OVERVIEW

IFES’ initial involvement in the Philippines began in March 2004, when a team of IFES consultants traveled to Manila to assess the political situation and propose ecommendations for supporting a modernized electoral reform process. Operational challenges, such as the use of manual election methodologies and the need for improved training of election officials by the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC), helped shape immediate and long-term recommendations that today guide IFES’ work with COMELEC and civil society organizations to address priority needs in the Philippine electoral reform agenda.

Overall, IFES’ work in the Philippines aims to strengthen the key foundations of democratic governance. Through its efforts, IFES focuses on helping COMELEC build its capacity to modernize and conduct credible elections while promoting the mechanisms that systematize internal capacities and reform administrative practices. At the same time, IFES engages civil society actors in developing effective advocacy and government interaction capacities that entrench reform gains. By equipping citizens and the COMELEC with the skills and knowledge required to support the implementation of successful elections in the long-term, IFES hopes to promote increasingly transparent election processes, particularly in light of the upcoming 2010 national elections.

Facilitating the credible implementation of automated counting, consolidation, and results reporting processes for the 2010 elections

Under this component, IFES will provide advice to the COMELEC to build its internal administrative capacities and modernize electoral practices:

• Training expertise in drafting user-friendly poll worker training materials for the 2010 elections; and
• Review of technical issues related to the conduct of a free and fair electoral process in an automated election, including preelection testing of voting machines, timely transmission, and consolidation and posting of results.

Advancing COMELEC capacity to professionally manage key aspects of the electoral process in accordance with internationally accepted standards

IFES will support activities to increase human resources development and technical expertise of COMELEC officials and key personnel and increase their access to international electoral best practices:

• Conduct the internationally renowned election administration and management training program, Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections (BRIDGE) with modules on strategic and financial planning, legal framework, and media;
• Provide field officers with a guidebook and accompanying CD-ROM that contains pertinent information on election laws and other updates that will aid their work and lay the groundwork for future updates to the Omnibus Election Code;
• Review and enhance the current COMELEC training plan;
• Provide on-going advisory services with regard to implementing existing campaign finance laws; and
• Conduct a training workshop on international election standards.

Consolidating gains in civil society engagement in the 2010 Electoral Process with a special focus on the ARMM

IFES will consolidate the gains derived from its partnerships with different local civil society organizations to improve technical reporting on the electoral process on issues such as the new automated system and campaign finance:

• Train journalists on technical aspects related to automation and responsible election coverage;
• Update monitoring group training programs, reference materials and observer forms, and re-train volunteers in anticipation of automation;
• Support more expansive monitoring of campaign finance;
• Provide legal support to voters and citizen groups through a lawyer’s network;
• Issue a grant to conduct long-term election monitoring for 2010, entitled Bantay-Eleksyon 2010 or People’s Coalition to Monitor the 2010 Elections, covering the entire election process, including pre-election preparations and activities, the campaign period, election day, counting and canvassing, and proclamation of election results; and
• Support the efforts of the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms as it leads voter education and domestic election monitoring efforts in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Strengthen the legal framework and election adjudication procedures

With a new automated election system for 2010, inconsistencies between the Omnibus Election Code and interrelated laws on the automated elections will be inevitable. IFES will aid COMELEC as it updates the current legal framework on elections:

• Engage a lawyer’s group to review election adjudication and propose improvements; and
• Network with other lawyer’s groups to develop materials that will be used to teach a new election adjudication curriculum.