Empowering communities for housing and community services

Civil society monitoring and advocacy that is vertically integrated across different levels of action is one strategy for seeking government accountability. This case study summary is one of a set of seven from the Philippines. Each discusses a civil society campaign in a different sector, and draws out lessons for vertical integration. This summary discusses a civil society umbrella organisation which organised poor communities around common basic issues through building a partnership with the government, enhanced community-based self-help initiatives, and initiated pro-poor legislation at both the local and national government levels.