Thirty Key CSO leaders of the different platform of cooperation organized both within the Bangsamoro core territory and outside communities now better known as “Other Bangsamoro Communities (OBC) held at Pagana Hotel, Cotabato City on June 15-17, 2022.

The CSO Led-Conveners and Area Coordinators organized by the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS) in Eight Clustered Areas in Mindanao purposely to unify their agenda and advocacies in accompaniment for the success of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in laying the foundation of good governance or in particular the envisioned “moral Governance in the Bangsamoro region.

The CBCS program is also in convergence support from SUBTRA’s European Union and Transparent, Accountable and Participative Governance (TAP-G) of MISEREOR international organizations, in aim to achieved greater impact and better output for similar activities and expected results in every activity which are all aim at successful transitioning in the Bangsamoro.

One of the participant and Resource Person who is also Led-Convener of CBCS Sibugay Cluster is Executive Director of the new created Office of the Outside Communities (OOBC) which under the Office of the Interim Minister is ED Prof. Noron Andan who emphasized the difficulties in jump-starting a new Office covering much larger in population and geographical areas than Bangsamoro Autonomous Region itself is a great challenge.

He also stressed that with his partnership and in fact being member of CBCS Network pinned his hope that he will be able to surpassed any obstacle in running OOBC. He said: “My Office and position is very temporary being co-terminus to the Chief Minister. However, whatever happened, I am assured to return back to CSO works and in fact am not returning as I did not leave CSO and I am always working closely with them despite of my appointment in the government.”

The participants were all apprised of the series of consultation – workshops undertaken by CBCS that formed the different platforms of cooperation all over Mindanao since late 2020 and is continuing until these days. The workshop results, will form part of the so-called Peoples Development Agenda that would be submitted and lobbied to concern line agencies of BTA and local government units. However, these work-shop outputs or Peoples agenda will be further affirmed and validated in a Regional Summit before its submission to concerned agencies slated to be undertaken sometimes in August or September this year.

In closing, the Led-Conveners discussed the content and flow of programs as well as the personalities to be invited during the Regional Assembly and get their commitment and support to the CSOs Peoples Agenda that would contain consolidated workshop outputs on the identified gaps, alternative courses of actions including recommendations, appeals as their suggested solutions to identified problems. In other words, the CBCS Convener Groups will serve as a “bridge” between the people needs and demands to appropriate agencies of the BTA. On the other hand, the group also committed that while they will be pushing and advocating for peoples’ agenda, they are also ready to play roles in their level capacity to assist BTA, in order to lessen their burden especially in the BTA’s 12-Point Agenda as their priority mandate during the transition period.

CBCS Secretariat