BAGUIO CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) together with its partners recently concluded the regional open public dialogue to strengthen the public’s trust in the government through open and public dialogues co-designed with civil society and which focused on relevant and emerging issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said.
Dubbed as “Dagyaw 2020”: Open Government and Participatory Governance Regional Town Hall Meetings, DILG Assistant Regional Director Araceli San Jose explained that the dialogue is anchored on the objective of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Sub-task Group on governance which is to ensure people-centered, clean, technology-enabled, and responsive governance in addressing COVID-19 and to restart social and economic activities.
“The conduct of the regional “Dagyaw” served as an avenue for the people to voice their questions, complaints, and recommendations in an organized forum for constructive engagement,” she underscored, adding, “It brings together government officials, representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), the academe, and the stakeholders to share their knowledge, recommendations, and their programs and projects for their respective sector.”
“Dagyaw” virtual dialogues kicked-off on November 23, with “Usapang Ekonomiya” highlighting the sharing of experts from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and Department of Tourism (DOT).
Another session was conducted on November 26, focusing on “Usapang Gobyerno”: Coping and Thriving with COVID-19 Indigenous Peoples Concerns with experts from the municipal government of Sadanga, city government of Baguio, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
“Usapang Edukasyon: Kahandaan sa New Normal: Paano? and “Usapang Sosyal: Pag-iwas sa pang-aabuso ng kababaihan at kabataan: Paano?” were also included in the sessions with experts from the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Child and Family Service Philippines Inc. (CFSPI).)
In response to the strong call coming from mental health advocates, Dagyaw 2020 was concluded with the session on Mental Illness and Wellness: Taking Care of Mental and Physical Health Amidst COVID-19
The “Dagyaw” series of virtual dialogues are made possible through the combined efforts of various government agencies led by DILG, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), in close cooperation with Cordillera Network (CORDNET) of NGOs, Alay sa Kapatid Foundation (AKAP), and CFSPI. By PMTG/DILG