Strong local institutions sustain national democracy.
The Changemakers Fellowship is a nine-month reform program for local elected officials committed to institutionalizing concrete governance improvements within their local government units.
The Changemakers Fellowship convenes a select cohort of local elected officials from across the Philippines to pursue measurable institutional reforms within their local government units.
Implemented by the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the program supports reform adoption in the areas of transparency, participatory governance, fiscal accountability, and institutional safeguards.
Each Fellow commits to institutionalizing at least one governance reform during the program period.
Nine-month hybrid curriculum focused on policy implementation and depth.
Breaking isolation through cross-provincial reform blueprints.
Technical guides and peer review for institutional ordinances.
Support in drafting and institutionalizing reform issuances.
Inclusion in the Digital Compendium of Local Governance Reforms.
Strengthening structured mechanisms for citizen input, People’s Councils, and evidence-informed local planning processes to improve transparency, responsiveness, and public trust.
Enhancing procurement disclosure, budget transparency, and accountability systems to promote integrity in public spending and compliance with regulatory standards.
Developing institutional communication protocols and strategic response systems to address misinformation, strengthen public messaging discipline, and protect information integrity.
Establishing due diligence procedures and risk-screening frameworks for evaluating external partnerships and engagements to protect local autonomy and institutional integrity.
Open to Elected Officials
Applicants must hold the institutional influence to advance reform within their LGUs from March to September 2026.
Applications from 4th and 5th income class LGUs are strongly encouraged to ensure representative geographic and economic balance across the cohort (ULAP, 2026).
Key Criteria
The Changemakers Fellowship is a nine-month program for local elected officials focused on strengthening institutional governance within their LGUs. Fellows participate in structured workshops, receive technical guidance, and work toward institutionalizing at least one governance improvement during the program period.
Fellows are expected to advance at least one institutional reform aligned with the program’s governance focus areas. The reform may take the form of an ordinance, executive issuance, administrative order, resolution, or formalized protocol.
No. The Fellowship is non-partisan and open to local elected officials regardless of political affiliation. Selection is based on governance priorities, institutional readiness, and commitment.
The Fellowship is open to:
Officials from all income classes are eligible.
Yes. Legislative officials may apply provided they have the institutional capacity to sponsor or advance governance reforms within their LGU.
Yes, more than one official from the same LGU may apply. However, final selection is subject to review to ensure broad geographic and institutional representation within the cohort. In some cases, only one applicant per LGU may be selected.
Yes. Applications from lower-income LGUs are strongly encouraged.
Applicants must submit:
Applicants will be asked to identify key governance challenges in their LGU and indicate preferred reform focus areas. A fully developed reform proposal is not required at the application stage.
Applications are reviewed based on:
Considerations will also be given to diversity and inclusion.
A formal endorsement letter is not required at the application stage. However, shortlisted applicants may be asked to confirm that they are in a position to pursue governance reforms within their LGU.
Applications will be reviewed in March 2026. Final cohort selection will be announced shortly thereafter.
The Fellowship includes:
No. The program is structured for sitting local elected officials. Workshops and sessions are scheduled periodically. Fellows are expected to integrate reform work into their official functions.
Fellows are expected to attend all workshops and actively advance reform efforts within their LGU. The program requires sustained engagement, but it is not residential or continuous.
The Fellowship is structured to support measurable progress within the program period. While full institutional adoption is the goal, Fellows are expected to demonstrate substantial advancement toward formalization.
Details regarding travel support for in-person components and the National Cohort Summit will be communicated to selected Fellows.
Reforms aligned with the following areas:
No confidential or classified information is required. Fellows are expected to work within the bounds of their legal and institutional responsibilities.
No. The Fellowship supports institutional strengthening within existing legal mandates. It does not alter the autonomy or authority of participating LGUs.
Fellows present their reform initiatives at the National Cohort Summit and are included in a Digital Compendium of Local Governance Reforms. Alumni may remain engaged in ULAP-facilitated peer exchanges.