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At least 290 participants (Male 126, Female 164) representing the key officers of the CSOs in 8 MLGUs participated in the Training-Workshop on CSO Engagement with LGUs/local governance. With the training, participating CSOs have better appreciation on the principles of participatory governance, the legal mandates and DILG issuances on LSBs, the roles of the different LSBs in the planning and programming for the LGU, the roles of CSOs in the LSBs and in local governance, the processes and guidelines on CSO accreditation on LSBs and in line agencies, the innovative/best practices on CSO engagement in local governance (CSO Desk). CSOs have also drafted action plans/agenda based on identified/prioritised governance issues. As a result:

• CSO Desk has been adopted/institutionalised in partner MLGUs (Tampakan and Maasim). The rest of partner MLGUs are still undergoing CSO desk institutionalisation;

• Joint/partnership projects with CSOs and LGUs have increased (210% increase from 2013 baseline;

• CSO participation in forums in aid of legislation has increased (272% increase from 2013 baseline;

• CSO participation in the affairs of the LGUs has increased (142% increase from 2013 baseline;

• CSO engagement in LPRAT and other local governance monitoring bodies has increased (371% increased from 2013 baseline;

• On CSO accreditation, at least 60% of the partner CSOs had already submitted/complied with the accreditation requirements of which at least 40% are now accredited with the corresponding line agencies (DA, DOLE) and SB/LSBs. The rest are currently complying with the accreditation requirements.

At least 237 participants (Male 111, Female 126) representing the key officers of the CSOs participated in the initial batch of Training-Workshop on Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness of CSOs/NGOs for 7 MLGUs. The training focused on the 5 performance areas of the CSOs, namely (1) Governance and Leadership, (2) Resource Mobilisation, (3) PDIMME, (4) Financial Management, (5) Admin and Personnel Management. Initial results of the training include:

• Capacity gaps (i.e. communications, systems/procedures, policies, relations ) Board and Mgt. Staff) and corresponding measures were identified to address the gaps;

• Organisational/Capacity Development Plans for each of the participating CSOs were developed to address the gaps and provide direction and sustainability for the organisation.

Executive and Legislative Agenda (ELAs) of the eight (8) MLGUs were drafted, finalised/ enhanced and/or popularised at the barangay/community/CSO levels. Results of the activities include the following:

• Identified and validated the lists of priority issues, projects/programs, and its legislative/policy support;

• Identified resource mobilisation strategies/activities to increase local revenue generation of MLGUs;

• Identified capacity building needs and plans to improve local performance/governance of MLGUs;

• Incorporated the CSO agenda/LPRAP in the respective ELAs of the MLGUs;

• Built stakeholders’ participatory support and ownership of the ELA (executive, legislative, CSOs, BLGUs);

• Gained appreciation from the BLGUs/CSOs since that was their first time to see and participate in the ELA formulation/enhancement/popularisation (e.g. Libungan).

At least 324 (Male 163, Female 161) key officers/staff of the 7 partner MLGUs participated in the Training-workshop on the Efficiency of Tax Collection and Revenue Generation of LGUs. The participating key officers/staff were the respective local chief executives, members of the finance committee and the joint inspection team of the LGUs and the key officers of the CSOs. Results of the training include the following:

• Increased understanding and appreciation of LGU and CSO participants on the purpose and importance of tax/taxation and the participation of LGU officials in the tax implementation and monitoring, especially, the revenue code;

• Formulated the draft Revenue Generation Plans of each of the 7 MLGUs;

• Strategies/plans to improve efficiency of tax collection were identified which include:

  • improvement of systems on business and real property tax mapping/valuation using Open Data Kit (ODK) and GIS-based tax mapping system for real time monitoring;

  • enhancement and/or adoption of Regulatory Simplification (RS) and automated Business Permit Licensing System (BPLS);

  • creation/strengthening of the Joint Inspectorate Team (JIT) for regular and efficient business and real property tax mapping or implementation of 'operation suyod';

  • regularity in the issuance of notices of delinquencies, public auction sale for delinquent landowners and padlocking of businesses for delinquent operators;

  • passing of Economic Enterprise Code/Ordinance including related ordinances and creation of Municipal Economic Enterprise Development Office (MEEDO) to directly manage the economic enterprises of the LGU including collection of revenues;

  • strengthening of incentive systems to increase staff motivation in tax collection;

  • imposing the political will of local officials for strict implementation of revenue codes.

Local Poverty Reduction Action Plans (LPRAP) for 2015 and 2016 of the 8 MLGUs were formulated and submitted to the line agencies concern (e.g. DA, DILG, DTI, DSWD, DepEd) for funding and implementation.

Status, gaps/issues on the LPRAPs or BUB/GPB project implementation (especially 2013-2014) and the corresponding plans/recommendations to address the gaps/issues were also identified as a result of the LPRAT meetings/consultations and initial implementation of the ODK-based project monitoring of BUB projects.

Issues: Not all projects are physically monitored by the LPRAT members.

Actions taken: The project has introduced and utilised an open source mobile data gathering system (ODK) for easy and transparent monitoring of BUB projects.

