Urban Planner  Gus Agosto, a faculty of the University of San Carlos, was conferred  with Fellow Status by Social Watch Philippines and People’s Public Finance Institute at the University of the Philippines, Lahug, Cebu City,

Social Watch Philippines is the network of hundred non-government organizations that initiated direct citizens’ participation in national and local budget processes through the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI), while People’s Public Finance Institute is a center that educates the general public, civil society organizations and individuals on national and local public finance processes working under the framework of citizens’ participation.

Fellowship is an honor bestowed upon individuals that contribute in further strengthening citizen’s engagement in public finance. The new Fellows are drawn from academe, practitioners and graduate students across Central Visayas.

“I feel quite honored that Social Watch bestowed Fellow Status upon me,” Planner Gus said. “By doing so, they have acknowledged my teaching work in public finance and its contribution in important ways to students, professionals and the broad public. It is both gratifying and humbling at the same time.”

As a faculty, he is teaching public finance at the University of San Carlos, Cebu. “I’m very interested with the topic, being an urban planner and economist; I’ve been involved in various ways in public finance.“ Planner Gus also has a professional interest in the role that a Fellow can play in supporting and improving public involvement in government finance.

Prior to the conferment, a two-day discussion on the development of public finance and citizen’s engagement was held in collaboration with Social Watch Philippines, United Nations Development Program and University of the Philippines-Cebu.