By Wilson J Hormeguera
Xavier University – Governance and Leadership Institute (XU-GLI), as part of the Regional Water and Sanitation Hub of the Department of Interior and local Governance – Region 10 (DILG-X), held a training on the participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) in water governance on October 28-30 at the Dynasty Court Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.
The participating CSOs composed of social entrepreneurs, senior citizens, farmers, fisher folks, persons with disabilities, religious people, women’s groups and the youth organizations hailed from the local government units (LGUs) of Jimenez and Sinacaban of the province of Misamis Occidental.
Recto Mantiza Jr, XU-GLI project assistant, introduced the training as part of the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig sa Lahat – Bottom Up Participatory Budgeting (SALINTUBIG-BUPB) Project. He also shared the crucial roles of CSOs as citizen monitors especially in Participatory Public Finance Process (PFP).
Considering the human right to water as indispensable, the citizen monitors advocates of the right to safe drinking water, engage in water governance and participate in the public finance cycle.
Rustum Gevero, assistant dean of XU-School of Business and Management, gave a lecture on corruption and introduce the CSOs to the PFP.
Robert dela Serna, XU-GLI consultant, facilitated the Participatory Situation Analysis, the organization of the CSOs and the crafting of the CSO’s mission-vision in the light of water governance.
The participants were also introduced to the integrity project of Sibagat, Agusan de Sur which organized and developed the Integrity Watch to monitor the Local Water Governance (LWG) through PFP, produced the water monitoring guidebook and built local networks of informed citizens.
The training ended with the organizing of the association of CSOs from both municipalities, the election of the officers and the planning of the association’s activities that will ensure the provision of water services in their localities.
XU-GLI continues to engage in governance as its mandate under the Research and Social Outreach (RSO) cluster.