The number of the accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSO) that will be part of the People's Council of Quezon City (PCQC) has climbed to more than 4,000 organizations, the local government announced on Saturday, Sept. 10.
The city government said that based on the Barangay and Community Relations Department's (BCRD) data, the number of accredited CSOs is now at 4,055 for the term 2022 to 2025, coming from 2,232 for the term 2019 to 2022. It is also the highest number of recognized CSOs in the city's history.
It added that the PCQC includes associations from different sectors of non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs) from business, professional, women, home owners associations, persons-with-disabilities (PWDs
), urban poor, solo parents, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA), cooperatives, charitable/socio-civic, social justice/peace and order, health and sanitation, academe/education, youth, labor/workers, transportation, senior citizens, socio-cultural, environmental/urban protection/solid waste, livelihood/vendors, religious, Muslim, and urban farming.
It also said that each accredited organization underwent an evaluation process done by the Accreditation Committee which included City Council Chairman on Public Affairs, Information and People’s Participation Councilor Anton Reyes, City Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod lawyer John Thomas Alferos III, lawyer Rio Rose from the Office of the Vice Mayor, City Council Chairman of the Committee on Barangay Affairs & Community Relations Councilor Freddie Roxas, and BCRD Head Ricardo Corpuz.
“Ang pagkilala natin sa mahigit 4,000 CSOs ng QC ay bahagi ng pagsusulong natin ng isang participatory government na bukas sa ideya at suhestyon ng mga mamamayan lalo na sa pagbuo ng mga polisiya at programa para sa ikauunlad ng pamumuhay ng bawat residente
(Our recognition to the more than 4,000 CSOs of QC is part of our promotion of a participatory government that is open to the ideas and suggestions of the citizens, especially in the development of policies and programs for the improvement of the lives of each resident),” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
“Sa mas pinaigting na pagtutulungan ng lokal na pamahalaan at iba-ibang sektor sa ating People’s Council, mapapabuti pa natin ang malinis, tapat, at masinop na pamamahala at pananalapi na nasimulan natin noong 2019 (With the intensified cooperation of the local government and various sectors in our People's Council, we can further improve the clean, honest, and prudent management and finance that we started in 2019)," she added.
The city government said that on Sept. 9-10, the PCQC members convened and elected representatives from each sector who will participate and sit in the city’s local special bodies, task forces, and committees.
The representatives will take part in the committee’s deliberation, conceptualization, and evaluation of projects.
They will conduct research and data banking for sectoral concerns that will be used in policy making and program development, and will also assist in disseminating information about the city's initiatives.
BCRD Head Corpuz said the city recognizes the contributions of the organizations in ensuring that the programs ands projects efficiently addresses the residents' needs.
“Mahalaga ang mga CSO lalo na bilang partner at force-multiplier natin para ipaabot ang mga serbisyo. Katuwang natin sila sa pag-iikot sa mga komunidad pati na rin sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga mamamayan (The CSOs, as our partners and force-multipliers, are important for us to deliver the services. They are our partners in going around the communities and in providing assistance to the citizens),” he said.
The PCQC, which serves as the umbrella arm of the CSOs, is being implemented in accordance with City Ordinance 1942-2009 or the "Participation, Accountability, and Transparency (PAT) Ordinance that institutionalizes the system of partnership of the local government and its constituents," according to the city government.
It is part of the mayor's 14-agenda, specifically the agenda No.14 (Listen to the citizens and understand what they need).
Belmonte's 14-point agenda focuses on human and social services, economic development, environment, and climate change, infrastructure, and institutional development.