Expanding Civic Engagement through the Establishment of Community Centers for the Bayanihang QC or the Quezon City Volunteer Program (PHQZT0005)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Action plan – Quezon City, Philippines, 2025 – 2028
Inception Report: Not available
Commitment Start: Feb 2025
Commitment End: Jun 2028
Institutions involved:
- Quezon City Government - Human Resources Management Department
- Quezon City Government - Office of the City Administrator
Primary Policy Area:
Primary Sector:
OGP Value:
- Civic Participation
Description
Commitment ID
PHQZT0005
Commitment Title
Expanding Civic Engagement through the Establishment of Community Centers for the Bayanihang QC or the Quezon City Volunteer Program
Problem
There is a lack of accessible, public spaces that could be delegated to activities of both government and civil society organizations (CSOs). Currently, both government and civil society organizations have their properties to host events but these facilities are often underutilized, given the amount of work necessary for its upkeep and continuous programming. What often happens is that facilities are used on certain days of the week and then are not utilized for the rest of it. For some facilities, other agencies enter partnerships to use them but even then, utilization and maintenance issues remain. This lack of regular programming also contributes to a lack of visibility in volunteer opportunities for interested citizens. In addition to that, information dissemination of volunteer opportunities is primarily spearheaded by departments on their own with varying demographics leading to inconsistent messaging and a lack of cultivation of a volunteer base in the city.
Status quo
In 2024, the Quezon City Government passed City Ordinance S.P.-3281, S-2024, establishing Bayanihang QC or the Quezon City Volunteer Program. It is integrated into the city government’s existing QC E-Services platform, joining one of their many online systems to ensure ease and access for Quezon City residents who are interested in the program. Over the course of the year, the program has begun its rollout through selected activities organized both by Quezon City Government departments and national government agencies. Moreover, the core team behind the program is in the process of identifying underutilized city-owned properties that could be turned into community centers.
Action
Operationalizing this commitment would entail the establishment of these community centers as permanent fixtures of the Bayanihang QC or the Quezon City Volunteer Program. These centers would be places where both city government and civil society organizations can collaborate in the programming, design of the space, pooling of resources, and maintenance of the space. Through these activities, these community centers will be a point of shared ownership between the various actors within Quezon City. In addition, the number of community centers may increase in the following years through the donation or lending of facilities from partnering civil society organizations.
How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?
Through the establishment of community centers, there will now be accessible, public spaces wherein the city government and civil society organizations can work together in providing services and implement their respective programs. By pooling manpower and resources, this could help address issues of maintenance and utilization that are plaguing these spaces at the moment. The admittedly heavy responsibilities associated with owning a space no longer fall on one actor but become a shared responsibility of all. On a client-facing front, these community centers provide an accessible location for citizens to visit when they are interested in volunteering. In the future, these centers could become the top-of-mind locations for volunteerism in the city.
What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?
There are two long-term goals under Mayor Belmonte this commitment relates to under her 14-point agenda, namely: (12) “Be a model of good governance” and (14) “Listen to our citizens and understand what they need.” The process of designing these spaces requires close coordination and multiple stakeholder consultations. All this entails we embody the values of collaboration and transparency. Even after the establishment of these centers, we will continue to work together in maintaining these spaces. The design of these centers may change with time and this development hinges on the ability of the city government to listen and understand the needs of their constituents. In short, the success of this commitment entails working towards these outlined goals.
Primary Policy Area
Civic Space, Inclusion
Primary Sector
Cross-sectoral
What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?
| Civic Participation | The commitment is relevant to public participation and inclusion as the process of establishing these community centers requires continuous collaboration of various actors, both government and civil society organizations. In particular, the co-designing of these spaces until the sharing of responsibilities in maintaining the space requires inclusion and participation of all. |