South Cotabato, Philippines – Selected members from the Provincial Government of Surigao Del Sur recently conducted a learning visit to benchmark the province’s implementation of the country’s first ever CSO Academy.
In their one-day learning visit, delegations from PLGU Surigao Del Sur had their courtesy call with the Provincial Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. to discuss the learning objectives of the delegation with regards on the implementation of CSO academy program in the province.
Governor Tamayo also shared the province’s best practice – including the commitment in being a member of the OGP Local and with the implementation of the first CSO Academy Program in the Philippines – stating that these programs were a product of the “bottom-up” approach currently implemented through the “Tama at Maayos na Serbisyo” brand of public service.
Meanwhile, delegates also expressed how the province’s implementation of the CSO Academy Program made them decide to benchmark the province’s implementation for a potential replication in their province.
“Napili namin ang province of South Cotabato, kasi narinig rin namin na kayo ang isa sa mga probinsya na nag-iimplement ng ganitong programa… Nais rin namin itong pag-aralan para malaman rin namin kung ano ang iimprove sa aming probinsya…” – Carolina Tidalgo, delegation head, stated in her opening message.
It can be noted that last 2023, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato conducted the first-ever implementation of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Academy in the Philippines, in close collaboration with the Association of Foundations, Mahintana Foundation Inc., and with the Department of Interior and Local Government Region 12.
