RESOURCEGov Phase 2 Project Team conducted CSO Participation to Local Budget Process and CSO Desk Strengthening/CSO Accreditation Training for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) of Lambayong and President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat on May 16-17, 2018 at The Farm @ Carpenter Hill, Koronadal. It was joined by 42 organizations with 54 participants (Male 39, Female 15) including the 5 team members.
On May 16, 2018, the training started with preliminaries at around 9:00 AM. Project Manager Roel Ian P. Blanker welcomed the participants and introduced the team. A round of introduction of each participant was conducted. Then, Mr. Blanker then explained the CSO Profile Information Sheet and Checklist of LGU Compliance in the Local Budget Process and presented the 2016 CSO survey result of the same checklist. In the afternoon, DILG representative LGOO VI Mr. Ian Jon Clemente gave the talk on CSO Accreditation Process. The participants were free to raise questions during the discussion. Mr. Clemente clarified that only CSOs that have been accredited can be invited to participate in the local budget process. He also said that the CSOs who have been turned down by the Sangguniang Bayan/Panlungsod can make their appeal to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to be accredited.
The next day, a quiz-type game was conducted to test how well they understood the lesson the day before. Department of Budget Management (DBM) Representative Atty. Libertine Cagang presented the CSO Participation to Local Budget Process, Budget Accountability and the Procurement Process. Questions were raised regarding the travel allowances for the CSOs who are invited to the budget process. After, Mr. Blanker presented the ODK and Qlik systems as new tools for project monitoring and budget tracking. Also, Mr. Blanker presented the results of the checklist of LGU compliance to local budget process. He went through the items and explained the possible reasons for the answers. Mr. Blanker told the participants of importance of inventory and updated directory of the CSOs. The CSOs were given time to convene for their next steps and initial plan of action. Ms. Alma Sandia, a CSO representative of Lambayong and Ms. Linda Quines, the representative of CSOs of President Quirino, presented the key agreements of their CSO network. Their common agreement is to ask technical assistance form RESOURCEGov for trainings such as financial management, project proposal writing and making of localized CSO directory/manual to motivate and empower other CSOs to join and be active part of the local government units. To wrap up the training, Mr. Blanker asked for two (2) representatives from CSOs to give messages. Ms. Prescilla Baldonado and Ms. Linda Quines, from Lambayong and Pres. Quirino respectively, expressed their gratitude to Mahintana Foundation for implementing the RESOURCEGov Project Phase 2. They are looking forward for more trainings esp. in capacity development of the organizations.
