To further promote civil society participation and widen the access of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to the mechanisms of governance, the DILG-NCR rolled out Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2022-05, entitled “Guidelines on the Accreditation of CSOs to Co-Implement DILG Programs and Projects” to its Field Offices on March 2, 2022, via Zoom Teleconferencing.

The rollout of Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2022-005 was conducted to cascade the salient features of the policy covering the accreditation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as co-implementers of DILG programs and projects. City Directors, MLGOOs, Cluster Heads, Division Chiefs, and CSO Field Focal Persons were present in the activity.

Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez highlighted the significance of the Department’s collaborative relationship with CSOs and posed a challenge to the Field Offices to cultivate and intensify civil society engagement in the region for this year.

To set the tone of the discussion, Division Chief of the Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD), Helen Verzosa, elaborated on the background and context underlying the key innovations contained in the policy.

The aforesaid MC is meant to cascade an updated list of projects, programs, and activities (PPAs) that CSOs may participate in every year. It also streamlines and accelerates the evaluation process of an applicant’s submissions while extending the validity of a CSO’s Accreditation Certificate from three (3) to five (5) years. It likewise simplifies the process of renewing accreditation certificates, among other innovations.

Following the LGCDD Chief’s presentation, Development Management Officer IV Leonides Frago, Jr. presented a detailed flowchart outlining the updated CSO accreditation process, which highlighted the important roles both the Regional Accreditation Committee (RAC) and Field Offices play under the new set-up. It also laid down how DILG-NCR intends to promote participation by CSOs in the PPAs through promotional campaigns.

As a supplementary presentation, DMO III Ma. Pamela Ferino explained the roles and responsibilities of the RAC and discussed how CSOs may properly fill out the annexes accompanying the CSO application forms for accreditation or certification.

In closing, Division Chief Verzosa synthesized the comments, concerns, and recommendations raised by the field officers. “Please anticipate other incoming guidance on and the rest of the Department’s efforts this year to elevate CSO participation even further towards responsive local governance,” she said.