City-USAID sign MOU on
Wider CSO participation

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Feb 7 (PIA) –Expect an amended city ordinance on civil society engagements, this as Tagbilaran City under Mayor Jane Cajes-Yap signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on the enhanced and empowered civil society organization (CSO) for wider sectoral participation in democratic governance.

The MOU binds the City Government and the USAID to cooperate to execute catalytic, sustainable, transparent and equitable economic and governance reforms to spur resilient, broad-based and inclusive economic growth and advance democratic governance in the city.

And through USAID Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (CHANGE), the USAID helps Tagbilaran create an environment of decentralization, enhanced local government service delivery and effective civil society participation in governance.

This, both parties does, by applying Safe Space Approach through the creation of a venue for people and the government to freely communicate to advance shared social change that benefits the marginalized sectors.

Cajes-Yap, who came in to power to continue what her husband and now city administrator John Geesnell Yap II started in 2015, has promised to continue treading the road of civic engagements and building capacities of local sectors to actively participate in decision-making, governance and exacting accountability from authorities who fumble in their sworn missions.

No less than Bohol’s youngest mayor and the first woman city-mayor Jane Cajes-Yap signed the MOU for the city with the authority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and USAID Contracting Officer for USAID’s Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance for the international aid partner.

Riding on the USAID funded Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (CHANGE), Cajes-Yap, who felt that the benefits of the previous USAID Projects in Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) in 2015 and CHANGE in 2021 has to be institutionalized for a much longer and sustainable traction in the pull to a more responsive, transparent and accountable city government.

After six years of transformation in the SURGE Project and a few years in CHANGE, we have streamlined our automated processes peaking with the city implementing cashless payments in majority of its main public market vendors and some public transport system, former mayor John Geesnell Yap pointed out.

But still faced with numerous challenges especially in population management and housing, infrastructure development, climate change and disaster action which can potentially deplete the city’s resources if hasty decisions without consultations are done.

Consistent with the local government code, the USAID projects immensely helped the city advance its decentralization of its fiscal, administrative, political authority and the institutionalization of civil society groups in its governance processes.

Across the years, the city has put in place its ordinance on civil society organization engagements, in a bid to nail the role of multi-sectoral and inter-agency participation in governance, but across the years, interesting things have surfaced that allows the city to deepen and strengthen its institutional processes in governance.

On this, during the MOU signing, City Vice Mayor and lawyer Adam Relson Jala hinted that needed amendment in the ordinance, which should open more doors and windows of opportunity for the ordinary citizens to get in the processes.

As calls for active citizen participation in governance echoed across the Harborview or the Bohol Tropics Resort during the MOU Signing, city administrator Yap assured the USAID of its people and resources to man the project management office in Tagbilaran as the city steps into the digital world.

As for the USAID, it intends to furnish Tagbilaran with in-kind support in the form of technical assistance, training and commodities to further its development initiatives, states the MOU which the two parties signed and witnessed by city officials, CSO and the media.

On the other hand, Tagbilaran City would provide counterpart logistical support such as office space, equipment, clerical support for USAID-funded consultants, establishing and filling government positions necessary for the program, support training missions, enacting necessary executive orders and ordinances, accepts commodities and helps in installing these and training staff who will run these commodities. (PIA-7/Bohol)

SYSTEMS FOR EFFICIENT CSO PARTICIPATION. With a new MOU in wider doors for CSO participation in decision making, it also opens windows for accountability, equitable sharing of resources, accessibility and an enhanced system of democratic governance. (PIABohol)

MORE SUPPORT. USAID Contracting Officer of the Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance Ethan Takahashi and City Mayor Jane Cajes-Yap recently signed the MOU on sharing the responsibilities of a better city processes by creating a venue for collaboration between and among sectors for transparency, accountability and responsibility. (PIABohol)