The 2021 Webinar Series
ABOUT THE THURSDAY TALKS
The Thursday Talks: Webinar Series on Socio-Political and Economic Perspectives is one of the three components of the Capability Building on Innovative Leadership for Legislative Staff (CBILLS) program being implemented by the DAP Center for Governance Policy Research Office as part of the Academy’s Education, Training and Capability Building Seminar Program in partnership with the Philippine Congress.
For 2021, the general theme for the webinar series is Institutional Transition and Transformation More than A Year into Pandemic: Strategies and Policy Directions for the Philippines. The theme posits that in order to maximize the benefits of socio-economic stimuli geared towards post-pandemic recovery, appropriate institutional transition and transformation are necessary for a ‘better normal’ society. The series is composed of seven webinars that will discuss prospects in moving forward for more innovative, transparent, and accountable approaches in managing policies on emerging and recurrent socio-political and economic issues which were exacerbated due to the pandemic.
At the end of the webinar series, the target participants which are mainly legislative officers and staff of the Philippine Congress, including those performing policy-making and development tasks, are expected to:
- Broaden their perspective on the key trends and developments in the socio-political and economic spheres of the country; and
- Deepen their understanding of the impact of these trends on socio-political and economic governance.
The schedule of the webinars are as follows (the links will be constantly updated):
| UPCOMING WEBINARS | |
|---|---|
| PREVIOUS WEBINARS | |
| Devolution Ready: Realizing Meaningful Autonomy
29 July 2021, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (GMT +8) This webinar discusses the steps taken by NGAs and LGUs in preparation for the implementation of the Mandanas Ruling in 2022. Specifically, it examines the utilization level of the internal revenue allotment (IRA). Many NGAs are banking on the local development fund (LDF), which is 20% of the LGU’s IRA and is allocated for development projects, as a means to fund the devolved services and programs. Despite this mandated allocation, the LDF has been underutilized (Diokno-Sicat, et al, 2020), which raises the question of how LGUs can utilize the even higher IRA when the Mandanas ruling is implemented. The increased resources aim to improve the delivery of public services, which is on the path of closing the development gap between high- and low-income LGUs. However, there is still the need to assist low-income LGUs. The webinar also explores how to manage the fiscal and administrative devolution to ensure that no LGUs will be left behind. Know more about the webinar here. Join the webinar through Facebook Live. [ALREADY LINKED TO PRO FB PAGE] |
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| Devolution Ready: Gearing Up for Full Devolution
8 July 2021, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm PST (GMT +8) This webinar aims to discuss the preparations of the national government agencies (NGAs) in implementing the devolution of selected services to the local government units. It also reviews the fiscal measures that will fund the added internal revenue allotment. Furthermore, it examines relevant legislation, such as House Bill 3447 or An Act Strengthening Local Government Participation in National Development by Increasing the Share of Local Government Units in the National Internal Revenue Taxes. This bill has been identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council as one of the priority bills that have to be passed by June 2021 (BusinessWorld, 2021). Know more about the webinar here. Read about the proceedings of the webinar here. [ALREADY LINKED TO PRESS RELEASE AT THE DAP WEBSITE] |
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| Paving the Way: Assessing the Infrastructure Development Agenda in the Philippines
10 June 2021, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm PST (GMT +8) Thus, the second webinar is an attempt to assess the status of the Build, Build, Build Program, in the context of the Philippine Development Plan 2017 – 2022 as well as the challenges, opportunities, and strategies to accelerate the infrastructure development in the country. Moreover, the webinar will also analyze the program through the multi-stakeholder perspective from the academe, public, and private sectors especially in terms of governance reforms (if any) to ensure transparency and accountability in big-ticket government infrastructure projects as well as sustainability. Know more about the webinar here. Read about the proceedings of the webinar here. [ALREADY LINKED TO PRESS RELEASE AT THE DAP WEBSITE] |
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| Road Towards Herd Immunity: Where Does the Philippines Stand
29 April 2021, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm PST (GMT +8) As the first offering of the series, this webinar will set the backdrop on the current status of the Philippines more than a year into the pandemic in terms of effects on socio-economic indicators. It will also tackle the emerging covid-19 variants found in the country and their implications in flattening the epidemic curve and health care systems. Lastly, it will discuss the importance of herd immunity and the successful COVID-19 inoculation program in curving the pandemic and moving towards economic recovery. It will give an update on the status of the vaccination program of the government as well as the challenges encountered in implementing the plan and strategies to expedite the vaccine procurement and roll out in the coming months. Know more about the webinar here. Read about the proceedings of the webinar here. |