This organized body thus will take in the form of COALITION OF RODY DUTERTE SUPPORTERS or
CORDS composed of grassroots-based POs/NGOs in a given constituency (regional, provincial, munici-
pal/city and barangay levels), not only to give directions to their representation in their development coun-
cil, but also to serve as a realistic sounding board for the multi-sectoral interests of the community.

For all its intent and purposes, CORDS, as a peoples council, must attain a high degree of credibility and
independence to gain the respect and confidence, not only of its member organizations but by the council
itself. It must show sincerity in pursuing pro-people programs and services.
The formation of CORDS must therefore be an entirely non-governmental initiative. It may not achieve
desired goals if initiated by government officials or politicians as it may be suspected of having political or
electoral agenda, and if so, many of its members may only be there to seek political patronage. To be tru-
ly effective, the CORDS must consist of independent POs and NGOs bound together for the common pur-
pose of pursuing the peoples democratic rights and welfare and achieving a fast, meaningful and genuine
development of their communities.

III. CORDS: POWERED BY THE PEOPLE

The COALITION OF RODY DUTERTE SUPPORTERS or CORDS shall be established in barangays,

municipalities/cities, provincial and regional levels nationwide, as a grassroots democratic peoples
council in the broadest form possible, for the advancement of grassroots empowerment, peoples partic-
ipation and social service delivery. The composition shall be all pro-Duterte networks of peoples organi-
zations, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and individual supporters of PRRD.
CORDS shall be pro-people, independent and democratic.
CORDS shall build and develop upon existing strength, structures and mechanisms, providing a syner-
gy that will further strengthen and broaden the political base of the grassroots.
The existing local formations and organizations in the regional, provincial, municipality and barangays
have their own established leadership, membership, constituencies, issues and concerns. Building rela-

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 tionships, friendships, partnerships and goodwill with these formations are the key elements to success
in any coalition projects.
CORDS shall reach upon all sectoral and multi-sectoral local formations. Establish working cooperation
and partnership with organizations of farmers/fisherfolks, workers, cooperatives, senior citizens, HOAs,
TODAs, PTAs, teachers/professionals, entrepreneurial groups, civic organizations (Rotary club, etc.),
church-people/ institutions and other POs/NGOs in localities genuinely powered by the people!.
The CORDS shall serve as formidable machinery in arousing, organizing and mobilizing constituents to
demonstrate their support for PRRDs agenda for change in terms of public endorsements on pro-
people programs, special events sponsorship and attendance in meetings/assemblies, mass rally and
similar events.
CORDS building shall be initiated by Mula sa Masa Du30 Movement (MMDM), Inc. chapters nation-
wide.

IV. GOALS

1. It shall help build genuine peoples council in the grassroots;

2. It shall promote active peoples participation, transparency, accountability and inclusiveness in gov-
ernance. Thru mass-movement, it strive to achieve these goals by engaging the different sectors and
stakeholders to directly participate in governance and nation-building;
3. Promote and help ensure the direct participation of various stakeholders in the crafting and formula-
tion of policies and programs to address concerns at the grassroots level;
4. Initiate programs and projects that will facilitate citizens empowerment and participation in govern-
ance at the national, regional and local levels.#

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