1. NGO/CSO Experience in the Philippines Capacity Building Conference for Iraqui NGOs organized by the UNDP and LEADING POINT Management Advisory Services, 18-20 November 2012, Erbil, Iraq Isagani R Serrano President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)

2. Outline CSOs in Philippines---now and then Policies & legislations on civil society NGO/CSO-government relations CSO challenges---past, present, future Roles in society, in change processes Lessons learned The future CSOs want to build

3. CSOs now How many? –Moving target Presence in all non-state sectors: NGO/development community, workers, farmers, fishers, women, youth, children, IPs, Bangsamoro, LGBTs, PWDs, Chinese community, science & academic community, mass media, faith-based groups, ex-military, corporate/business… Primaries, networks, network of networks

4. CSOs through the years Pre 1896 revolution: indigenous associations 1896 revolution against Spanish colonialism: liberal democracy, freedom of association US colonial rule (1898-1941), US-guided elite democracy Post-World War II democracy: continuing elite rule and US influence From democracy to dictatorship and back

5. Policies and legislations UN influence: UN Charter, UDHR, etc. Constitutional basis: 1935, 1973, 1987 Changing policies across 9 post-war presidential regimes People’s anti-dictatorship struggles and 1986 revolution 1987 Constitution: people’s participation; Local Government Code of 1991

6. CSO/NGO-GO Relations Cooperation Adversarial: Anti-government, anti-NGO/CSO Critical collaboration Parallelism Gap-filling State substitution Regime-changing, revolutionary

7. Challenges past and present Legitimacy & recognition Political repression, loss of open space, Funding sustainability, ODA-dependence Politicization & depoliticization Competition, hegemonism, representation Impact & accountability Capacity for self-governance Capacity to engage government

8. Roles in society & change process Building social capital Sounding board for policymaking Critic of government policy & practice Self governance People’s development

9. Lessons from Philippine experience People’s participation---a value in and for itself CSOs: civic initiative for common good CSOs as antidote to bad governance CSOs subject to same governance standards ‘Impossible’ issue: ‘representation’ Focus on initiative & inclusive participation How inclusive is inclusive? Good governance helpsno guarantee of sustainable development

10. The future(s) CSOs want to build: post Rio20, post-2015 Rights and freedoms: continuing deficits Egalitarian society: baseline of high inequality End to poverty, more equality Good governance: democracy & participation Sustainability of development: social, political, economic, ecological Limits to growth Social harmony, resiliency, happiness