As a strategic pathway for change that is firmly anchored on a rights-based approach, social accountability informed the emergence of Oxfam Pilipinas as a new national civil society group in the country with a global footprint in the Oxfam confederation. Social accountability refers to citizen-driven monitoring and assessment of public policies, programs and services as well as constructive and critical engagement with powerholders to claim their rights and demand accountability. Midway through their current joint programming, 30 leaders from Oxfam Pilipinas’ four portfolio teams and 11 partner organizations that have carried out or are implementing various social accountability actions with other civil society organizations, sectoral groups and vulnerable communities in the Philippines convened on January 22-23, 2025 in Manila to take stock, draw out insights, and forge new priorities and ways forward. This learning brief outlines key discussion points, insights, and agreed ways forward.

This communiqué reports on the 6th in-person MELSA Bootcamp that took place in Quezon City, Philippines on February 26-27, 2025, and which provided a significant opportunity for Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Social Accountability (MELSA) officers and program focal points to engage in internal reflection and learning. As Oxfam Pilipinas prepares to integrate as a full affiliate of the Oxfam global confederation, the bootcamp concentrated on assessing the organization’s evolving MELSA systems and practices, drawing some valuable insights and lessons, and identifying key areas for enhancement in the coming years.