Philippines: Caritas volunteers to monitor public works construction sites

Faced with outrage over irregularities in unfinished flood control work, which culminated in the Trillion Peso March, the social arm of the Philippine Catholic Church has signed a memorandum with the government that provides for the direct involvement of parishes in monitoring construction sites. “Beyond criticism, we hope to give moral guidance,” Bishop Bagaforo says.

Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Caritas Philippines has joined a broad alliance to monitor government infrastructure projects and help curb corruption nationwide.

The local Church's social arm, according to CBCP News, the news agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, has entered into a working agreement with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Mayors' Association for Good Governance, and several civil society groups to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public works.

The agreement, sealed with a memorandum, seeks to expand the government's ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control and infrastructure projects across the country, which sparked a wave of outrage in the Philippines that culminated in last month's massive Trillion Peso March.

The partnership will allow parishes and community groups to vet reports of non-existent or substandard projects and monitor the progress of DPWH projects in their respective areas.

Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines, said the Church will mobilise dioceses through social action centres to contribute to this monitoring effort.

“Through these ministries, we will assist in monitoring ongoing projects, especially those that may be ghost or substandard,” the prelate said during the signing event Friday.

He added that Caritas will organise groups of parish volunteers to visit the sites and track how the projects are being implemented.

Bishop Bagaforo also stressed that the Church's role is not only to report irregularities, but also to offer moral guidance to officials and project implementers.

“Beyond criticism, we hope to give moral guidance to local officials and project implementers – especially those involved in anomalies – so they may be enlightened,” he said.

The memorandum requires local monitoring teams to document their findings, submit verified reports, and ensure responsible use of shared data.

The Department of Public Works and Highways has committed to acting promptly on confirmed reports of irregularities and to maintaining transparency in accordance with applicable laws regarding accountability and corruption.

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• philippines
• catholic church
• public works
• monitoring