What we do

By: M. Rianto Utama (Tommy)   Gastronomy – a practice or art of choosing, cooking and consuming good food – is not the domain of only chefs or foodies anymore. Around 100 students from two state primary schools in Bandung: SDN 200 Leuwipanjang and SDN 033 ASMI have proven their participation in gastronomic movement. They […]

By Adelle Chua   At a venue of a workshop on mining royalties, organized by Hivos’ Open Up Contracting partner Bantay Kita, male participants from an indigenous community in Narra municipality, Palawan, Philippines quickly fill up the meeting room. Meanwhile, a handful of women stand on the corridor, carrying their small children. They are curious […]

By Adelle Chua   The provision of free medicines to the people is central to the health program of any local government. In turn, there is no better way to test the effectiveness of such programs than through the participation of the people themselves. With support from Hivos Southeast Asia, the Affiliated Network for Social […]

By: M. Rianto Utama (Tommy)   Gastronomi – praktek atau seni memilih, memasak, dan mengkonsumsi makanan yang baik – bukan dominasi para chef atau penikmat kuliner (foodies) lagi. Sekitar 100 pelajar dari Sekolah Dasar Negeri (SDN) 200 Luewipanjang dan SDN 033 ASMI di Kota Bandung telah membuktikan bahwa mereka juga bisa menjadi pelaku gastronomi. Dimulai […]

By Adelle Chua   Gaining access to contracting documents is a challenge in itself, but once you get your hands on them, how do you even know what to look for? At a recent investigative journalism conference called Muckraking for the Public Good, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) senior reporter Karol Ilagan talked […]

By Adelle Chua   In a series of stories published August 2019, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported that aside from the publicly acknowledged mishaps during elections that previous May – the 3,414 vote counting machines (VCMs) that had malfunctioned, the 4,067 SD memory cards that had been found defective, and the countless marking […]

By Adelle Chua   Imagine you are a business owner in a city south of Manila. The thought of doing business with the local government has crossed your mind, but many reasons have somehow prevented you from doing so. You could be operating on the notion that doing business with government is a hassle – […]

By Adelle Chua Legazpi City, the capital of Albay province, is relatively open and progressive compared to other local government units in the country. It is a hall of fame awardee for the Seal of Local Governance. It has been named Most Business Friendly City and has been recognized both for its competitiveness and climate […]

By: Nurhadi, Tanoker Pasar Lumpur (Mud Market) in Ledokombo, Jember district is known for its unique and engaging activities, proving creativity and strong local culture of its community. The event is held on the last Sunday of each month. It has become a popular local tourism destination for all ages with various activities. In August […]

Oleh: Nurhadi, Tanoker Kreatifitas serta cita rasa kearifan lokal masyarakat Kecamatan Ledokombo tercermin dalam kegiatan bulanan Pasar Lumpur warga Kecamatan Ledokombo, Kabupaten Jember. Diadakan di hari Minggu terakhir setiap bulannya, banyak kegiatan bermanfaat bagi semua masyarakat, dari anak-anak hingga eyang-eyang. Seperti pada bulan Agustus 2019, warga beserta komunitas Tanoker memeriahkan acara HUT RI dengan tema […]

By Adelle Chua In making data on public contracts available to citizens, government agencies should not pit data privacy against the right to information because the two are not contradictory.  At a Hivos Southeast Asia-sponsored breakout session during the Freedom of Information Summit held at the Peninsula Manila earlier this month, National Privacy Commission lawyer […]

By Adelle Chua While it is technically challenging to disclose all contracting data in the Philippine government’s open data portal, the real aim is to make ordinary Filipinos aware of and understand the information that is there so they can participate better in nation-building. At a forum called “Government of the People, for the People […]