Targeting the public purse: Advocacy coalitions and public finance in the Philippines

Abstract

This article analyzes the political dynamics underlying public financial management (PFM) reforms in the Philippines during the Benigno Aquino III administration (2010-present). By inviting widespread civil society participation throughout the budget cycle and by imposing greater transparency and accountability, they mark a substantial policy change in Filipino PFM. Centering on the evolution of public finance advocacy coalitions, this article argues a new type of coalition has emerged among technocratic nongovernmental organizations, which are now able to place "policy brokers" directly in the national administration. However, institutional structures, dependence on donors, and the contestability of core beliefs behind these activities raise doubts about whether they are sustainable. These doubts in turn raise fascinating theoretical and empirical questions.