TALISAY CITY COLLEGE – Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation focuses and strives on the protection and management of the marine environment, conserving and managing coral reefs and ecosystems, including its resources, while promoting sustainable use for the benefit of the people in that area. In doing so, it is non-negotiable to know the city’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for accreditation.
Last, August 20, 2019, Mr. Auburn Patrick V. Samson, CCEF Executive Director, together with Mr. Lloyd G. Yosoya and Justine Jace R. Baisac, the Program Coordinator and Project Associate respectively, paved their way to Talisay City College to attend the Civil Society Organization Meeting. The meeting started approximately at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and was formally inaugurated by Mr. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr., Talisay City Mayor.
To start, he reasoned to us that in order to have a quality and successful project in the city, it is a must to meet them in the middle. He also submitted that transparency is the key and that their government is leaping beyond the usual norms, going the extra miles, all for the betterment and development of the City of Talisay. He then concluded and gave an analogy that the Government and the NGO transactions are just like a relationship between husbands and wives, that in order to have a sound and harmonious relationship, they need to have healthy communication so that both sides will know what to expect and make adjustments if necessary.
“Citizen’s participation is a key in governance and is integral to a strong nation” – City Planning Officer, Engr. Christine Gomez. She then, enlightened the attendees on “Participatory Governance”, wherein a certain government involves citizens participation in governance and even promotes inclusivity. The benefits and potential impact of Participatory Governance in citizens and civil society perspective include more responsive basic service to people’s needs, greater access to and control of resources by citizens, local plans and budgets are based on what were collectively defined as the needs of the community, increase in productivity and income generation opportunities, affirmation of being listened to or having a say and a sense of belongingness and ownership.
In Local Government Units (LGUs) perspective, the benefits would be the restoration of people’s faith in public and security from external threats, a greater chance of politicians to be reelected, a sense of satisfaction of having done a good job and satisfied constituents with basic service delivered.
Afterward, Ms. Liza Fernandez, the DILG Officer, began her symposium. This time it’s more objective in approach and involves a variety of legal terminologies that supports the accreditation application process. She then specified that after the Accreditation Process, the DILG Field Officers shall issue a notice to all accredited CSOs for a meeting on the selection of representatives to the local special bodies (i.e. Local Development Council, Local Health Board, Local School Board, Local Peace and Order Council). The selection of representatives, she added, shall be in accordance with pertinent laws.
Hon. Ferdinand Rabaya, one of the City Councilor and the Chairman of both Committee on Traffic Management and Public utilities and Committee on Accreditation, Cooperative and People’s Organization entered the stage. In a more practical approach, he discussed the NGO/PO Accreditation Requirement for the SP Council indicating that the following must be present in applying for Accreditation: Letter of Intent, Duly Approved Board Resolution must be notarized, Registration either from SEC, DOLE and CDA, List of Officers, Updated Financial Statement latest, Updated Accomplishment Report latest, Barangay Council Resolution, Constitution and By-Laws, Minutes of the Regular Meeting latest, and Action Plan Yearly.
In the end, no matter how honorable the intentions of a certain cause are, no matter how exquisite and well-fabricated the project plans will be, these are just but a chasing after the wind if unity is nowhere to be found between two entities engaging in a mutualistic manner. Meeting halfway may not be the only way, but it’s better than no way at all.
