The Pasig City local government kicked off on Monday, Oct. 10, Local Government Month marking the 31st year anniversary of the passing of the Local Government Code (LGC) in 1991.

The city government said the month of October has been designated as the Local Government Month in celebration of the Local Government Code which established the system and defined the powers of provincial, city, municipal, and barangay governments in the country. It also provides for a more responsive local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization whereby local government units (LGUs) are delegated more powers, authority, responsibilities, and resources.

"Bukod sa naibaba o naging decentralized ang pag-gogobyerno sa ilalim ng LGC, layunin nito na makapagbigay ang mga lokal na pamahalaan ng mas mabilis na serbisyo sa mga tao at maibalangkas ang pagkaroon ng may pananagutan ng gobyerno sa mga nasasakupan nito (Aside from decentralizing governance under the LGC, its goal is for local governments to provide quick service to the public and the accountability of local governments in their respective areas of responsibilities)," the city government said.

"Ang LGC ang nagbigay mandato na magkaroon ng representasyon ang civil society organizations (CSOs) sa iba't ibang local special bodies sa mga lokal na pamahalaan. Sa pamamagitan nito ay nabibigyan ng boses ang mga mamamayan sa lokal na paggogobyerno (The LGC gave the mandate for civil society organizations to have their own representation in the different special bodies of the local government. Because of this, the citizens are given a voice in local governance)," it added.

During the celebration, the city government launched the Pasig City CSO Workshop for Governance Engagement and Participation wherein the city government presented different initiatives and programs which can be used as venues for citizen participation in local governance.

The workshop also gave chance to different CSOs to give their own inputs regarding the prioritization of projects, programs, and activities for Pasig's 2023 Executive Budget.

On August 5, the city government held the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Conference 2022 that formally opened the first ever accreditation process of CSOs in the city.

Various CSOs, including homeowners associations (HOA), tricycle operators and drivers associations (TODA), and other non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Pasig City gathered at the Tanghalang Pasigueño for the conference.

The conference was held to strengthen the synergy between the government and non-government sectors, bringing the people closer to the political decision-making processes that would empower them and allow them to be directly involved in the development of the city.

Attendees were informed of the legal foundations and the guidelines on the accreditation process, led by Visitacion C. Martinez, city director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Pasig Field Office.

As the initiative improves and progresses, accredited CSO groups will have the opportunity to select representatives who will join local special bodies such as city council committees, and capacity building activities and groups.

“Sa tradisyonal na framework o perspektibo, nakikita natin ang mamamayan benepisyaryo ng gobyerno. Hindi naman po sa masama iyon pero doon po nagtatapos. Ano ba ‘yung matatanggap ko sa gobyerno? Ano ba ‘yung pwede ibigay sakin ng gobyerno? Syempre may trabaho po ang gobyerno magbigay ng serbisyo pero sana hindi po tayo nagtatapos doon (From the traditional framework or perspective, citizens are thought to be mere beneficiaries of the government. By itself it is not bad, but it’s limited. What can I get from the government? What services can the government provide for me? Of course it is the government’s duty to provide services, but hopefully it does not end there),” Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said.

In August 2019, fresh from winning his first mayoral term, Sotto said they began setting up formal mechanisms for the “people’s participation” initiative. The first level was conducted from 2019 to 2020 wherein the local government worked towards improving its transparency and public information dissemination.

Within 2020, they leveled up to starting consultations and dialogue with CSOs, asking for their inputs in the projects and programs of the city.

Improving on this from 2021 to 2022, the city is currently working towards the third level which involves CSO inclusion in “every step of the way” from the planning process, implementation, and evaluation stages.

“Dito po sa ginagawa natin, ayaw natin manatiling benepisyaryo tayo ng gobyerno. Na pag may hiningi tayo, baka pagbigyan o hindi pagbigyan. Baka makatanggap o hindi makatanggap. Ang gusto po natin ang ordinaryong mamamayan, sa pamamagitan ng mga CSO at NGO, kayo na po ngayon ang magsasabi sa pamahalaan kung ano ang gagawin natin. Kayo na po ang magsasabi sa amin na nakaupo sa gobyerno na ito dapat ang priority number one natin, ito dapat ang paglaanan natin ng mas malaki pang pondo (What we are doing is refusing to remain only as beneficiaries of the government wherein our requests may or may not be accommodated. Where there is no guarantee that we will receive . We want our ordinary citizens, through the CSOs and NGOs, to be able to tell the government what our priorities should be, and which projects should be allotted more funding),” he added.

The local government does not pursue this initiative merely for compliance, Sotto said, but to deepen the integration of citizens into local government processes.

He said this partnership “comes with responsibilities and duties” that must be fulfilled by all stakeholders, one of which involves upholding transparency by holding the local government accountable.

The mayor said he hopes to make this initiative one of the city’s “best practices.”

“Dahil po palakas ng palakas ‘yung lebel ng partisipasyon ng taong bayan sa ating gobyerno, ibig sabihin sa darating na panahon, ‘yung mga serbisyong ginagawa natin magiging mas inklusibo, walang naiiwan kasi lahat nga po kasama, at mas magiging responsibo ito sa pangangailangan ng bawat Pasigueño mula sa iba’t ibang sektor, lugar, at grupo (Because we are strengthening the level of citizen participation in our government, in the near future, our services will be more inclusive, wherein no one is left behind, and more responsive to the needs of every Pasigueño from different sectors, places, and groups),” Sotto said.