Joint CSOs-LGUs Kapihan

Joint CSOs-LGUs Kapihan

One of the components of the “Strengthening the Capacity of Civil Society for Good Governance in CARAGA and BARMM project” is the organizing of series of Kapihan (a common local term for forum) in the three municipalities, one city and another one province within the CARAGA and BARMM region.

Municipal Kapihan were conducted in the municipalities of Maluso, Basilan and in Jolo, Sulu last August 27 and 29, 2024, respectively. The following month, on September 11, 2024 another forum was conducted in the municipality of Mainit, Surigao del Norte and the following day, September 12, in Surigao City.

The Kapihan served as a venue for participating CSOs and LGUs to ventilate issues and concern affecting the communities. Among the issues were: water supply, gender-based violence (GBV) and related awareness issues, education, livelihood and support services, waste management and environmental sustainability, malnutrition and health, and, access to community resources and support.

In a show of shared concern among the LGUs and other government agencies with the CSOs, the former outlined activities and services to address the issues and encourage the latter to put into resolutions for considerations of the respective local legislative councils and the local chief executives.

In a related development, the CSOs-LGUs kapihan Forum for the province of Lanao del Sur was held on August 30, 2024 at the Provincial Capitol Complex where the Municipal Planning and Development coordinator of the municipality of Bubong shared his observations and experiences obtained in the Learning Visits to some of the LGUs in the National Capital Region.