CSO Academy for SOCCSKSARGEN to start 2022 capdev trainings for South Cotabato enrollees

CSO Academy for SOCCSKSARGEN to start 2022 capdev trainings for South Cotabato enrollees By: DILG XII

GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The country’s first ever Civil Society Organization (CSO) Academy will begin its capacity development trainings this year with the Province of South Cotabato as its pilot area. Enrollees will include members of various civil society organizations, NGOs and people’s organizations who are members of local special bodies of their local government units. The profiling of prospective enrollees is being undertaken by the LGU, in partnership with its CSO desk and Mahintana Foundation, Inc. (MFI), the chair of the management Committee for the South Cotabato CSO Academy.

In her speech during the launching and MOA signing on September 27, DILG XII RD Josephine CabridoLeysa, CESO III explained that the CSO Academy of SOCCSKSARGEN offers capacity-building courses which will enhance capacities and competencies in organizational development, and improve internal governance and sustainability.

The CSO Academy of SOCCSKSARGEN was formally launched in General Santos City on April 11, 2022, with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the institutionalization of the CSO Academy of SOCCSKSARGEN, considered to be the first learning institution in the country created purposely to capacitate CSO leaders who play important and major roles in local governance.

Director Leysa also revealed that the province of South Cotabato, through Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., has assured the allocation of P5.6 million for the first batch of about 50 trainees from various CSOs, NGOs, and POs.

The CSO Academy is an offshoot of the collaborative efforts among and between the Local Governance Regional Resource Center (LGRRC) Rehiyon Dose, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) XII, and their NGO partners, the Association of Foundations (AF) and the Mahintana Foundation, Inc (MFI). The course will begin with the Association of Foundations’ (AF) “LEAD to SERVE” for Phase I and Module on Local Governance for Phase II.