QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES, March 9, 2010—The Knowledge for Development Center (KDC) was launched last February 3 at the House of Representatives, the 12th such facility in the country.
KDCs are information centers and hubs for development dialogue and partnership set up by the World Bank and knowledge institutions. The KDC at the House of Representatives is the only one in a non-academic setting, but unique and important because it is located within one of the country’s most important knowledge centers--the House of Representatives.
The KDC is supported by global organizations, namely The Asia Foundation, the United Nations Information Center, World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office, and the Asian Development Bank.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez attended the event, as well as officials from other KDC partners. “It is very fitting that we have a knowledge center within the House of Representatives, where understanding of development issues is very much encouraged,” said Mr. Nograles in his remarks.
Secretary General Atty. Marilyn B. Barua-Yap said the KDC represents a "renaissance" for the House’s information service. The center includes a video-conferencing facility, some 2,000 printed publications about development, and four computers that can be used to access even more
development materials online.
The launching was followed by a knowledge sharing event between the House and the Bank.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE KNOWLEDGE SHARING FORUM
- Improved congressional oversight over the execution of the national government’s annual budget can tighten accountability for public funds and improve the implementation of pro-poor programs in the country.
- One of the ways to strengthen implementation of programs and policies that create inclusive growth is for the government to have periodic public expenditure reviews.
- Two critical sources of data are necessary for Congress to follow through on the budget: an executive budget that shows the national government’s actual expenditure released by the end of the year and the audited accounts by the Commission on Audit classified by sector.
- Other topics that were discussed in the forum include legislative practices and oversight, budget execution monitoring, poverty reduction, fiscal policies and taxation, conditional cash transfers, education, socio-economic statistics, and disaster risk management.