At least 170 (Male 113, Female 57) key representatives from the DILG 12, partner MLGUs, business sector/ Dole Philippines Inc., media, LPRAT and RPRAT/line agencies, CSO networks, BDA and other EU-funded projects participated in the Forum on Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action on September 29, 2015 at Greenleaf Hotel, Gen. Santos City (Table 14). The forum was able to showcase "Entrepreneurial Leadership in Action" as exemplified by MLGU Tupi (Keynote Speaker) which has significantly increased its local revenue collections through its economic enterprises. It has also demonstrated Free/Open Source Applications/Systems to maximise Revenue Generation/Tax Mapping, Budget Tracking and Project Monitoring (e.g. Real-time monitoring of BUB & locally-funded Projects of LGUs) that are worth replicating by the LGUs. The forum also provided avenues for other EU-funded projects in Mindanao for collaboration and complementation. Results of the forum include the following:

• partner MLGUs have committed to replicate MLGU Tupi's economic enterprise model to their respective LGUs to increase their local revenues;

• partner MLGUs have committed to adopt the Qlik and ODK-based systems for project monitoring, budget tracking and tax mapping;

• line agencies/RPRAT (NEDA, DBM, DILG), CSO networks and BDA have signified to adopt the Qlik and ODK-based systems for project monitoring and budget tracking 

At least 476 (Male 229, Female 247) key officers/staff of the 8 partner MLGUs participated in the Training-workshop on Resource Mobilisation and Proposal Preparation cum Business Development/Planning and Portfolio Management (Table 15). Results of the training include the following:

• Increased awareness and familiarity of the CSOs and LGUs on the donors' priorities and project templates;

• Increased skills of the CSOs and LGUs in the basics of proposal preparation and business planning;

• Initially drafted at least 128 proposals from the 8 MLGUs. The draft proposals are subject for review and enhancement by the resource person/s, in preparation for the donor's forums to be conducted by the project.

At least 187 participants (Male 83, Female 104) from the 3 LGUs (Municipal and Barangay Levels) participated in the initial batches of Training-workshop on Improving Investment Generation of LGUs through Private Sector Participation: Promotion of Public Enterprises, BMBE/MSMEs and BOT projects. Initial results of the activity include:

• R.A. 9178( BMBE) Act 2002 and R.A.9501 Magna Carta for MSMEs and R.A. 7718 BOTwere popularised at the LGU and CSO levels to help update local investment/incentive code of the MLGU/s;

• Increased understanding and appreciation of the CSOs in handling the operations and financial aspects of their respective Barangay Micro-Business Enterprises;

• Drafted the Strategic Tourism Development Plans of LGUs Aleosan and Libungan

Orientations on national and local performance monitoring, award and incentive systems were conducted for partner MLGUs. Initial results include:

• Preparedness/readiness of MLGUs in terms of availability of documents and physical areas/accomplishments required for Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) evaluation, 'Gawad Kalasag', Child Friendly Audit, 'Dungog sang Barangay', etc.

• Drafting of Reports/Results on Individual Performance Commitment and Review (IPCR) and Office Performance Commitment and Review (OPCR) of partner MLGUs as a result of Strategic Performance Management System (SPMS) orientations.

The RESOURCEGov (MFI, SPECTRUM, CSDO) has represented the key CSOs in the SGLG evaluation in 3 provinces (Sarangani, South Cotabato & Sultan Kudarat) in 2014.

At least 15 cross visits/learning exposures to other LGUs with best practices on revenue and investment generation and local governance were conducted/facilitated. Initial results of the cross-visits include:

• Adoption/replication of economic enterprises (e.g. market, cemetery, facility rentals, RHU/lying-in, slaughter house, landfill, etc), including the adoption of the corresponding local codes/ordinances (economic enterprise code, market code, etc.) and structures (MEEDO) to increase income from economic enterprises of partner LGUs;

• Adoption/strengthening of tax mapping using ODK and Qlik-based systems to increase local revenues of partner LGUs,

• Adoption/strengthening of Regulatory Simplification and Business Permit and Licensing System (RS-BPLS) to increase collection of business taxes/permits;

• Adoption/replication of CSO Desk to increase CSO participation of respective partner LGUs;

• Adoption/replication of investment incentive codes and tourism/investment plans to increase local investments of partner LGUs;

At least 7 investment forums/PPP sessions were conducted. Results of the investment forums/PPP sessions include:

• gained support from Dole Philippines, Inc. and the provincial, municipal and barangay levels (executive & legislative) for the pineapple expansion investment opportunities in the areas of PALMA+PB* (Aleosan, Libungan, Alamada) It is projected that investment of Dole Philippines, Inc. in pineapple production in these target areas will help improve the economic activities of the province. It will also help provide employment to local community and increase the local revenues of the local government units in the future, as communities will have the capacity to pay local taxes.

• gained commitment from Green Tropics for the potential investment of Civet coffee farming in Mt. Akir-Akir, Libungan, North Cotabato;

• gained commitment from DILG, DTI, DOLE and other line agencies to provide technical assistance to the LGU and CSO in accessing performance incentives/grants;

• increased awareness of the LGUs/CSOs on the mandates of the line agencies (DTI, DOLE) and the convenors and the economic and development opportunities as peace dividends;

• increased awareness of participants on different ways to access grants and subsidies as long as they comply on the requirements of registration and accreditation.

• increased understanding of LGU officials on the different requirements especially on the accreditation and registration for them to have a full access to the different funding opportunities given by the national line agencies.

At least 10 peace forums/IECs on the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement (FAB), Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) were conducted. These were participated by at least 1,873 (Male 1,276, Female 558) key staff from LGUs and CSOs of the respective LGUs. The forums/IECs were conducted in partnership with the EU-funded Non-Violent Peaceforce, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA), Southern Christian College (Midsayap), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Results of the activities include:

• deeper understanding of the participants on the FAB, CAB and draft BBL (currently at the congress for review/approval);

• better appreciation on the implications of peace process/agreements to potential investment and the existing local governance in the region;

• gained commitment from participants to support the peace process.