May 22, 2026 — Camarines Sur
The Citizens for Change and Watchdog Initiative (CCWI) is escalating its demand for transparency over the Kaogma Festival, calling on the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Camarines Sur to act immediately and compel the disclosure of the festival’s financial and procurement records.
At the center of CCWI’s latest call is a straightforward question: Where are the complete records showing how public funds for the Kaogma Festival were budgeted, contracted, and spent?
CCWI said it formally raised the matter in a notice dated April 17, 2026, which was received by the appropriate office on April 24, 2026. According to the organization, no substantive response or action has followed.
More than a month after the notice was received, CCWI is demanding that the provincial legislative body move beyond silence and exercise its oversight authority.
The organization is specifically calling for three actions:
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A resolution compelling full disclosure of the Kaogma Festival’s budget and financial records;
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An oversight inquiry into the festival’s expenditures and procurement activities; and
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The public release of complete procurement documentation, including relevant contracts and other records necessary to account for the use of public funds.
The issue is not simply about a festival. It is about public money and the public’s ability to examine how that money was used.
For CCWI, the absence of a substantive response raises further questions about transparency and accountability. The organization argues that government-funded activities should be subject to public scrutiny, particularly when citizens are seeking access to records concerning expenditures and procurement.
“The silence since then is not acceptable. Silence is complicity,” said Carlo M. Batalla, Ph.D., Chairman/President of CCWI.
Batalla reiterated the organization’s position in blunt terms: “The public has the right to know.”
The demand now puts the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Camarines Sur in the spotlight. CCWI is asking the provincial board to formally address the matter, initiate the appropriate oversight process, and make the requested records available for public examination.
The key question remains: Will the provincial government open the books on the Kaogma Festival—or will the public continue to wait for answers?
CCWI says it is demanding action now.
— Carlo M. Batalla, Ph.D.
Chairman/President, CCWI
