TAGBILARAN City, under the leadership of Mayor Jane Yap, garnered multiple awards for its groundbreaking civil society initiatives during the National Civil Society Organization (CSO) Conference organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on September 18, 2024, at the Royce Hotel, Clark, Pampanga.
The City was recognized with the following: Award for Pioneering Local People’s Council; Award for Pioneering CSO Academy called in Tagbilaran City as the Center for Responsive Citizen Empowerment, Education and Development (CREED); and Recognition as new member of Open Government Partnership (OGP) Local Philippines.
Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap was also invited to share Tagbilaran City’s successful initiatives in establishing an enabling environment for meaningful CSO participation.
In her speech, Mayor Yap emphasized the importance of broad-based governance in Tagbilaran City, which encourages citizen involvement in decision-making.
“In Tagbilaran City, we govern within a broad democratic framework that offers numerous opportunities for citizen participation. We have a strong track record of fostering engagement and collaboration with civil society organizations through the Tagbilaran City People’s Council (TCPC), a dedicated CSO desk, and an ordinance mandating the inclusion of CSOs with voting rights in the Standing Committees of the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” Mayor Yap stated.
Mayor Yap also expressed gratitude to the city’s key partners for their role in promoting collaboration between the local government and civil society organizations. She acknowledged TCPC President Mayette Gasatan and the USAID CHANGE Project, represented by City Governance Coordinator Dr. Rosalinda Paredes, for their invaluable support in enhancing the city’s connection with its civil society partners.
She also extended her appreciation to Vice Mayor Adam Jala and the 15th Sangguniang Panlungsod for their continued support in fostering participatory governance.
The event brought together over 2,500 CSO partners from Local People’s Councils and Local Development Councils nationwide, as well as accredited CSOs of DILG, development partners, and DILG field officers.
The conference served as a platform to share best practices and further strengthen the role of civil society in local governance, with Mayor Yap’s insights providing valuable examples of how meaningful partnerships between local governments and CSOs can drive progress and promote sustainable development.
