International Services

A volunteer's blog from the Philippines

Ben Ziegler volunteers in the Philippines for CESO, working with local officials on municipal computer systems, part of a massive CESO project called eGovernance. His blog about the people he’s working with is warm, funny and an eye-opener. Please visit Ben’s blog and leave a comment (www.collaborativejourneys.com/?p=1834). A sample:

"Journey from Batac to Subic: How one person works to make a difference"
By Ben Ziegler

Eric’s job in Batac is to look after all the computer hardware, software, and major applications for the 200+ municipal employees of Batac. He is also developer and administrator of the Batac municipality website. He does all this as the sole IT employee of Batac municipality…

Last night, I sat down with Eric over a few beers at the By The Sea Resort’s open-air restaurant, by the sea!  We spent several hours talking about eGov in the Philippines; and pulling out his laptop, we looked at some of the web sites he’s developed, and others he’s fond of. It’s obvious Eric is passionate about his work, and he combines that passion with a great sense of humour, both of which are in demand given the challenges he faces, including:

• Why share? This question is not uncommon; the idea of openly and transparently sharing information, experiences, and knowledge is somewhat counter-culture (both here in Philippines and across much of the world); and yet sharing his experiences and knowledge is exactly what Eric is doing by being here in Subic this week…

Read the rest of Ben Ziegler’s blogs (in English only, www.collaborativejourneys.com/?p=1834).