CSOs praise outgoing mayor

VARIOUS CIVIL Society Organizations have thanked Mayor Beng Climaco for championing people empowerment initiatives in Zamboanga City.

 Las Mujeres de La Paz Women’s Association Vice President Rosario Catis.

In a video message, representatives from different groups praised Climaco’s dedication in making private sector organizations active partners in the local government’s undertaking. 

One of them was Las Mujeres de La Paz Women’s Association Vice President Rosario Catis who repeatedly thanked the mayor for helping them start a livelihood program in the village of La Paz. 

“Ta rindi gat yo contigo miles de gracias la ayuda de tuyo canamon – na grupo y tambien na individual familia como este producto ya puede gat este kami bende, ya ayuda gat canamon mucho este pickled sayote cuando ya dale tu canamon ayuda y ya puede kami hace one-barangay, one-product na La Paz. Y el segundo producto, el powdered ginger y el yema candies. Gracias gayot Madam Beng,” she said. 

Climaco was a key mover in empowering the different organizations here and is behind the following: CSOs in project monitoring (2016-present), CSO involvement in the CBMS project (2017-2018), the Community Engagement Program for Basic Sectors (2018-present), Empowerment Program (2016), establishment of CSO Desk (2021), constitution of the People's Council (2022), and technical assistance to CSOs. 

Last March, Climaco also thanked the various civil society organizations here and cited the strong partnership her administration had with them throughout her term. “We are optimistic that our feats in mainstreaming CSOs in the local government bureaucracy can be sustained,” Climaco said during the annual assembly of the local Federation of Civil Society Organizations in the village of Malagutay.  

Climaco said her administration had really focused on promoting people participation that largely benefited the Zamboangueño people.  

She also praised the active participation of the ZABIDA led by its Executive Director Esperancita Hupida; the Zamboanga City Federation of Civil Society Organizations through its president Juliet Tigo; and the Reach Out to Other Foundations led by its president, Dr. Grace Rebollos. 

Hupida said Climaco emphasized the importance of organized CSOs and their voice in representing Sectoral issues to the local government.

ZABIDA is a consortium of four nongovernmental organizations namely the Katilingban sa Kalambuan, Inc.; Peace Advocates Zamboanga; Reach Out to Others Foundation; and Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. which are all committed to uplift the quality of life of disadvantaged sectors in Zamboanga City and Basilan. 

Climaco said the strong partnership between her administration and CSOs is made possible by the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator under Engineer Rodrigo Sicat through Jessie Lapinid.  

In 2016, the Climaco administration had implemented the Empowerment Program for Basic Sectors, a series of training intended to increase capacity of CSOs in investment programming, planning, project development and management, project monitoring, preparation of proposal, meeting minutes and budgeting.  

And in 2017, the ZABIDA and other CSOs partnered with the local government in the implementation of the first-ever Community Based Monitoring System in Zamboanga City. The next year, the local government also launched the Community Engagement Program for Basic Sector which was instituted by the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator to capacitate CSOs in the local government bureaucracy. 

And in July last year, Climaco signed Executive Order 668 creating the CSO Desk which institutionalizes the promotion of people participation. (Zamboanga Post)