CITY OF SAN FERNANDO Thirty civil society organizations or CSOs were recently accredited by the provincial government of Bataan pursuant to Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code.

According to Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III, the 30 CSOs will be part of local special bodies involved in participative governance and implementation of projects and programs for the people of Bataan.

The newly accredited CSOs will take part as members of different local councils namely Local Development Council; Local School Board; Local Health Board; Provincial Land-Use Committee; Provincial Peace and Order Council; Provincial Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Council; and Provincial Solid Waste Management Board.

Garcia said the provincial government recognizes the expertise and experiences of CSOs that will help in the implementation of programs for Bataanenos which can help sustain the level of participation in governance and the vital role of public-private partnerships in maximizing government resources and helping the private sector boost economic activity.

“This is a really smart and better way of pursuing various projects because we do not need to wait for an additional fund coming from the national government, because with the funds of our partners from the private sector we can already start these programs in our area, our fellow citizens can already benefit, and there is an economic activity,” he said.