Guimaras showcased at 12th national M&E forum

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For the first time, the Province of Guimaras, led by Governor Ma. Lucille L. Nava, M.D., was represented and featured as a model local government unit for its monitoring and evaluation systems during the 12th National M&E Network Forum.

Mr. Jaypee Kein G. Entredicho, Project Evaluation Officer IV of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, was invited to speak as one of the resource persons and panelists during the session titled “Use, Misuse and Non-Use of Government M&E Systems.”

As the lead technical secretariat of the Provincial Project Monitoring Committee, he shared success stories on how M&E systems — particularly the utility of the Regional Project Monitoring and Evaluation System — have been institutionalized and localized through innovations and harmonization of national policies at the subregional level, integrating them into development planning, investment programming, budgeting and project implementation.

Guimaras was featured owing to its achievements in project monitoring and evaluation highlighted during the Western Visayas M&E Excellence Awards on June 5, 2025, where the province garnered the following major awards: Best Performing Local Project Monitoring Committee, M&E Leadership and Advocacy Award, Most Innovative M&E Approach, Most Effective Data Visualization in M&E, and Outstanding Practice in Participatory M&E.

Meanwhile, in his keynote message, Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan stressed that government success should be measured not just by growth figures but by better public services, sustainable livelihoods and increased trust in government, highlighting the central role of M&E.

Held at the Grand Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria on Sept. 29, 2025, this year’s national forum carried the theme “Shaping Change: Reinforcing M&E for Impactful Growth.”

Breakout sessions focused on translating evaluation insights into policy action across key sectors such as health, labor and agriculture, ultimately aiming to make evidence a cornerstone of governance.

EnP Catherine Ann Gaurana, the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator of San Lorenzo, Guimaras, likewise served as a panelist in the same session, where she discussed the implementation and utilization of the Community-Based Monitoring System.

The forum gathered more than 300 practitioners from government, academe, civil society, development partners and the private sector to advance evidence-based policies for Filipinos.